Ariel Kaye - How to make a house a home: Creating a Purposeful, Personal Space

Create Your Flow

Pay attention to how you move from room to room and within a room to establish a flow that you enjoy. The more you can create purpose in your space, the closer you will get to its fullest potential.

When you hear the word flow, what comes to mind? It could be an easy movement, a series of yoga postures, how your eye tracks color in a painting, or how you move seamlessly from one room to another. Flow transcends culture and all forms of stylingyou might have heard of feng shui, an ancient Chinese system of creating harmony in a space, including a home. Imagine how air circulates to keep an environment warm or cool: You want to avoid having any blockagethe aim is for a natural current. Thats a flow. I know the flow is working at home when the whole space makes sense, theres a natural movement, and I feel welcomed every time I enter the front door. The flow is how my home puts me at ease; if its missing, I become agitated.

Flow is an essential element. All day long, we move through all sorts of spacessome are noisy and chaotic, others are quiet and calm. Some may produce stress or be relaxing and serene. After a typical nonstop day at the office, on set at a photo shoot for a new product, or running around to appointments and events, the flow of my home becomes super important.

Considering flow as a fundamental principle both for individual rooms and for all rooms combined can be a touchstone for thinking about your space, and for making your home more reflective of who you are and how you feel.

How Does the Layout Make a House a Home?

I moved my bed recently. This change may seem small, but it had a major impact. Id assumed the bed should be placed where it could have maximum space around it. The head was against the wall to my right when I walked in the bedroom, so when I entered my room, I was walking into the side of the bed. Only small nightstands would fit beside it, and the aesthetics were off balance. The room lacked perspective and warmth.

Now the head of the bed is on the wall opposite the door. It extends into the middle of the room, becoming the clear focal point when you enter. Suddenly, the rooms purpose is clear. Why have all that empty space in the room? I wasnt entertaining guests there. This is where I wake up from a restful sleep and it becomes my retreat at the end of the day. Of course the bed is the centerpiece! I gave up the empty space that had been at the foot of the bed for a more balanced, purposeful layout, adding more functional and pleasing nightstands plus a proper headboard. Entering my bedroom, I am now met by a flow that invites me to rest, sleep, and rejuvenate.

What seemed a simple act transformed my most personal space into one that provided what I truly needed. To achieve this essential sense of flow, I considered how the function of the space intersected with the fit of all the separate pieces. The function of my bedroomsleeping and retreatingwas more fully realized by adjusting the furniture, so each component better contributed to the whole.

Look at each room in your home and identify the visual cue when you walk in. If your living room is all about lounging and getting cozy, you might make a plush sectional your centerpiece. If you collect art books, an oversized coffee table or one with two tiers provides ample space to display them. Counter stools in the kitchen invite people to gather and participate. This concept carries through to your whole house, too: Form and function come together when you identify the way each room and area can be both visually appealing and useful.

When recalling that simply moving my bed achieved the focal point and visual harmony I was seeking, I recognized this to be achieving the flow. The point of attention became clear. Flow is less about conventional floor plans (two chairs, a coffee table, and a sofa) and more about discovering a rooms intention. How do you cultivate a sense of well-being and flow in your home? By identifying the purpose, a natural layout will present itself.

If there is an overarching story for a home, theres also a narrative for each room.

These are the questions to ask yourself to define your rooms purpose:

What am I working with?

Start with the realities of your home. Note the highlights, such as a working fireplace, and the challenges, like an odd-shaped nook. From there, you can quickly and clearly assess the layout plan that puts your homes best features on display while minimizing any flaws.

Whats most important to me?

I like entertaining, so that drives many of my choices in the living room, dining room, kitchen, and outdoors. If your home doubles as an office, you may want multiple spaces where you can land with your laptop to spread out for a project. With children, open play areas seem to take over. These key influencers set your priorities.