Interior Design And Pleasing The Senses

Design tip from 

Susanne Swenddal, ASID

Design Quest

760-230-2468

Susanne is a professional interior designer who loves rolling up her sleeves to improve and personalize her clients’ homes. She blends their treasured possessions and adds new elements to make their spaces current.

Imagine returning home from a long trip. You step in the door and are surrounded by comforts that ground you. You water the plants, place a presentation of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter and a bouquet of flowers on the dining room table and, ahhh, you’re back home. I like to call these simple methods of pleasing the senses, “sense-ual,” and they are all part of interior design. Below are some other ideas and products to try. You’ll find that a “sense-ational” home will bring you pleasure and satisfaction.

• Wrap yourself in comfort as you sleep with luxury bedding and linen.
   
• Keep warm on cool evenings with a cashmere throw over your favorite chair.
   
• Periodically refresh your surroundings with easy-to-acquire items such as decorative pillows, containers and vases, interesting candles and candleholders, pretty tablecloths and place settings, and a collection of your favorite magazines.
   
• Provide ambiance with layered lighting. Use dimmers to adjust the lighting according to the mood you want to create.
   
• Accentuate special areas of retreat or activity with sound —try a water feature in the entry or built-in speakers in your bedroom.  
   
• Choose textured fabrics that give you pleasure. Subconsciously, we are sensitive to texture. Some like the feel of a soft rug underfoot; others like the rough feel of sisal. 
   
• Heighten your well being with healthy and environmentally friendly materials, natural ventilation and clean aromas.