Create a Home That Appeals to Your Senses

(Page 2 of 4)

January/February 2003
By Dena Nishek 
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Comfort has as much, and maybe far more, to do with the way we feel than the way things look, says Ilse Crawford, author of The Sensual Home (Rizzoli, 2000).

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Be sensitive to the experience of textures and colors. Natural materials have a grounding influence. There's something that takes you back to the earth when you have stone in your home, Barrett says. Even concrete floors, although it is a simple and less expensive material it feels like the earth. It feels solid; it feels connected.

Enchanting scents

Scents are seductive. Scents invoke memories and can transport you in a moment to Grandma's kitchen, a sunny beach, or a lover's arms. Scents influence mood. Surround yourself with beautiful fragrances.

  • Give yourself seasonal flowers&even just one for your bedside table or desk. Notice the petal details.
  • Plant lavender in a sunny spot that you walk by often&perhaps the edge of the driveway or around the mailbox.
  • Remove or minimize pollution sources at home; use natural paints and cleaners.
  • Use essential oils to scent linens and to personalize fragrances and massage oils.

Floors with feeling

Feet are the hands that touch the earth. We have thousands of nerve endings in the soles of our feet. So treat your feet to sensuous stimulation with a variety of flooring choices.

BAMBOO A fast-growing grass. Durable and smooth, with a beautiful grain.

COIR FIBER made from coconut palm husk. Durable with a rough texture.

CORK Taken from the bark of the cork oak tree in a way that doesn't harm the tree. Rich amber brown color; has more give than ceramic tile and is less cool to the touch.

LINOLEUM Made from cork and linseed oil. A more environmentally friendly choice than vinyl. Smooth, warmer than tile, lots of color choices.

SISAL Made from the Mexican agave plant. Can be coarse.

STONE Includes slate, granite, marble, and others. Consider local stone. Various textures; earthy and cool.

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