Last night I was watching a Master Class from an interior designer. My typical evening, Old Line candle burning, lights dimmed and the weight of a few white layers atop my bed. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve never been trained as an interior designer. I haven’t interacted with many interior designers. She began by showing her process. What she asks her clients, how she designs spaces based on fabrics that inspire her, etc. My eyes were taken on a ride of colors and buildings. I sank into my body and felt a hollow space on top of my belly. What is it I asked that spot? I sank in further to my body while extending my hearing out to the screen. I felt like taffy being pulled in two directions.
Then it hit me….this is pretty and all without the felt sense. As though the invisible layer of how the space feels, the actual interior, isn’t being talked about. The layer underneath, the one that opens our senses, not being depicted.
A few hours before this, I had been on an afternoon zoom with a few people from the OE team. Lisa pops up and says…remember that video that talks about why the elements are important? (The video she was talking about you can see HERE) The essence of a space feeling good is simple: what does each item evoke of your senses.
Soft linens are important. They remind us that softness is our strength. In a world where it is challenging to remain soft, this is our reminder. Woods and metals bring in a sense of grounding, a feeling of depth. Candles and incense (I love both) evoke our sense of smell and remind us to breathe in and out. There is no formula or select certain “products” that create this. It is the real, of the earth, pieces that bring us home.
I began dreaming of a Master Class on the felt sense. Shopping from the felt sense. A focus on how to make you space such that your body relaxes in the process. Neither opulent nor merely functional. But attention to detail. Attention to the scent in a room. Attention to the way that fabric feels against your skin. Attention to the sensations that occur with the blending of textures.
Sofia said a week ago…we are designers of the interior. She nailed it. A company of people dedicated to creating a world conducive to living from these depths.