” Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. ” Albert Einstein

In the how it has manifest itself over the years how big and important a role has imagination played in the creation of your home living environment?

The choices you have made over time there have determined the creation of the characteristics and ambiance of the spaces in which you experience your residential living.

What do you see and how do you react to it, consciously and unconsciously, as you look around where you live?

Is it always pleasant and comfortable to which you always look forward to returning or is it blah and piecemeal to the extent that it doesn’t register on your awareness radar or some place in between?

How much of your life’s time in spent in your residential interior spaces, what activities take place there, and how important a role does such play in the overall health and happiness of your personal life’s experiences?

Imagination determines the level of effectiveness of quality aesthetics and livability in the expenditure of resources used in designing, construction, and furnishings of interior residential spaces.

So. What type of environment do you want to experience when you are at home?

The human brain is the highest level of development in the evolution of life and there is no limit as to where the intelligent use there of can take us. But first, you have to choose to go and then do something about it.

Or, do you prefer to stay in the rut of that which you now know?

Food for thought.

Recent information from design sources who supposedly are cognizant of current housing activities presented a list of trends caused by the virus which will lead to permanent changes in the designs of residences.

Most of which have been previously presented and critiqued in this blog.

Going back to the colors of nature to manifest a sense of calm for the frustrations, restrictions, and anxieties resulting from behaviors necessitated by the virus was the one that raised a red flag in my thinking.

Choosing calm colors for our interior residential environments may be coming more prominent because of the virus situation but it has almost always been a viable and desirable choice, of the almost unlimited choices of colors available, for those who want such an ambiance.

What are the colors of nature?

Who makes that decision?

Light, which is the source of colors, experienced completely open outside in nature cannot be created to the same level for our residential interior spaces.

Selecting colors to manifest a calming residential interior environment is not limited to the colors generally described as of nature..

Most importantly, since light is the source of all colors, the lighting of interior spaces is the determining factor for the feelings one experiences therein.

In fairness, it must be noted that this information is gathered from the masses of the population and not from individual preferences and is geared toward the development, manufacturing, and selling of products for mass consumption.

Do you want to be part of a trend becoming permanent or manifest your own personal preferences?

Food for thought.

Color is determined by the reflection of light on a surface.

Thusly, natural and man made lighting affect the colors that we see.

The colors with which we surround ourselves are a factor in causation therein.

Such results have been verified by scientific studies and well recognizing our personal reactions.

So what does this information mean to us in our every day living?

The recent surge in lockdowns and work from home activities have increased the awareness of such in our lives. Paint manufacturers continue to develop new colors as the result of newly available materials and techniques.

All of this information should make us more aware of the importance of selecting and specifying colors for all of our interior spaces, residential, business, and all others, that go above and beyond what one likes.

In making such decisions it is essential that the colors used be seen and chosen in the light in which they will be experienced including natural and man made lighting during all hours of the day and all of the seasons of the year.

Some times it may be better to let go of our personal preference colors and go for a long term and more intellectual approach which manifest more overall benefits.

Much of human behavioral choices are made in which the emotional trumps the intellectual.

In today’s living, it might be better to reverse that situation.

Think about colors and become more aware of your reactions to interior colors, consciously and unconsciously, as you live in our current times environments.

Currently, there are more color choices in our lives than there have ever been before in the history of civilization.

The options are there abundantly.

Your choices are left up to you?

What are you going to do about it?

Food for thought.

“Oh, that God the gift would give us to see ourselves as others see us.”

Robert Burns

What do you thinks others see and think about you when they see the interiors of your residential living spaces?

What would you like for them to see and think of your residential living spaces?

Some people want every thing to look old as they perceive such gives them a higher “old money” status.

Some people want every thing to look new and costly as they perceive such shows their economic status.

Some people want every thing to be the latest trend, or fashion, or newest, or best et cetera as they perceive such makes them current and with “it”.

Some people want to show how they did every thing the least expensive and most efficient and money saving way which makes them look smart, wise, and sharp.

Some people don’t care how it looks or what others might think of them.

Some people are of the position that what others see and think is of the highest priority and trumps every other factor and consideration.

Some people leave it totally to chance and roll of the dice and such is where they choose to be and live with it.

There are infinite reasons, emotionally, intellectually, socially, economically, traditionally, et cetera, of how and why people live in their residential interior spaces.

The golden rule is to be your self and live in the residential interior spaces that are functional and comfortable for your personality traits and life style using the laws of physics and principles of design to manifest the highest level of qualities, aesthetically and materially, economically feasible.

Food for thought.

“Thought things that we call works of art”

“The soul of both art and science”

What can we learn from this internationally recognized scientist?

How can such apply to our residential inside living environments?

The quality results of what we call art, as well as the interior environments in which we live, are caused by the quantity of work, amount of knowledge, and level of intelligence extended there in.

The soul of art, the principles of aesthetics, and of science, the laws of physics, is experienced when both are balanced and combined together.

The soul is the essence what is?

Where is your soul?

Where do you want it to be?

What level of experience do you want your life’s journey to have known?

Food for thought.

The backgrounds, philosophy, approaches, influences, and accomplishments of several leading designers in the world of haute couture came across my desk last week.

There were several aspects of this report which peaked my attention.

One was the constant use of the best in all aspects of the operations, including all materials used, unique highly skilled artisans and workmen, the constant level of construction in side and out side of the garment, and the insistence of the same level of quality in even the most minute details.

Another was the art design of these clothes. These creations are on the same level of aesthetics as are the works of major fine artists.

Up above and beyond any status or ego involved in purchasing and wearing these creations was the strong reaction of wearers as to the comfort and how wearing these clothes made them feel. Some described the experience as a completely transforming intellectual, psychological, and emotional experience.

Many of these aspects and principles can be applied to the designs of the residential spaces in which we live.

Even if your financial circumstances prevent you from spending tens of thousands of dollars on a single garment or hundreds of thousands of dollars on the interior design of your residences, you can always seek to use the best quality and functions available to you.

Generally speaking, using the best quality materials, workmanship, and functions not only gives a higher level daily living experience, but it is also a better financial investment over the long haul.

Remember: You usually get that for which you pay. There is no substitute for quality.

Food for thought.

It has been said that a salad without a dressing is just a bowl of wet vegetables.

It is the dressing that brings every thing together into a delicious whole.

The same can be said and the same principle can be applied to the designs of one’s

residential interior spaces.

Adding silver candle holders does not in and of itself make the setting formal.

Having large spaces by themselves do not thusly make a grand design.

Furnishings that are rare, expensive, imported, best quality, labor intensive, et cetera are not necessarily good elements in a design composition.

Using antiques, important art works, and styles of furnishings from past periods of design do not automatically produce high quality aesthetics spaces.

The latest trends, what’s popular, what “they” are doing, what’s traditional, and what’s highest status alone does not make it a plus factor in aesthetics.

Who did it, who owns it, where it is located, who uses it, who built it, materials used, et cetera as a factor by itself does not necessarily increase or enhance the level of aesthetics.

Who lived there, who did what there, what events took place there, et cetera do not affect the level of aesthetics.

Most people, for most of the time, choose and eat food that taste good.

Use the laws of physics and the principles of design as the dressing that makes the salad of your residential interior spaces into a delicious whole of high level aesthetics.

With that same level and kind of logic, is it not of merit to apply such to the aesthetic level of your residential interior spaces and furnishings where you spend your personal time?

Food for thought.

Having a black front door can increase the expected price by up to $6000 according to the results of a survey that came across my desk last week.

This information was unfamiliar to me and prompted research on the subject.

The results of this internet research gave affirming results.

This black front door gives the impression that the house is serious, stately, and a safe choice.

One said the the black door symbolizes sophistication and wealth.

Another sates that it symbolizes order and control and is authoritative.

Another states that the black front door makes the house look dressier.

I cannot make an authoritative position on these statements because I have not had any experience or proof that they are accurate.

Front doors in black, dark green, and red have been seen on houses that are stately, elegant, dignified, et cetera but these were not the only colors that produced outstanding results.

What are the personality traits and goals of people who make these choices?

While the front door is often the focal point of a residence and can, and should, make an impression and set the flavor of the house, what about the other factors such as style of architecture, materials used, landscaping, lighting, and colors used for rest of the front facade?

Black color results when all of the light rays are absorbed rather than being reflected on a surface.

Does this law of physics has some subliminal effect of the subconscious mind of people who makes these choices?

Or is it another status economic symbol that worked it’s way into the psyche of such personalities?

Or is it just another technique that is used to produce more and easier sales of residences.

I don’t have the answer to these questions?

The laws of physics and principles of aesthetics determine the results of any physical manifestation.

The emotional, intellectual, economic, status, formality, psychological, desirability, and other non-physical characteristics given to any physical manifestation are in the minds of the people who have them.

What do you think of this statement that having a black door will add up to $6000 to the expected value of a house and what effect does it have on your life and thinking?

Food for thought.

This time between Christmas and the new year is an excellent time for reflection.

Where are you today compared to where you were this time last year?

Look around the residential interior environment in which you live and evaluate how you feel about living there and how functional, enjoyable, and motivating it has been for the last twelve months.

What are the pro and cons about what you see?

What would you like to see there?

How congruent is what you see now with what you would like to see this time next year?

Generally, those goals we plan for the future are ones that make our lives healthier, happier, fulfilling, et cetera, and enhance our living experience.

How do all of these resulting thoughts reflect where you are at this moment in time and point in space?

What are you going to do, or not do, about the situation?

What we experience in life is determined by what we think and do.

What is your future?

Food for thought.

This edition is late because of technical difficulties and is an observation as I am not an authority on residential real estate.

There was a news report on a national network of a house, in this country, that was sold this spring for $51,000 and was sold for $375,000 this fall which is an increase of over 700%.

As if that were not enough, there was a foot note that this house was not up to snuff and was torn down to build a more desired and better quality house.

When, where, and how will it all end?

For many of the people who live and own houses in this country, their home is their biggest or one of their biggest financial investments.

The current market is thus excellent for some people and very challenging for others.

Owning your own home is a major goal for most of the population and is a big feature and part of the American dream.

We are fortunate in this country that we can afford to and have the option of purchasing our own homes.

In some countries on this planet purchasing your own home is not an option and in other countries 70 to 80% of people’s income is spent on housing costs.

So where are we in this country on residential marketing and where is it going to go and what, if anything, can you or I do about it?

“The times, they are a changing”

Food for thought.