Sensory Driven Design ~ What Is It & Why Is It Important?

 

Imagine having a design partner that listens to everything that you say: your feelings, experiences and even your wishes and desires… and is able to encapsulate all of those thoughts, fears and desires into a space that holistically supports your mental, physical and emotional well being.

I often hear…

“You know me better than I know myself.” 

“I didn’t know what I wanted, until I did. I love it”

“This would have saved me years of therapy.” 

That is because I intuitively listen. Not just surface information. We go deep in casual conversation. We address pain points which we can solve, shift or eliminate. More importantly - we explore what gives you satisfaction and joy. What makes you feel safe….. We make what is important to you, important to us.

It’s done so casually that people think it’s easy. It’s complex. We are not overindulging difficult clients. It’s not that. We are caring about every human being, how they are wired and what is in their best interest for the totality of the project; for their mental and physical health. Holding boundaries and producing results. 

That is what we strive to do everyday.

We all accept and live with minor nuisances for years and think that we are accepting or ignoring them. Truth is that those are triggers that subconsciously affect us daily. People contract to stay away from those triggers in their own homes - instead of expanding into the entire space and living their best, most comfortable lives where they expand instead of constrict. 

Our brains and nervous systems are super powerful and keep track.

Anxiety and depression are at all time highs. 

Is your home helping or adding to it… 

It is not about minimalism or maximalism… It is about sensory driven design principles that are designed for your unique Energetic Blueprint.

Do you relate with any part of Clara’s Story?

Clara worked with me on a project years ago. Life just happens. In between projects they had lived in a house for 5 years. Her family never hung up any pictures, used mish mash furniture that didn’t really fit well and was uncomfortable. There were stains that were ignored. They all sat in the same exact seats and didn’t use most of the the livable space in the home. What they described was survival and a form of paralysis. Sure they were functioning daily. It certainly did not look like that from the outside. The relationships were in chaos and the mental health of each family member was unstable. This was for many reasons. For goodness sake, it was at the end of the pandemic and the whole world felt chaotic and toxic... But, the house was definitely not helping and in fact making matters worse.

Clara and her husband bought their new home. She was anxious about the change, having a hard time feeling comfortable in the new space and not quite able to embrace the transition. Humans cling to what is familiar - even when it is unhealthy. She wanted to create something special for her family. But, had not emptied the old house and fully moved into the new one. She was stuck. They were both stuck. Her husband invited me to a consultation with Clara. “Ask Kimberly.”

It is never about stuff. It is about the energy that is there, that we bring and is attached or associated with things. Make do or buy new. It is usually a mix of both and the ability to create an energetic flow throughout the space.

Clara was walking me through her new home and describing the space, potential ideas for moving forward and focusing on her husband's needs and the possibility of moving her aging parents into the space. She expressed the need for a dedicated room that her adult child, who lived in another state and visited once or twice a year, would use… Never a word about her own needs until we were in the primary bedroom. She walked me into a closet and spoke about a piece of furniture tucked away in that closet that meant something to her. Her energy expanded and she beamed: glowed, smiled and her heart chakra opened.

She was smiling and chatty. I really like them both. I noticed a contraction as Clara moved through the house. She got noticeably smaller as she almost snuck through the hallway and up the stairs: her energy just a flicker. Clara paused slightly as she passed the front door and a small alcove that led to a bedroom. She did not even realize that she was doing it. All unconscious reactions to external triggers. Cleary fear based trauma responses that we later addressed on many levels. We all get bumps and bruises as we make our way through life. 

 

There are both positive and negative triggers. We can remove negative stimuli and replace it with positive ones that alert the nervous system to shift and in doing so change the paradigm. Therefore the client’s physical response changes as the brain shifts and changes. This opens up the constriction and becomes the new norm. It feels like releasing a deep breath and expanding energetically into the space. The change is palpable. 

Art and beauty play a large role in how we perceive stimuli as humans. One easy fix was a paint change in the dark entry and hall that opened it up. The space felt airier and brighter. We then placed a large piece of art in the alcove of the entry that reminded her brain and nervous system of her most joyful memories. That art led to a room that she avoided and only wanted to fill with boxes. Many dark emotions were triggered by a room that she had to constantly walk by and skirted each time. 

We introduced elements to create energetic shifts with a daisy chain of physical reminders that would lead, support and activate the response that we wanted through the entire space. Picture it as walking through a home and seeing where your eye lands. Those are key points. We intentionally provide the stimulus that we want to elicit an emotional response from the client. Each bread crumb leads to the next and the next until it feels calm and like home. Safe.

I worked with all 3 individually and brought the project together for the whole. 

To be fair. I also worked as an intuitive and cleared the space. I worked with her personally on items she could shift and change. AND gave her tools to use on her own.

I sat with Clara in the room of avoidance. We chatted vulnerably and authentically. Her fears were addressed and things that she had put away were returned and reintroduced into her life. That is now a room of music, worship and joy. It is her favorite room in the house. The materials were selected with intention: multi layered elements to address every sense. It is now her respite from the world and where self care lives and breathes daily. 

The husband got his entertainment room with plenty of gadgets operated by remotes, the movie theatre popcorn machine, posters that reminded him of his youth and a custom sectional with fabric that wore like iron so that he didn’t have to take off his work clothes before he plopped down on it or that he had to treat gently… and it was roomy enough to accommodate his large frame comfortably.

Her adult son got a room that was fun to design and UNIQUELY suited to him.

The relationships within the entire family are stronger. They individually are being held and nurtured by the space. The husband has graciously expressed this profound shift. Happy to report that their marriage is better and they are living and energetically expanded into every inch of that house. 

Some triggers are genetic and some are learned or trauma responses. They can all be addressed and released - even if only in this context.  One stage at a time and the home should be the foundation of all healing, self-care and self-development.

This may be an extreme example to you. Can you find some part that you relate to?

The most common response that I hear from potential clients is, “ We are waiting for the kids to leave home.” Your kids need this too. Not the disposable stuff. The consciously sourced items that hold the energy and support the person. 

Sensory driven design is MORE than a soft cozy blanket. It is about identifying how you use the space, how your innate and learned systems are interacting with your environment and how we can best maximize each aspect to support you. This is not just for one person in the house that may have identified sensory triggers. This is for you and me. It can benefit every human being on the planet. If we acknowledge and pay attention to cues along the way.

What can you do today? Pay attention to your body. Your brain and nervous system notify you when they are triggered. So often we ignore it. Let’s all learn to listen and identify the messages being sent to us by our bodies. Is there a place in your house that you avoid? Do your shoulders tense when you are engaging with an element in your home? Perhaps you find that you let out a loud sigh when you have a repetitive engagement with a thing or space in your home? Does a room make you uncomfortable or you feel a grumbling in your stomach? The first step is to identify and acknowledge… and then find ways to shift it. We all have them. 

People are afraid to make mistakes - so do nothing.

Here are things that you can do TODAY!

• Paint is a life changer. 
• Add Layers
• Art changes everything.
• Throw pillows that are yummy and textural soothe.
• A comfy rug under foot is comforting
• Fountains and the sound of water feeds the soul
• Plants and nature. Bring them inside. The benefits are numerous.
• It may be helpful to declutter & edit. Maybe. 
• It may be as or more helpful to add back in meaningful things that give you a positive emotional response.
• Or eliminate items that are "should" keeps that are an anchor and don't bring you any pleasure or Joy.
  
• Very important for Many: add elements that are culturally relevant. It doesn't need to be a theme. Just hints from your heritage or ancestry: colors, patterns, items that tell a story.... this has been systematically and intentionally stripped. It brings measurable joy when reintroduced. No one else needs to know the story or significance. Can't you see the glint in your eye when you know and no one else does?
• It's okay to hire a professional to walk this path with you.... 

We take on people - not projects. It is all about the client. Although, they have to be ready and willing to undertake the journey at hand. Clients need to be in a YES stage of life to truly embrace and benefit from the holistic approach to making their lives better with our 360 degree approach. It is not for everyone and we do not work with everyone that comes to us. 

If this resonates with you, We would LOVE to Chat with you. 

Many clients report better relationships and marriages after working with us.  We aim to give clients a Grand Plan: A Blueprint. And if allowed we take clients from point A to Z. The truth is that everyone in the house will thrive and be living their best life when the house supports the people within. 

Always with gratitude,

Kimberly

IMPORTANT SIDENOTE: My client’s privacy is of the utmost importance to me. What I do is very intimate. I would never breach a client's trust or confidentiality. This is one reason that I did not share a smidgen of the details of what I did and do for decades. That is not being of service to anyone. I believe in it. I am proud of what I do and how I do it…. When I share stories and give examples, the client has either given their permission, the story is altered in some way or an amalgamation of several clients. These clients expressly asked that I share their story. They believe in what I do and want me to “shout it from the rooftops”.