Coming to your Senses

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The geniuses of design and décor understand that rooms must not only look great, but that they must also feel great, sound brilliant, smell sensational and yes, even taste delicious. A great room by all design and décor standards needs to appeal to all five of our senses.

SENSE OF SIGHT

Great visuals are a must. We need to understand the principles of balance and proportion and apply a little basic geometry to our rooms. When styling a room our goal is to achieve visual harmony amongst our colour choices and with the visual weight of all that goes into the space.

SENSE OF TOUCH

The very best rooms have a lot of diverse and interesting textures paired next to one another and they are all used with in the same visual space. A designer must also consider the application of each texture. Will it feel soft and cozy, is it best used as a covering on a favourite chair or underfoot? Is the texture durable and appropriate for the use? What is the neighbouring texture - do we have a contrast in textures here?

SENSE OF HEARING

Wire the room for sound. Today we are blessed with great electronic options that can bring crystal clear sound into our homes. At a touch of a button we can play our favourite CDs with superior sound quality, but there are other "sound" options. Consider installing a water wall or a table top fountain to bring the soothing sounds of water into a space, or for a something a little playful try a white noise machine or even a set of wind chimes.

SENSE OF SMELL

Almost all of us use aromatherapy in our homes already - we know the power of a nose. Nothing stimulates a memory more effectively than scent. How do your rooms smell? Spice up the kitchen with the aromas of apple pie/cinnamon, vanilla and/or nutmeg. Use lemongrass in the bathroom for de-stressing after a long day, and scents of lavender and lilac are soothing in the bedroom.

Are you a bit of a health nut? Pine, ginger and eucalyptus help to stimulate the immune system and dry up mucus flows during cold season.

Always use scents you enjoy, but also scents that are appropriate for the space and the mood you wish to create. Make a room scentsational by burning a candle, simmering essential oils (mix oils five part water with one part oil) or fill a bowl with scented potpourri.

SENSE OF TASTE

There is one last sense to appeal to, and that is taste. Try to bring a food element into the room - a copper bowl filled with bright red apples is perfect sitting on a coffee table during this Fall season, a bowl of ripe red strawberries on a bedside stand, a tray of red grapes on a buffet in the dining room, a jar of fresh limes next to the martini glasses on a bar cart, or some pumpkins, squash or gourds in a bowl or on a fireplace mantel. Food brings us comfort and home is all about creating a sense of contentment and security.

Whether you're looking to spruce up your rooms, or decorating for the first time, don't forget about your senses.