•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

It takes more than just trendy accessories, designer furniture and the latest lifestyle gadgets to make residents feel at home within their own four walls.

Homeowners should consider their needs when designing their abode so that they feel happy when they come home.

“What is good for a person and what isn’t is played out to a large extent in the subconscious,” says Uwe Linke, a life psychologist and author from Munich.

To figure out what design items make them feel unhappy, Linke says people should start asking themselves: “Which decorative items fit me and which don’t?”

People who are insecure feel better, for example, when their home is designed to fit their need for security. Materials that exude security such as dark wood and earth-tone walls are best. Other people feel smothered by such features and prefer a light and cool atmosphere instead.

“This can be achieved through light colors, a lot of light and an airy arrangement of furniture,” Linke says.

“At any rate, the decor should follow a theme and have a matching color, style and light concept,” he adds.

To determine which light types are necessary, Linke suggests stimulating a power loss by shutting off the lights.

“Use candles to find out where in the room you most need light in order to make the space comfortable and give it enough light,” he says. “After the chosen spaces are illuminated by candles in the test, an electric light can be installed.”

Some dim corners can remain, but there should be no completely dark areas.

Feng shui consultant and author Gudrun Mende, meanwhile, advises people not to cling to strict lifestyle guidelines or trends. Self-determination, she says, is the key to building an authentic home.

“I often counsel people who have their homes decorated dogmatically following feng shui and afterward don’t dare change the position of a vase,” Mende says.

In order to recognize what one’s own needs are, Mende has this tip: “Feel your way around your apartment with your eyes closed and notice what you touch. That’s where you should begin rearranging.”

She suggests getting a fresh perspective on the house’s layout and design by taking photos of the rooms. Preparing a list of all furniture, she says, can help residents identify extraneous objects that can be rearranged or disposed.

Avoid letting old objects pile up at home, no matter how well-loved they are.

“Every person’s life changes over time. The home has to change as well,” Linke says.

Even if a designer lamp was expensive, get rid of it or store it away if it no longer fits the scheme of the house.


DPA