8 lifestyle interior design tips to encourage growth + happiness at home and work

How does our home and work environment directly affect our ability to be happier and more productive?  These 8 tips will help you create a space where you grow personally and professionally. This is NOT a Marie Kondo story. You’re welcome!

Remember back to the New Year and that clearly executed vision board you created with well-intentioned efforts (ahem… pressure) to create a new you in the new year? Having more time to organize your garage, plant your garden and finally get to that junk drawer in your kitchen you swear you just cleaned out, all while balancing a toddler, a change in career and trying to maintain relationships with family and friends? I know the feeling because that was ME!

I had this desire to be creative but honestly did not think that was a reality for me. Since sixteen years of age I had worked in fashion. From retail to design to trade show management it was all I had ever known…How in the heck was I going to make this big giant leap? I read books like “When to Jump” by Mike Lewis. I meditated. I ran. I did yoga. I cried. I shut down. I stressed… a lot. And then my husband hooked me up with a yoga teacher training course at Yoga Six, my safe-place studio. It was a BIG commitment for my family. The schedule was intense and there were 10 days at a time when I was at the studio ALL day. I learned more about myself than I had hoped to. And then the real work began. It was hands down the BEST experience of my life. It lead me to find my ultimate creative passion with interior design.

So what was it that the universe had planned for me? Being a practitioner of yoga for 10 years, I was somewhat tapped into the potential of my emotional intelligence but all of a sudden I started to hone it. Ok so here goes, I’m getting to the point I promise. For the yogis out there you’ll probably get this pretty quickly but we like to think about our day as a vinyasa, or flow. Everything we do has a flow to it from the way we brush our teeth to how we root our feet when standing. We’ve assigned a rhythm to our routines and our lives, often times without even knowing it. I began to cultivate new habits in my personal life, learned to love myself (um, for the first time in a very looooooong time) and and like magic the wire between my heart and brain connected and my thoughts started turning positive and loving. Taking this even further I knew I could somehow bring this emotional connectivity into my creativity. Our homes and work places can either keep us stagnant or they can encourage growth. I learned to tap into this potential and over the past couple of years have been creating spaces for inspiration, expansion and health and happiness.

So how can your environment create a positive daily flow for you? Start with the top eight life-changing tips below on how to set up your home or office with intention, purpose and inspiration.

1. There is beauty in simplicity, less is more! Keep belongings to a minimum and really make space for what you want to bring in to your life.

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Smudge bowl by @gemsofagypsy

2. Daily clearing routines like lighting a candle, or burning palo santo or sage for fresh energy. I LOVE these smudge bowls by Gems of a Gypsy.

3. Establish what your rituals look like (or what you want them to look like) and incorporate them into your day. For example, if you love elixirs but haven’t mastered a routine for it yet try something new. Keep powders in cute jars near your mugs and print out a couple of your favorite recipes to try out during the week. Or maybe your mornings are filled with kids and business and you just really crave a little personal time before it all begins. We love the Hatch Baby Rest (which we purchased for our babes but we actually also use it ourselves). Set it to the birds chirping for a pleasant way to rise early. Sit up in bed or in a chair and start with a ten-minute meditation every day.

4. Create an indoor jungle (just kidding, but not really). We love FRESH oxygen indoors. Hilton Carter does an amazing job of bringing the jungle in. We are always so inspired by his wild use of plants indoors.

5. Organize your rooms in a way that fit your lifestyle, keep the things you need most within reach and easy to access. Look at this dreamy pantry shared by our friend Danielle Schaffer of Citygirlgonemom. Cuz who really likes having to search for that almond flour anyways?!

6. Grab a notebook and start writing anything that inspire you. From simple words or phrases to colors and lifestyle interests and hobbies. Write it all down. Even if you don’t surf but want to, write it down. Then …

7. Create a vision board based off your brainstorm. Use magazine clippings and glue or a cork board or keep it digital. You can get super specific searching google. Feature inspirational pieces in your home and at work, your subconscious will absolutely find a way to bring your dreams to life.

8. And last but not least, music, music and MORE music! Whether we are getting ready for our day, creating a beautiful mood board for a client or just doing laundry and dishes we’re inspired by that soundtrack of life. P.s…check out our very FIRST playlist curated by us. TERRA + SOL MUSIC

Crafting your surroundings to fit your personal needs has an enormous effect on your ability to retrain your brain with new thought patterns which will encourage natural growth. Make space for everything you want to call in to this life. The universe is listening, I promise.

Visit us today in Carlsbad, CA or call (619) 630-6007. Terra Sol Interior Design Studio can help with your next residential or commercial interior design project!

VISUALIZE YOUR FUTURE.

Try a new thing each week and see if by incorporating some of the above helpful tips you are able to make small changes that lead to bigger ones.