When my journey as a caregiver ended, I found myself wondering, now what? Who am I without this purpose as a part of my identity? With newfound time on my hands, I looked around my small home, cute but chaotic, with an overabundance of inherited stuff causing very little design cohesion, I realized that I had lost my connection not only to myself but also to my home. I felt overwhelmed and I had no idea not only where to begin to build my new life but also how to tackle the chaos surrounding me.

As an Interior Designer, I’ve been fortunate to create meaningful spaces for my clients for more than twenty years. Rather than having a specific design aesthetic, I’ve always come from a place of collaboration with my clients. Listening and understanding what’s important to them, how the objects they surround themselves with make them feel and how they want to feel in their space. So, I decided I needed to become my own client and begin building my new life, step by step, within my home.  Sounds good on paper.  After several weeks of analysis paralysis, I was overwhelmed by the task that lay before me and knew I needed a different approach.  So, I decided to start small, REALLY small, with a small bookshelf my father had built for my grandmother.

There was no chaos on this path, I walked around my house and began gathering some sentimental objects: a few of my father’s wood carvings, a journal scrapbook from my solo trip to Paris, a favorite little painting of the mountains done by my mom. I gathered and played, arranged and then enjoyed. I found, much to my surprise, that even a quick glance at my creation would ignite a spark of recognition within me. And I felt joy.  I continued the exercises throughout my home and as my home and I reconnected, I rediscovered parts of myself I’d left behind when life became overwhelming. Little by little, I began to feel healed and ideas for my new life emerged for the creation of Homes that Heal 8 and a community in which we can all share our ideas, inspirations and experiences of our own journeys back to ourselves.

I wrote The Reflective Journey as a gift, to anyone who’s ever felt like they’ve lost a part of themselves while caring for others AND for anyone who loves design and is seeking a deeper connection to their home and themselves.

Why 8?

First, the infinity sign, for me, represents the interwoven connection between us and our homes, a continuous unbroken thread.

Second, eight is my favorite number!

Welcome to the Homes that Heal community, we’re so happy you’re here.

Leslie

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