Spirit of the Living Room (Element)
What is your living room like?  Is it the kind of place where you feel uneasy and on your guard?  Or is it a welcoming, nurturing place where you can find fun and laughter or peace and security? 

The living room is the focus of domestic life.  Be it for rest and relaxation, company and conversation, or vibrant social events, this is a room that should reflect the personalities of those who create and enjoy it.  Yet many of us feel uncomfortable in this room or unsure how to make it work.  This book should be able to help.

Beautifully illustrated, Spirit of the Living Room shows you how to breathe new life into the social heart of your home, creating an area of sanctuary for all the family – and your guests.  It guides you into exploring the variety of atmospheres and settings you can create to suit your family’s different social moods.

The contents include:
* The history, mythology and psychology of the living room.
* How to use colour, sound, scent and light to create varying moods.
* The difference between feelgood and lookgood places
* How to be creative and inventive in your space
* How to use feng shui, space cleansing and simple ritual to create a welcoming place
* How to introduce the elements into your space

Spirit of the Living Room makes a perfect gift for anyone who needs more rest and relaxation – yet doesn’t know how to get it.  It’s ideal whether you’re planning a living room from scratch or simply want some thoughts on how to shift your space.  The solutions don’t involve hefty budgets or expensive makeovers – just simple, effective ideas that really work.

 

INTRODUCTION

Of all the rooms in your home, the living room is probably the most complex.  Its functions are many and, over the years, its titles and roles have shifted more than most other rooms.   Just think about the names we have used for this room:  drawing room, sitting room, reception room, parlour, lounge, morning room to mention just a few.  For some families it is the playroom or the family room.  Over the last fifty years its roles have become mixed and often confused so this can be a tricksy room.  In the course of this little book, we’re going to try to untangle what we mean by a living room and what we want from our own.  It will be an interesting journey.

In the past, most houses had a formal living room.  In the grand houses, there would be more than one, in fact there would be a host of rooms set aside for various functions:  sitting and talking; reading and writing; performing and listening to music; playing games and cards; receiving guests for morning coffee or afternoon tea; “withdrawing” after dinner (the origin of our “drawing” rooms); holding parties and dances.   In smaller houses, there was precious little time for rest and relaxation and so the kitchen would usually provide the stage for everyday family living while a more formal “parlour” would be kept spick and span for visiting guests.  Social relations were more formalised and custom dictated you needed a place to take your visitors, away from the hurly burly of everyday life and mess. 

Nowadays we are less formal yet the modern living room still has a large job which requires many faces.   It needs to be a place everyone living in the house can use for rest, relaxation and play.  Yet it also has to provide a welcoming space for visitors to our homes.  It should be a warm, enclosing place for when you want to be alone with your thoughts, yet also transform itself into a supreme party place for larger gatherings.  The living room is usually the room in which we gather to watch television, to read, to talk, to entertain our selves and our friends and family.  For many people it is also the room in which they eat (either at table or in front of the television) and often too the room in which they work, do homework, indulge in hobbies.  In small bedsitters and studios, it has to double as sleeping space too.  It’s a tough job and no wonder many of us feel perplexed when it comes to making our living rooms work on all these various levels.

Many people would claim the living room is the most important room in the house.  Yet many of us feel uncomfortable in our living spaces.  I think the problem is that we are often caught up in confusion over the role of the living room – and that is something we will discuss (and hopefully overcome) in the chapters which follow.

My own living room is a chameleon space.  Long and thin, it faces east with stunning views over a wonderful valley.  Like many people we don’t have a separate dining room so our large custom-made oak table sits at one end.  At the other is a simple fireplace, the focus for long autumn and winter evenings.  Around it are grouped a monumental sofa, several arm chairs and a large wooden coffee table with lion’s feet.  A few low stools and a bean bag dog sit in attendance for smaller visitors.   

Either side of a bookcase are a couple of armchairs to provide respite for quiet readers.  A window seat offers a chance for anyone wanting to get away from the hurly burly to sit and muse in peace.  On the other side of the room is a desk for any writing tasks that may emerge. 

When I analyse what I like about my room it comes down to the fact that it is eminently adaptable.  When I close the curtains and light up the bank of candles around the room, it becomes a cosy retreat.  When we fling open the doors and windows, it welcomes in the outside world.  By shifting the seating, we can close ourselves in as a family or provide an expansive welcome for friends and entertaining. 

I believe a living room should be a fun place, a soothing space, a room which can shift to become the background for the various aspects of your life.  Above all it needs to reflect your personality, to be a comfortable and friendly room that suits your soul.  I’m lucky in that my room is quite large but I hope you will realise, while reading this book, that size is not actually the most important factor.  Any room can – with a little thought and imagination – be turned into a nurturing retreat for the solitary soul and also a welcoming space for larger gatherings.  It doesn’t take huge funds or interior design expertise either:  sometimes the most effective changes are incredibly cheap or even free.   Let’s take a look and see what we can do…..

 

WHAT IS A LIVING ROOM?

What is a living room?  Maybe let’s start by turning this question around.  Instead of asking “What is a living room?” let’s think about living rooms which don’t work, which aren’t spaces for living.   On the whole, these tend to be stiff, stylised, highly formal rooms.  They are the kind of places in which the very air feels stultified and still.  Everything is immaculate, to be sure, but nothing feels very relaxed and comfortable.  You perch on the pristine couch or chair and feel the urge to inspect your shoes to make sure you’re not going to leave muddy marks on the spotless carpet.   In the old-fashioned version of this room the tables are dainty, the ornaments delicate.  An alternative is the room stuffed with precious antiques and elaborate drapes.  The more modern version is usually a paeon to minimalism with acres of cool cream and white.  Whatever its incarnation, even the most careful visitor feels nervous about spilling a cup of coffee or dropping crumbs.  If you have children or a dog, your nerves will be at screaming pitch. 

Maybe I have an inbuilt prejudice (born of numerous visits to such places – the province of stuffy aunts - as a child) but to me these rooms are not living spaces.  They are remnants from the past, when polite society dictated that we had a formal receiving room in which to entertain (and impress) our guests. 

Many of us still cling to this idea.  How often have you been ushered into a spotless living room (when you’d rather be nattering to your hosts in the kitchen?)  How often have YOU shunted your guests into the living room, only to find they refuse to stay put and drift out into messier parts of the house?   Why IS this? 

I think the key lies back in history.  When important guests came to the house, they needed to be impressed.   It’s easy to forget, in our increasingly informal and classless society, how rigid the rules of society and manners were for our forebears, not so long ago.  Most social occasions were also, in effect, business meetings.   A house, and particularly the formal room or rooms, was an indicator of people’s prestige, their wealth, their social standing.   It was designed to impress, to project an image of class and abundance.  It’s interesting to note how many of us still cling to the trappings of those rooms:  the elaborate drapes, the ornate chandeliers, the ornaments and fancy flower arrangements (even if scaled down to fit our smaller rooms). 

 In fact, if we’re honest with ourselves, this element still prevails.  We still “bring the boss” for dinner (and try desperately to impress).  We still invite our neighbours round and can’t quite get rid of that “keeping up with the Joneses” attitude.  Blame it on Hera.

THE GODS IN THE LIVING ROOM

In Spirit of the Home and other books in this series, we have looked at many of the archetypes which surround and dwell within our homes.  Mainly we have studied the role of Hestia, goddess of the home and hearth, the quiet, welcoming presence which makes us feel “at home.”  Now it’s time to acquaint ourselves with Hera, Queen of the Gods, who often holds sway in the living room.  Hera was worshipped in ancient Greece (her counterpart in Roman mythology was Juno) as the Goddess of marriage.   In her positive role, she embodies abundance, harmony, community and closely bonded relationships.  However, Hera also has a strongly negative side which shows itself as jealous, vengeful, obsessed with power, prestige and rectitude.  Psychologically, she has been portrayed as the “career wife”, the woman who will do anything to “get her man” and will go to any stakes to keep his position assured (Lady MacBeth could be seen as an extreme example).  Over the years this archetype has been ridiculed and women who show a marked Hera aspect to their characters have been scorned and reviled. 

Yet a swift look at Hera’s history gives some clues to her ambivalence and may give us some ideas about how to pacify her – in our selves and our homes.  Originally Hera was worshipped as an aspect of the great Mother Goddess, the supreme nurturer.  An ancient myth says that when milk spurted from Hera’s breasts the drops that fell to earth became lilies, while those which flew into the sky transformed into the Milky Way.  The name Hera is thought to mean “Great Lady” and is the feminine form of the Greek word hero.  She was a goddess of great power but also a source of nourishment and comfort.  With the rise of a more masculine, androcentric religion, Hera was demoted.  She became the consort of Zeus, the great Father god, but sadly not an equal.  Her role diminished to that of supportive wife.  Yet Hera never gave in.  As if demonstrating the inequality of her position, she constantly undermined Zeus and jealously attacked his many mistresses.  

Hera is a strongly protective presence and will guard her family like a she-bear will guard its cubs.   She revels in a closely-knit family and mutually honouring relationships.  A statue of Hera or one of the mother goddesses will guard your living room and keep watch (she is associated with watchfulness.)  You could also please her with the following:

• Evenings (or even the odd evening) actually talking to your partner, rather than slumping in front of the television.  Light a fire, crack open a bottle of wine, remember what it was like when you first met. 
• Choose furniture and fabrics together – even if it’s just making that final decision as a unit.
• Have family get-togethers as often as possible – talk, play games, make music together.  At first it may feel stilted (if you’re used to going your separate ways or sitting in silence watching the box, but persevere).
• Make your living room beautiful – Hera is associated with lilies so honour her with a vase of them (the scent is lovely too).  Plant them outside the window so the scent wafts in. 
• The peacock’s stunning feathers are an image of Hera so think about subtly introducing this pattern, or their iridescent sheen, to fabrics and accessories.
• The cow is also a symbol of Hera – maybe find an image of the sacred cow or Hathor, the Egyptian counterpart to Hera.  Other images include a winged goddess (as Isis) or the goddess embracing a golden eagle. 
• Hera is associated with the number three – so indulge her with trinities (mother, father, child; Maiden, Mother, Crone etc).  Honour her with groupings of three:  three candles; three photograph frames; three beautiful stones etc.

Honour Hera and she will be a benign and gently watchful presence in your living room.  However, ignore her or incite her wrath and she transforms into a steely, cold, ruthless character.  Hera can be the force which makes you turn your living room into a room devoid of character and warmth:  into a room devoted to image and power, prestige and vanity.  Her love of marriage and family can tilt into a rigid requirement for rules and responsibility, for tradition above all else.   She is the force which turns what should be welcoming gatherings into tense, uncomfortable ordeals. 

The antidote to this lies (interestingly enough) with Zeus, Hera’s unfaithful partner and father of the Gods.  Whatever we may think about Zeus, he does have some good points.  Yes, he’s egocentric, vain and a terminal womaniser, but he is also endlessly creative, wildly imaginative and spontaneous.  Zeus loves beauty, magic and craves self-expression.   Put Zeus and Hera together and you have the perfect marriage:  they represent two facets of the human psyche, mutually dependent yet always testing each other.  Whenever you feel that Hera is about to overwhelm you (a too rigid prescription for a dinner party perhaps or an overly regal window treatment?) invoke a little Zeus-like wildness and imagination into the equation to loosen it all up a bit.

Of course, other archetypes sneak into our living rooms.  Anthony Lawlor, author of A Home for the Soul, believes the living room is also the abode of Hermes, the messenger god.  “Since ancient times, people have drawn together to exchange news, gossip, knowledge and insight,” he says, “Hunters related their exploits, farmers shared know-how, shamans explained the creation of the world and the activities of the gods, families shared the happenings of the day.”   As I’ve discussed in Spirit of the Home, Hermes can be a trickster god and one we need to watch with caution.   He certainly governs conversation, gossip and lively exchanges but the television is also his toy.  While I’m not remotely suggesting you give up television (I’m certainly not prepared to) it’s worth keeping an eye on whether you use TV or whether it governs you.  If you routinely keep the TV on all evening (or even all day) regardless of what is on; if you regularly channel-hop; if you eat all your meals glued to the box, it’s time to put Hermes back in his place as he is beguiling you. 

 

A FRIENDLY, FEELGOOD LIVING ROOM

Modern living rooms should, above all, be comfortable feelgood places.  What is the point of a room which looks great, if you don’t feel at home?  A living room should be inviting, welcoming, beguiling.  But how do you achieve that?  I think one of the key factors is to try to engage all your senses.  Above all, you need to think beyond how something LOOKS to how it FEELS.  Let’s explore this idea.

FLOORS

Yes, your living room floor should look good – that goes without saying.  But it should also feel good too.  Living rooms work hard and it’s one room in the house where we are quite likely to get down on the floor – to play games, to stretch, to do yoga and Pilates, whatever….  So bear that in mind when choosing living room flooring.  Before you make your final choice I’d advise you walk across it in bare feet; you lie down on it and roll around a bit.  OK, the showroom salesperson might raise an eyebrow but, hey, you would try out a bed, wouldn’t you?  Go for it.

I can’t tell you what floor covering you need for your space.  Much will depend on the kind of climate where you live.  If you’re in a hot spot, there is nothing more delicious than cool flagstones or marble.  If you inhabit a chilly part of the world, that could be your worst nightmare.  Check out the difference between smooth polished wood and ceramic tiling.  Plunge your toes into a thick shag-pile carpet, explore the rough hairiness of coir and sisal. 

Carpet is very body friendly if you live in moderate or cool climes.  We tend to look down on carpet but it’s a highly practical, feelgood option.  Try to go for the best quality you can afford – 100% wool is ideal.   There are companies now using other materials such as cotton which can look and feel wonderful too – but may be less hardwearing.

Natural floorings like coir etc look wonderful but can be a bit itchy if you go for floor rolling sessions.  Seagrass is the smoothest of that crew with a silky finish.  However, be warned that these floorings aren’t the toughest in the world and can look quite shabby after a short while if exposed to a lot of rough and tumble.  They are also a disaster if you have small children – too rough for little knees and a nightmare to keep clean and free from toddler gunk.

Natural wood makes a great flooring – if your own floorboards are good enough, you can simply sand them and, if you wish, apply paint, varnish or simply wax them (choose non-toxic, natural paints and varnishes).  If they are past redemption, or you don’t have wooden floors, you can install new ones (recycled wood is wonderful and good for your conscience too).  I would strongly recommend that you don’t go for laminate flooring – it contains a host of nasty toxins.   Warm up a wood floor with rugs – the choice is endless:  ethnic kilims, bold modern geometric patterns, homey rag-rugs (make your own?), sophisticated Persians…   Some good friends of mine don’t just keep their rugs on the floor but also pin beautiful examples of kilims on their cool cream walls (they look fabulous).  My personal belief is that every fireside deserves a hairy or shaggy rug of some description (fake fur, sheepskin, cowhide, whatever).

WALLS

Paint or wallpaper?  It need not be that simple.  We often forget that walls can, and should, feel nice too.  Think about the rough uneven surface of old plaster; the moulded contours of wood panelling; the sheer slide of glass; the cool density of stone.   Think about the style and age of your home – what suits it?  Plain brick can look great – either left nude or painted – and it feels interesting too.  Rough-hewn stone gives a grounded, earthy feel – but needs to be in keeping with its home.

Wood panelling can completely transform a room.   Rich walnut or golden oak tones give a room an embracing, den-like feel while painted tongue and groove offers a fresh, almost nautical air. 

In the past, it was common to cover walls with fabric.   This is a great idea, particularly if you like the idea of changing the mood of your room quite often – or you live in rented accommodation and aren’t allowed to re-paint.  Obviously it’s an expensive option if you pick heavy furnishing fabrics but you could easily take cheap fabric and either die it or paint it to your liking.  Fix it on batons and you can shift your room as often as you like.   If the all-over treatment is a bit much, consider making your own “tapestries” – hanging a gorgeous piece of fabric over one wall.  Or painting your own scene.

WINDOWS

Curtains are obvious choices for living rooms and work well.  They offer privacy and a lot of freedom in design terms.  The curtains you choose can set the whole tone of a room so pick carefully.  Think about colour (see next chapter) but also about the fabric.  Cottons and linens will give a crisp, cool feel to a room while velvet and brushed and peached fabrics will give a softer, warmer feel.  These kind of fabrics will work well with most traditional window “treatments” – they drape well and can be twisted and tucked to your heart’s delight.  However, many people are now looking at alternative ways of dressing windows and, if you choose a simple, unfussy hanging, your choice of fabric increases dramatically.  Tweeds and tartan plaids give a warm Celtic feel to a room.  Hide, suede and leather are expensive – yet can feel wonderful and look wildly original.  Wool, mohair and alpaca are glamorous options.  Old lace is romantic while sheer voiles can look cool and minimal.  Felt comes in a huge array of colours and can look cute, folklorish or strikingly modern depending on how you employ it.  Rummage around and experiment with hanging rugs, tablecloths, saris, wall-hangings….the choice is endless.

Although feng shui experts prefer to keep blinds out of the living room I have to disagree.  Yes, some of them can look overly cool and formal but not all.  I love wooden slatted blinds which can filter in varying degrees of light.  There are also hoards of new blinds on the market – in a wild variety of materials and designs.  Explore the possibilities – or make your own (most furnishing departments now offer kits). 

FURNITURE

I don’t believe in giving prescriptions for furniture – or anything much else, truth to tell.  It’s all so individual it would be presumptuous to dictate.  However I do think that every good living room deserves a generous and welcoming sofa of the largest proportions your room can take.  Why?  Because a massive sofa offers so many possibilities.  My own is huge (because I used to live in a house with huge rooms).  When we moved to our new (smaller roomed) house I seriously thought we’d have to shift sofas but, not having the spare cash, decided we’d live with it for the time being.   It will happily accommodate four adults sitting or one (or two friendly ones) stretched right out.  It willingly transforms itself into a “jungle” or a “castle” for small children.  If extra guests come it becomes a bed.   You’d be surprised how even very small rooms can cope and benefit from large furniture.  Just because you have a teeny cottage or apartment, you don’t need to think small and dainty if your soul craves big and wide.  Some friends live in a cottage with a minute living room but are the proud owners of an expansive bright yellow sofa – it does the job brilliantly.

Aside from that, I think seating should be flexible.  A combination of chairs, ottomans, pouffes and beanbags work well, according to your needs.  Daybeds and couches look gorgeous and invite you to curl up with a book and a cup of coffee – or have an after-dinner snooze.  A rocking chair in a quiet corner (perhaps by a window with a lovely view) will be a welcome refuge.

Children love their own furniture – and it need not interfere with your design sensibilities.  Shun garish plastic and track down beautiful pint-sized chairs and rocking chairs (or commission a local craftsperson to make one).  I discovered gorgeous African three-legged wooden stools which sit under our coffee table and can be pulled out to seat small visitors.  When not in use they double up as stylish candle-holders.

If your living room has to be multi-functional, then screens or room dividers can be very useful.  After all, you don’t want to be looking at your work desk (and thinking of all your unfinished business) while you’re trying to relax.  You can buy ready-finished ones or “blank” screens which can be painted or decorated according to your whim.  I’ve even seen wonderful screens capable of housing hoards of photographs:  certainly a talking point.

When choosing fabrics for sofas, chairs etc, use your imagination.  Look back at the ideas given for curtains and flex your options.  If you can’t afford to buy new furniture, then think about loose covers for your existing stuff.  Still too expensive?  Invest in some wonderful throws and a panoply of extravagant cushions – they will quite transform a room and need not cost the earth.

 

STIMULATE YOUR SENSES

A living room should indulge all your senses.  We’ve already talked a little about the sense of touch, about introducing texture and concentrating on building up a feelgood living room.  Now it’s time to explore how we can indulge our other senses.   Let’s start with our vision – and the intriguing world of colour.

SIGHT AND COLOUR

Never underestimate the power of colour.  Even if don’t consider yourself a particularly visual person, you will still be affected by the colours with which you surround yourself because our whole bodies react to colour.  We don’t just “see” colour with our eyes, we feel it and sense it as well.  Experiments have shown that people can “feel” colour with their fingertips when blindfolded.  So don’t just settle for magnolia – choose your colours with care.

What I love about colour is that you can change the mood of a room within an hour or so.  Slapping on a fresh coat of paint is quick and relatively cheap.  However we tend to be scared of colour and go for safe, tried and trusted pastels and neutrals.  If you feel happy with them and they suit your soul, fine.  If not, then dare to be a bit more adventurous. 

Look back at your treasure map and see which colours predominate.  Are you drawn to nature’s green or the cool blue of summer skies?  Does your soul yearn to dance with the fire spirits, the salamanders, of hot reds and spicy oranges?  Do your spirits lift when you breathe in the vibrant yellow of daffodils or the soft due of dainty primroses?   What styles of decorating do you like?  Are you drawn to the pale winter tones of Gustavian interiors or the warm vibrant hues of a Provencal farmhouse? Do you love the muted serenity of Shaker style or go wild for the hot hot hot pinks and turquoises of a Caribbean hideaway?   

Remember your living room is going to have to handle a lot of situations – it needs to look good both in daylight and at night – so check out your prospective colours in both lights.  Sometimes a tone that looks fabulous by candlelight looks tawdry in the cold light of day; a colour that looks punchy and vibrant in sunshine, becomes quite drab at night. 

Let’s look at the choices on offer..

RED:  Red can increase your pulse, respiration and brain activity so it will keep you alert but can get tiring if you stay in a powerfully red room for a long time.  I steer clear of pure red for an entire living room  – but often like to use it as an accent colour (in curtains, on sofas, in rugs etc) or on just one wall as it gives life and spark to a room and is also cosy and welcoming.

PINK:  Pink can look sickly, bland and boring or punchy, vibrant and right up to the minute.  It all depends on the shade you choose and how you use it.  A totally pink living room can be a bit too Barbie but bright pink accessories teamed with white or green walls can look stunning.  So too can one fuschia or shocking pink wall.  Pink is a friendly colour and so, used with care, is an excellent choice for living rooms.

ORANGE:  It’s the colour of confidence, of joy and sociability so what could be better for a living room?  It stimulates joyfulness, release of emotions and is the ideal backdrop for a party.  It doesn’t need to be day-glo orange – there are a hoard of tones.  Think Etruscan vases and Italian frescoes; dusty, dusky, yellowy oranges.

YELLOW:  The sunshine colour lifts spirits, banishes depression and raises energy levels.  It’s a great choice for living rooms as it’s brilliant for boosting self-esteem and makes you feel sociable and friendly.  It looks fabulous with soft creamy colours and is good friends with blue too.

GREEN:  Green sits exactly in the middle of the colour spectrum.  Our eyes don’t have to adjust to it so it is exceedingly calming and reassuring.  It’s not a popular choice for living rooms but I have to say I love it and return to it again and again.  It’s a really good choice if your living room has to double up as a study or even a bedroom.  I love to mix it with vibrant red and warm wood, but it also looks lovely with dusky pinks and soft apricots.

BLUE:  Blue can work in a living room but you will need to be clever.  It’s a cool colour so very relaxing but can look (and feel) a little too cold.  However there are soft, warmer blues which can look stunning.  Blue also teams up beautifully with warm brown tones for a distinctive modern look.

VIOLET AND MAUVE:  These are soothing, meditative colours which are often used for bedrooms and meditation spaces.  However, if you carry it off, lilac, lavender and foxglove tones can give a fresh take on living rooms (particularly when teamed with fresh white and cream).  It also makes an unusual accent colour for furnishings.

WHITE:  Clean, calming but can be very stark.  However there is white and white – many people find a combination of white and cream tones make for a serene, uncluttered feel.  Of course you can always use white tones as a backdrop and then run wild (or restrained) with coloured accessories which looks pretty wonderful.

CLEVER WAYS WITH COLOUR

You don’t have to paint the entire room – here are some other thoughts on how to use colour in the living room:

• Play with coloured glass:  suspend stained glass panels in your windows – or paint jars and bottles (glass paint from art shops) and display against the light.
• Hang multi-faceted crystals in the window and watch the rainbows dance around the room (children and animals adore them).
• Buy junk furniture and experiment with paint colours and finishes. 
• Re-learn papier mache and construct distinctive bowls, platters and dishes.  Or make structures out of chicken-wire and papier-mache over the top. 
• Go wild with flowers – choose bold arrangements of one colour or stir it all up with a clashing cacophony of shades.   Make a pact with yourself to try different flowers from your usual favourites. 
• If you’re sick of all your vases, try painting them, mosaic-ing them or gilding them (check out art stores for wild ideas).
• Colour your lighting.  Aside from interesting shades, see what happens if you choose different coloured light bulbs. 

SCENT

Often we actually notice the smell of a room before we even register how it looks.  Whether it’s the delicious scent of roses or the stale pong of unwashed socks, our noses are incredibly delicate. 

However please try to steer clear of synthetic fragrances and odour eliminators.  They are often packed with nasty chemicals and only serve to mask smells. 

The first rule is to keep rooms scrupulously clean and fresh.  We don’t actually need all those chemical cleaners – simple beeswax is ideal for wood furniture (and smells divine);  add a few drops of essential oil to your duster and everything will smell gorgeous.

Flowers bring their own subtle smell.  Don’t limit them to vases – try growing scented flowers just outside your living room (so the scent will waft through open windows) or in window boxes. 

Aromatherapy is THE smellgood tool for your living room.  If you want to introduce a particular mood then this is the easiest, swiftest way to do so.   Scented candles are subtle and lovely (but make sure they use pure oils, and not synthetic perfumes).  The space clearing mist sprays I’ve already mentioned smell good while purifying your space (can’t be bad).

Or you can make your own mist spray (much nicer than aerosol air fresheners) by filling a house plant mister with purified water and then adding around 15 drops of oil. Shake and then use.

The other tried and trusted method is to use an aromatherapy burner or diffuser in which a tea light warms a reservoir of water into which you drop your oils.  Make sure you remember to keep the water topped up or you’ll end up with a ghastly gloo.

The oils you choose are up to you but here are some thoughts, with oils grouped according to the mood they tend to induce:

RELAXING:  chamomile, neroli, rose, lavender, jasmine.

CALMING:  geranium, lavender, melissa, ylang ylang.

UPLIFTING:  bergamot, chamomile, orange, yarrow

ENERGIZING:  orange, peppermint, pine, rosemary, juniper, grapefruit.

FUN-LOVING (ideal for parties):  coriander, juniper, mandarin, tuberose.

Be wary about buying room blends “off the shelf” as many “aromatherapy” products aren’t pure.  Check the ingredients carefully and make sure they only contain pure essential oils (a carrier oil such as sweet almond is fine).  My favourite blends of the moment are those of the very talented aromatherapist Michelle Roques-O’Neil (see resources).  Her burning essences are masterful blends guaranteed to provide the ambience you want –  I love Cocoon (deeply calming and protecting), Inspiration (reviving and restoring) and Rapture (warm and sensual).  Alternatively, you could ask your local professional aromatherapist to put together a tailor-made blend for your home. 

SOUND

Try to spend a day becoming aware of the sounds within your living room (and your home in general) – it can be a real ear-opener.  Often we’re quite unaware of the sound or level of noise (or lack of it) which surrounds us.   It’s only once you become aware of your own noises that you can decide if you like them – or not.   Some people find they are actually uncomfortable with a lack of noise – they like the sound of neighbours, the bustle of the street and feel lost without it.  Others simply crave silence or at least relative peace.  There’s no right or wrong answers to this – only individual preferences.  But remember that sound has the power to heal and also to harm.  It can soothe and calm, energize and uplift but it also has the ability to irritate the nerves and make us feel tense and out of sorts.   So choose the sounds with which you surround yourself with care.

Let’s think about how you might play with sound in your living room.

• Allow the sounds outside to enter by throwing open windows.  Alternatively, if you can’t abide the noise outside or next door, it may be worth investing in double glazing or sound-proofing.  A cheap way of sound-proofing a room is to “paper” it with cardboard egg boxes and then paper over the top. 
• Make your own music.  Do you play an instrument?  Did you learn one as a child?  Would you like to learn to play now?  Do you have friends who are handy with guitar or mandolin? 
• Drumming echoes our heartbeat and can be very grounding and calming.  Anyone can tap out a rhythm – practice and you could become expert. 
• Experiment with different music styles and see how they make you feel.  Don’t dismiss anything until you have truly listened to it.
• Nature sounds can be very soothing – particularly if you live in a busy neighbourhood.  You can buy recordings of birdsong, dolphins, whales, waterfalls and the sound of the sea which can be lovely.
• Introduce natural sounds as well – wind chimes, waterfalls and bubbling water features are great feng shui and can be soothing (or irritating – check out your feelings).
• Play with silence.  Do you always have music, radio or television on?  If so, spend time without these external noises.  What happens?