Our house in late summer
Late summer marks the transition from summer vacation to the colder days of autumn. For me it is the season of looking back at what I learned and gained in the past year. This helps me grounding in life. What goes for our minds and bodies, goes for our houses too. We need to ground in them to feel the sense of belonging there.
It isn’t necessary (nor sustainable or good for your resources) to completely redecorate your home every season. It all starts with an intention. What is it that keeps you grounded and how can your house support you with that? In my blog (Work hard, play hard) I told you how grounding for me means spending time with my family. They give me a sense of belonging. There are many ways in which I could transform our house into our family home. No matter how small the movement, the energy will shift into your desired direction.
Start with the kitchen
Stocking up to get ready for the colder days ahead is a great intention to take on. Although we seem to have fallen out of the habit of pickling fruits and vegetables and stocking up for autumn and winter, the kitchen is still the place to start. Using your kitchen more often to mindfully prepare food that warms you, will also support you in your endeavors to feel at home. Having stocked up on a mere 9 kilos of apples ourselves, we decided on apple cinnamon bread, apple tart and an apple sauce that goes really well with a warm breakfast such as pancakes or oatmeal.
Moving on to the dining room
From the kitchen it is just a small step to the dining room. As it is my intention to start new seasonal family traditions, I chose to focus on the colors that have grounding quality here as well. I laid out my ochre tablecloth with matching napkins, used my (reddish) brown and yellow tableware and added some sunflowers, in the same yellow color. The care with which I created this earthy table setting came across very well. Our family diner somehow seems to be more tranquil now.
Adding on with the living room
The living room is typically the room where we spent a lot of time with your family or friends. Any adjustments here should help you in spending even more time with your loved ones. This is something that might need some extra attention, since in summer we tend to go out a lot. Personally I always need to get accustomed again to spending more time inside the house and spending more time with the people I live with as well. Don’t go thinking very big. Taking out the rug and walking bare feet on your living room floor or changing the colors of the pillows on the couch might already do the trick. I love to use flowers as well, they change the mood of the room immediately, especially if you go for seasonal flowers that were natural grown.
Last but not least: the bedroom
If there was ever any room to change the mood easily, it is this room. Just think of changing your bedlinen, and adding an extra pillow or two in a color that matches the season. Having an extra pillow at your back may even make you feel more supported literally as well as helping you relax before going to bed. I chose a combination of camel and ochre for the bedlinen. I then added an extra-long pillow that sits behind our backs as we read a book at night before going to bed. I used a terra pillowcase for extra added earthy vibes. I love the way that I can just smell the scent of all things sweet that I associate with these colors whenever I get ready for bed.
Getting grounded: how my (late) summer house supports me
Giving such attention to my house made me feel more content to be at home. On Saturday mornings my husband and I drink coffee in our living room sitting on our sofa, while the girls run around barefoot and play with their toys. Our dining table has become an iPad-free zone where we can relax and unwind after a long day at school or in the (home) office. And after the day is done I really enjoy going to bed, nestling down in my big staple of pillows, perhaps reading a bit before turning of the light and enjoying a good bed rest.
Do try this in late summer
- Spend time doing what you love most and make space to do that in your house
- Prepare: the kitchen is the place to start for some home cooked nourishing food
- Restyle: use textiles or tableware and add accessories in earthy tones, that match this seasons energy
