I’m starting to think I should write a book or something. Like, I’ve unlocked a new way of thinking, and I can be one of those people who goes on Six Twee Minutes and tells everyone how to think. And then I’d be that guy who goes into bookshops and offers to sign my own book, so they can put those ‘signed by the author’ stickers on the front. Yeah, the type of person nobody likes.
Or, possibly, I could just write a book and try to make the world a better place with my ‘Home Awareness’ strategy. See, I think we confine the rooms in our homes to such linear, restrictive boxes, and there’s simply no need. My home just had a major bathroom and kitchen renovation, something I’ve been planning for a very long time. I consulted with quality designers, they followed the brief, and the rooms look great. And I find myself just wanting to go in there and sit for a while, to admire the room. Not to have a shower or cook some rice, just…to sit, and admire the room I’ve wanted to create for such a long time. Then I found myself going to other rooms, like the laundry, and the spare bedroom, just sitting for a while and drinking in the isolated atmosphere. These places simply ‘exist’ in our homes, and we don’t give them the thought they deserve.
Remodels, designs and renovations are an opportunity to bring out the best in your home, but after the renovations are done, you have to devote time to true appreciation. Sit on your redesigned bathroom floor and drink in the ambiance.
Think of your kitchen, BEFORE you contracted a bathroom designer to transform it, and then compare the result while gazing around. It’s a tranquil state, and it makes you appreciate what you truly have. And all these, from rooms that we previously thought were pure utility.
Heck, you can even do the same thing in the coat cupboard. I’m devoting a whole chapter to that one.
-Lou