How to Create a Peaceful Home and a Sacred Space

Home has always held special meaning for me. As a designer, I care deeply about beauty and seek to provide my clients with a home that is beautiful to them. Yet home is also our refuge. It is where we revitalize ourselves and renew our energies to take on the world. These are primarily our private spaces.

So while our gathering spaces are quiet as we shelter in place, let’s take a look at some ways we can create a Sacred Space in our home. These spaces can help nourish us while we await the day our tables can be surrounded by loved ones.

First, choose a space in your home to set apart for your spiritual practices. I chose our front living room. The chairs look towards an east facing window that allows us to watch the sun rise as we pray and meditate each morning.

Next, Declutter and Clean. According to the Chopra Center, studies have shown that a neat and clean home can actually lower Cortisol levels. Anything we can do right now to keep calm is a good thing. Letting go of what does not serve you allows space for what does. Take this on in whatever way works for you.

Consider and Gather what you need for your spiritual practice. Do you need a chair? Room for a yoga mat? Book shelves or tables?

Before the Corona Virus pandemic, my personal practices include devotional and bible reading, journaling and prayer. I have a comfortable chair and ottoman, and stacking tables with my books and writing tools next to me. I also have a diffuser for essential oils to enhance the sensory experience. As with other spaces and purposes, be sure to have appropriate lighting for the activities you do. I also have a Sonos speaker to play soothing music.

During this time of heightened stress and stay at home orders, I have added my weights and yoga mat to my space for exercise, yoga and meditation. I have also added tapping to my days to help when my thoughts want to take me to a place I’d rather not go.

Check out my coach Jerry Burkey’s tapping videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aewTzSQwLRA

and Gabby Bernstein’s Anxiety relief workshop here: https://www.gabbywebinar.com/anxietyreliefworkshop/ 

Hang or place art and photos of places, images or people that inspire you and impart feelings of peace and harmony. I love this watercolor by Shane Artistry that sits across from my prayer chair and provides a soothing focal point.

And this original heart painting my husband bought on a trip to Florence brightens the space and fills it with love. Adding plants is a great way to bring the connection to nature into your sacred space. I love the way the heart shaped leaves of this Anthurium mimic the heart painting.

I know this time is difficult for all of us and the uncertainty can wreak havoc on our capacity to be peaceful. A Sacred Space and self care practices can help make this time less stressful and allow us to fill our cup so that we can be of service to those we love.

If you would like a complimentary video consult on creating a Sacred Space in your home please contact me below. I would love to help!  

The 5 Best San Diego Hikes

A beautiful outdoor hike or walk can do wonders for the body and mind. There’s a trail for everyone in San Diego, from the picturesque Torrey Pines State Reserve to the beautiful Terra Mar Point. Lace up those hiking boots or put on those walking shoes and enjoy a beautiful stroll on my 5 favorite San Diego Hikes:

1. Terra Mar Point: Carlsbad Beach at Coast Highway and Cerezo Drive. I love this San Diego beach walk at low tide. Explore the great tide pools and large swaths of sand for a stroll that usually reveals shells and sand dollars.

2. Torrey Pines State Reserve in Del Mar provides great hiking and clean views. When you are feeling fit, you can park down on the coast road and hike up the hill to begin your hike on one of the many trails. A couple years ago on a February day, my friend and I pulled up to witness a whale about 50 yards out putting on a show.

3. The Way Up Trail in Escondido is a 521 foot elevation climb over about 2 miles that leads to views of the Olivenhain Reservoir. There are additional trails from the top that wind to beautiful views. It’s listed as easy, but the first mile or so is a pretty good climb.

4. Annie’s Canyon Trail is entered at Rios Ave. Trailhead in Solana Beach. The trail is easy with the exception of the slot canyon.

5. Batiquitos Lagoon there are several parking areas along the lagoon and the Nature Center is at 7380 Gabbiano Lane in Carlsbad. This is the western most parking area and the only access that does not have a hill to walk down. The trail itself is about 3.5 miles from end to end is virtually flat. While there are no public restrooms at the trail, there is a Golf clubhouse with facilities that makes for a nice stopping point. Dogs must be leashed. When I’m feeling the need to walk near water and the ocean tide is high, the lagoon hits the spot.

4 Ways to Create a Living Room that Reflects You

Your living room is often the most central part of your home. It’s a communal space for entertaining, hanging out, watching TV, and relaxing. Because it’s the most visible part of your home, it’s important to make sure it’s reflective of who you are. The following are 4 ways to make sure your living room reflects your personality.

1. Choose an emotion; how you want your space to make you and your guests feel. Welcome, relaxed, excited, inspired, elegant, these are all options to consider along with any other that moves you.

2. Select a focal point. Do you have an amazing view? Blur the line between inside and out and let the view take center stage. Do you have bold art? Balance your art with strong but non competing elements.

3. Work with what you have, eliminate what doesn’t fit with your new design aesthetic, and build from the elements that stay.

4. Personalize your space with custom pieces selected or created just for you. Custom selected rugs ground your living area and can be the focal point or the neutral foundation. Custom designed and made pillows, cocktail tables and window coverings can add just the right detail to unify and excite your living room. 

Before: Our client purchased their condo fully furnished and decorated. While beautiful and sophisticated it just didn’t evoke the welcoming and warm feelings they wanted to go along with the elegance and modern design.

It’s hard not to notice that the large and colorful vintage posters are the focal point in this living room. All of the leather and neutral pallet with high contrasting black needed to be warmed up and grounded in rich but more neutral elements.

After: The glass coffee table was eliminated because, although stylish, it did not fit with the inviting feel our clients wanted to achieve and the corners of the glass were a hazard to their toddler grandchildren. The rest of the living room furniture stayed.

We personalized this living room with an anchoring rug in grayed blues to create cozy sophistication that grounds the living area and builds a bridge between the furnishings and art. Our cabinet maker built the solid oak cocktail table I custom designed to be both organic inviting and modern.

Simple lines and a driftwood color wash blends nicely with the other furnishings. We also designed the luxurious velvet pillows that add a wonderful texture, color and invitation to the sofa and chair. Throws in wools and faux fur round out the tactile additions and plants and flowers add life and further invite the outside in. 

How to Stay in Your Home as You Age

The goal of designing a home for Living in Place is to allow our clients to stay in their homes and live independently and safely for as long as possible. 

Here are some things to consider when planning a remodel for Aging in Place:

Accessibility
Are there stairs at the entry points? Is there a bedroom and full bath on the ground floor? 

Lighting
What is the age and quality of the lighting? As we age we need more light to see and we need greater color contrast to aid with depth perception which can aid in decreasing accidents. 

Open Floor Plan
Is the floor plan open and doorways and hallways wide enough for walkers or wheelchairs? An open floorpan will make it easier to navigate and a 36” doorway is recommended. 

Door Levers
Do doors have lever handles rather than knobs? Things like door levers are easy to replace, widening hallways, not so much. 

Bathroom
The bathroom is the area of the home I have most frequently remodeled for accessibility. It is the most intimate space in our home and the one we use first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. Sometimes a few times during the night! It is where more accidents can happen and where most surfaces are hard so we seek to minimize obstructions and maximize safety. 

There are many products and options for customization that will enhance safety and functionality and still be beautiful:

Stability Bars
These are now being produced by our high end bath fixture manufacturers to coordinate with their plumbing collections and accessories. It is important that the bars be positioned with proper backing to support the client’s weight and preference for leverage. We have installed bars horizontally, vertically and at an angle depending upon the clients preferences and needs.

A Walk in Shower
A walk in shower with no threshold and either a built in bench or a drop down seat allows for greater accessibility with either a walker or wheelchair. 

Toilets
Toilet options are available for adjustable heights and with cleansing options that aid in sanitation and comfort.

Hands Free Faucet + Roll Up Vanity
If needed a hands free faucet can be installed and roll up vanity customized to allow access to all toiletries. For one client we also installed a custom tilted mirror so she could see herself better in her chair. For another we designed a lifting mirrored door so she could have ready access to her make up at her seated vanity.

Lighting
Lighting options to consider include under vanity toe kick lighting on a sensor that will turn on and gently illuminate the floor when you get up at night.

Lighted Magnifying Mirrors
These mirrors are a great tool and a hardwired option keeps cords out of the way if a remodel is undertaken. 

Of course each client has their own specific requirements and challenges so we are not necessarily creating a Universal Design solution. At Lori Ramsay Design, we tailor our design to the individual needs of our clients. 

Check out our accessible bath projects:

Plenty of both artificial lighting and natural lighting are provided using recessed cans, vanity sconces, windows and a skylight.

The tile floor is laid in a herringbone pattern throughout the bath in a slip resistant porcelain. As it moves into the shower the pattern becomes staggered so that the slope to the drain is maintained and there is no dam or threshold for the client to step over.

Since this was an addition to an existing home, the client was able to create a laundry closet in the bath area. This provides easy access for laundry with the closet just through the double doors.

The frosted glass panel provides both access and privacy.

Before: Our client was unable to safely use her shower area. We removed the glass and the dam and created a fully accessible shower and made the space a wet room.

After: Plenty of bars are positioned to allow our client to navigate the space independently.

Before. From cramped and unaccessible…

After: …to bright and spacious. Our custom roll up vanity provides our client who uses a scooter ready access to everything she needs at the vanity.

This luxury master suite addition included a french door access to the roll in shower so that an assistant could bathe the client as they sat in the drop down teak bench. The teak is a warmer and more comfortable option that most tile or hard surface benches. The Hand Held Shower allows for easy bathing and is mounted on a support bar that coordinates with the other fixtures in the bath.

3 San Diego Artists You Should Know About

San Diego is home to an inspiring art scene and an ever-growing number of galleries. From vivid murals to coastal-themed canvases, local artists are working with fresh colors and unique materials, inspired by the beauty of the area. As the city’s art community continues to grow, here are 3 of my favorite local artists you should know about.

Nancy Fraser

Nancy Fraser is an artist out of Cardiff whose work is mostly inspired by the sea. She works mostly through designers, like myself, and does commissions as well. I purchased my piece at the Leucadia Art Walk and have it hung across from my desk to brighten and calm my day. Nancy is skilled and her work is reasonably priced, and more importantly, it makes me happy and inspired.

I got to meet Nancy at her studio where she shared a few more of her pieces with me. You can check out her work on her website at https://www.nancyfraserfineart.com .

Mike Gulewich

Another artist we met at the Leucadia Art Walk was Mike Gulewich. While we did not purchase a piece during the fair, we plan to commission Mike to create a painting for our master suite once our remodel is complete. His work is affordably priced and beautiful, and his subject matter varied but his landscapes and human forms are my personal favorites. You can find more art here.

Roy Kerckhoff

For many of us in North County San Diego, the subjects of Roy Kerckhoff’s photograph and painting art pieces are iconic beach spots that we cherish. He explains his inspiration, "In my work I enjoy conveying a history of a place. I love bold textures as these are created by the passing of time, therefore putting emphasis on bygone days. In particular, I aim to show the beauty that exists in human-made structures in wood, concrete and steel contrasted with soft organic forms from nature.” Visit Roy’s work here.