With a bright white or neutral backdrop, adding colorful artwork, throw pillows, plant life, or pieces of furniture will add spark to the space. Vivid colors are bold and can be used to emphasize, contrast or create rhythm. Each color represents and invokes its own mood, creating a vivid feel.
With color, you can cultivate a balanced atmosphere in your home. Light and color exert influence automatically, and determine how people perceive the area around them. Every color, each with its own frequency, is a form of energy.
Take a peek at how some of these selections utilize accents of color to create mood and meaning in the space!
Sitting on or nearer to the floor will help you bring grounding energy to your body and your environment.
Beanbag chairs are a way to enjoy the luxurious, lounging element of floor seating, while still enjoying some support to the spine. In a beanbag chair, you are allowing some additional extension to your lower body by having less strain on the psoas muscle, therefore helping to maintain a higher level of circulation in a seated position.
“Floor culture” has been widespread across Asia for centuries. In Korea, sitting on the floor was a way to stay warmer due to the ondol, or underfloor heating systems. In India, sitting on the floor while eating is part of the Ayurvedic lifestyle, aiding in digestion, circulation, and portion control. In Japan, there is at least one room of the house with washitsu, a traditional style room that is adorned only with woven tatami mats across the floor, a simple low table, and some floor cushions. In modern times, we enjoy floor seating as a means to feel more cozy and comfortable in our own homes, and when welcoming guests. With an array of contemporary designs to choose from, one can maintain a modern look in their home, while still offering a relaxed and inviting aesthetic.
We hope you enjoy some of our favorite modern beanbag chair selections!
When designing the interior decoration of a larger space, it is important for the room to feel cozy, while maintaining the flow of openness. Here are some tips on making a large room have the perfect balance!
Large Room, Large Furniture
Depending on the shape of the room, or where windows are placed, you may easily divide up areas of a larger room with and L-shaped sectional. In addition, you may even compliment your sectional or sofa with an oversized ottoman.
The perfect way to create environments for lounging in a larger room are to align your furniture atop an area rug. Use the rug to define the borders of a particular zone for sitting or laying.
Placing a day bed or chaise lounge chair in the center of a large room can be the perfect divider between different areas. If your living room and dining room are conencted in the same large space, separate them with the bold placement of a larger piece of furniture.
A wooden or paper Japanese screen can be used for shade, privacy, or be a means to section off different areas within a larger space. Create a reading nook, or separate your dining area from the main living space by placing a screen between the two environments.
If you’d like to tone down the openness of a large room, or simply give it a little warmth and character, try adding an accent wall showcasing your favorite pigment. Use a color that is calming and comforting, but makes a statement nonetheless.
A perfect way to fill a large room with warm, earthy energy is to place taller house plants along the edges of your furniture, in corners, or on side tables. Try a potted ficus tree, a majesty palm, or Madagascar palm to fill out your environment with forest vibes.
One of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, fen shui, or wind-water, is a ancient traditional belief system that guides and governs the energy forces within architectural structures.
Closely linked to Taoism, feng shui practice discusses the arrangement within architecture in terms of the “invisible forces“ that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi. In traditional Chinese culture, qi is believed to be the vital force, life force, energy flow, or material energy forming part of every living entity. Qi, in relation to feng shui, includes the orientation of a structure, its age, and its interaction with the surrounding environment, including the local microclimates, the slope of the land, vegetation, and soil quality.
The use of feng shui is dated back as far as 5000 BC to the Yangshao people that lived along the Yangtze River in China. Between 4700 BC and 2900 BC, the Hongshan people in Northeast China, who interacted with the Yangshao, adopted feng shui into their culture. Before the magnetic compass, feng shui relied on cosmography to set the orientation of structures. Early Chinese astronomers utilized a gnomon, or the part of a sundial that casts the shadow, as the first instrument to use circumpolar stars to determine the north-south axis of settlements. Rituals for using a feng shui instrument required a diviner to examine current sky phenomena to set the device and adjust their position in relation to the device. The magnetic compass was in fact originally invented by the Han Dynasty for the purpose of divination and feng shui.
In Western civilization, feng shui has become widespread, and is commonly utilized in interior design and architecture.
Bagua
In Yaodian, the cardinal directions are determined by the marker-stars of the mega-constellations known as the Four Celestial Animals:
East: The Azure Dragon (Spring equinox)—Niao (Bird 鳥), α Scorpionis
South: The Vermilion Bird (Summer solstice)—Huo (Fire 火), α Hydrae
West: The White Tiger (Autumn equinox)—Mǎo (Hair 毛), η Tauri (the Pleiades)
North: The Black Tortoise (Winter solstice)—Xū (Emptiness, Void 虛), α Aquarii, β Aquarii
You can use the bagua diagram in your own home, by using a compass, or the compass app on your phone, to check how you have intuitively placed things around your home, and re-arrange accordingly. Using the bagua diagram can, if anything, be an excellent way to decorate and arrange parts your home with intention!
Chandigarh, India is a time capsule of Mid-Century Modern architecture nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas.
In 2016, the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, making these incredible modern buildings an unmissable wonder. In Chandigarh, India, you won’t find an ancient city, or any British colonial buildings. Chandigarh was one of India’s first planned cities, created by the Chandigarh Capital Project Team, and led by Swiss architect, Charles Edouard Corbusier (Le Corbusier). As a marvelous result, Chandigarh is a urban zone that feels both futuristic and retro. The flawless geometrical outline mirrors the engineering virtuoso of the organizers of the city, Albert Mayer and Mathew Novicki. Chandigarh is a vacation destination with a modern business focus.
In India, most of the cities are planned and created solely for automobiles, so a sidewalk is an immense luxury. In Chandigarh, there are plentiful pedestrian walkways where you may safely stroll, a perfect means to pleasantly meander local streets by foot. Take a quick walk with us through this modernist haven!
Indigo is the “peace that surpasses all understanding,” being protective, benevolent, gentle, and cooling. It governs our higher psychic activities, insight, wisdom, and assists us in navigating deep changes.
It relates to the third eye, where the pituitary gland is located. Indigo relates to self responsibility of one’s own life, to following the soul’s path, and trusting one’s own intuition. It inspires the ability to see things from a ‘higher’ viewpoint rather than purely for satisfaction of the ego or one’s material comfort. In indigo, we feel a resonant sense of unity and clarity. Indigo relates to self-expression through speech and communication, and is the very essence of truth and purpose.
Indigo dye is among the oldest to be used for dying textiles and making prints, and was first documented in history as being used in Huaca Prieta, Peru. Since its discovery, indigo dye has been used in the ancient civilizations of Japan, India and Southeast Asian countries, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Iran, and Africa.
The color indigo is named after the indigo dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. Indigofera tinctoria, also called true indigo, has been naturalized to be cultivated in tropical areas of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Since it is a legume, it is also widely used as a soil-improving ground cover, and is rotated into fields similarly to alfalfa and other beans. Dye is obtained through processing the leaves through fermentation.
This summer we are so excited to present a new line of woven pillows handmade from vintage Turkish rugs. Each design is one hundred percent unique, finished with a cotton backing and zipper. These pillows pair perfectly with our signature bunglo pillows for an eclectic, boho look.
Check out the lovely array of vintage Turkish pillows below, and let us know what you think!
In the vast and mystical Chihuahuan desert, Marfa, Texas is an oasis of alluring mystery and transcendental experience.
Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, Marfa was originally founded as a railroad water stop. Now one of the minimalist art and design meccas of the nation, Marfa attracts creatives and adventurers from far and wide.
During the 1920s, the community in Marfa began to grow. By the 1950s, it was nationally famous for its mysterious Ghost Lights. The source of the Fata Mortgana has long been rumored to be anything from UFOs, to wandering spirits. This mysterious phenomena has also been attributed to atmospheric reflections of campfires and headlights, although the first recorded sighting was in 1883, before automobiles were on the market. In modern times, atmospheric scientists hypothesize that the lights are a sort of mirage caused by sharp temperature gradients between cold and warm layers of air.
Marfa Army Airfield was the training grounds for several thousand pilots during World War II. In the 1970s, the army base lands were bought by Donald Judd, an acclaimed visual artist from New York City. In 1979, Judd began transforming the fort’s buildings into art spaces with a vision to house large collections of individual artists’ work on permanent display. Though Judd birthed the contemporary art movement in Marfa, when he died in 1994, Marfa quite literally became a ghost town. Tumbleweeds the size of shopping carts could be seen blowing down the road, and storefronts were completely baron and overlaid with dust. In the early 2000s, Marfa was resurrected, and thus began a kind of renaissance. Artists and Artisans opened new galleries and chic hotels, and the Texas government decided to make a roadside viewing post for the Marfa Mystery Lights.
Today in Marfa, you can expect to find modern art galleries, bohemian boutique hotels and restaurants, eclectic campgrounds, funky bars, and far-out festivals with the ever-ethereal backdrops of reverent desert tones. Take a dive with us through the dreamy high desert..
It’s time to relish in the heat, using this time to detox, and soak up the nutrients of the sun. Transform your outdoor space into a garden oasis, with sleek modern style. Cook healthy food over an open flame, and create unique craft cocktails to sip by the poolside!
Check out some inspiring looks for beautiful outdoor spaces, and our top picks to begin grilling season in style!
The start of the week is an opportunity to renew and revitalize your energy.
In ways, the beginning of the week is a kind of rebirth of your sense of self, resolutions, dreams, and responsibilities. Cultivating a drive to revive your inspiration and stimulate your creative forces can be done simply through formulating a ritual.
Whether you commute to your place of employment, or work from home, begin your week by taking 30 minutes to an hour to fully dedicate to setting an intention, and engaging in a form of mindfulness practice.
Meditation is not an easy practice for a busy mind, but it can do wonders for the health of your mind and body. You can begin meditation with a simple breathing exercise using your hands, creating a space for concentration and grounding.
Begin by taking a seat somewhere peaceful. Light a candle, or burn some palo santo, create an environment that makes you feel warm and comfortable. Cross one leg over the other, and begin to align your spine. Imagine each vertebrae perfectly stacked on top of one another, keeping a long neck, slightly dropping the chin, and lifting tall through the crown of your head.
Hand Counting Pranayama is an ancient Indian ritual used to engage the mind in meditation. Closing your eyes, stack your hands together on your lap, with the dominant hand on top. With an open palm, and use your thumb to draw a spiral, counting each joint of your fingers until you have completed 12 deep, rhythmic breaths. If you break concentration and lose count, begin again. Bring your mind’s awareness entirely to the 12 cycle spiral of breath.
Inhale deeply through your nose, opening the back of the throat to a point of making a course, audible breath. Envision the air flowing into your body and circulating like blood does within your veins. Exhale through your nose, until all the air has been expended fully. Repeat these deep cycles of breath while completing the 12 count spiral on your hand, as many times as it takes to feel completely relaxed and centered. Become completely still and aware of the present moment.
Once you feel really connected to your breath, and have quietness of the mind, you can begin visualizing all that you wish to transcend or achieve in the following week. Maintaining your lightness of being, keep your mind away from negative thoughts and energy. Only allow your focus to be on tangible, positive notions.
Formulate positive affirmations to support the success of all that you do. After reflection, begin writing your affirmations and revelations in a journal. Carry confidence with you to your next task, and next meal. Make each household chore a time for quiet contemplation, each movement becoming a motion of zen. The next time you eat, concentrate fully on each bite of food you take, chewing slowing, savoring every flavor, and feeling gratitude for the nutrients you are taking into your body.
Release all resistance to the natural flow of the day. This means being gentle and patient with yourself, listening to your body and its needs, and releasing control over matters that are not directly within your grasp to navigate. Take care of tasks that are your responsibility to complete, and allow anything else to flow towards you. Remember that what you seek, is seeking you. The positive things that are of real necessity in your life will inevitable cross your path. Walk with openness and lightness of being!
