“A home is an intimate space where we can create a sense of worth, security, and belonging.  It should be the place where we go to feel our best, a haven to recharge and rejuvenate.  The commitment to reclaim and refine this sacred space and to protect what we hold dear invites us to make choices that change us, and better us, and help us make a positive impact on the world around us.”  ~ Melissa Michaels

Seeing the world come alive with color is one thing that has brought me peace during the COVID-19 pandemic. If this had to happen, what a beautiful time of year to occur during a North Carolina spring. It has made me slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature around me and most likely it has done that for you also.  Dr. Carla Marie Manly has noted that, “When we are confined indoors, it can be truly important to bring nature into our living spaces as much as possible.” By including plants or elements of nature in your home décor, you are bringing beauty and peace to your home’s interior in an inexpensive and attractive way.  Many times you have read in my articles that plants and nature bring life to a room.  I know this is so true because often as I am finishing a job, I stand back to see if the design is missing anything.  If it is, all it takes is to add a plant or an item from nature and it completes the design.

Natural Elements to help add life to your interior:

• Pick up a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store or from your yard…or order online. Flowers will boost your mood.  I have heard them called ‘Vitamin F.’ My ‘Knock Out Roses’ are so beautiful and I picked a small bouquet and placed them in a vase.  The roses make me smile each time I walk by them.
• Place a green houseplant in a pretty container on a side table. Google “houseplants that are easy to grow” for suggestions to help you decide which plants to purchase.  An added benefit is plants actually improve air quality in your home.
• Add coastal elements this summer: a bowl full of seashells, a piece of driftwood….even pictures of family taken at the beach would make a nice vignette.
• Decorate by adding wood, leather, or rattan as furniture pieces to pull things together.
• Plant a terrarium and enjoy it as a centerpiece on your kitchen table.
• Use a pretty ribbon to hang a twiggy or boxwood wreath on a mirror.
• Use art depicting the outdoors to create warmth and interest.
• Let in natural light. Create an open and airy feel by swapping out heavy curtains for gauzy and semi-sheer curtains. Simply opening the blinds will help also.

These are challenging and uncertain times. This experience we are living through will change us forever.  And like Melissa Michaels’ quote, let’s “make choices that change us, and better us, and help us make a positive impact on the world around us.”

May you know God’s goodness and faithfulness.