Balbes - Soulspace: creating a home that is free of clutter, full of beauty, and inspired by you

Transform Your Home,

Transform Your Life

Creating a Home That Is Free

of Clutter, Full of Beauty,

and Inspired by You

FOREWORD BY
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

New World Library 14 Pamaron Way Novato, California 94949

Copyright 2011 by Xorin Balbes

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Text design by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

First printing, October 2011

ISBN 978-1-60868-037-5

Printed in the United States on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper

New World Library is a proud member of the Green Press Initiative.

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I grew up at 3616 Tartan Lane, in a home my parents built when I was two years old. I didnt know, growing up, that not every familys home was the emotional base camp that 3616 was for us. My parents were world travelers and took their children with them to many exotic places. But there was never any doubt where home was; our house was the beginning and end point of all trips, no matter how great the distances wed traveled. My father used to say that the best part of a trip was coming home.

Today, while I dont travel the world as extensively as my parents did, I do travel often. And I cant imagine what my life would be if my home were not a place where I could rest, restore, and revitalize in the midst of a hectic schedule. As Xorin Balbes would say in this lovely book, my apartment is my SoulSpace, or spiritual sanctuary. And that makes a tremendous difference in how I experience my life.

This book makes a point that Ive lived for myself and believe in passionately: that your home both reflects who you are and can help transform who you are. Ive learned that an African artifact can represent a wild and exciting time in my past, that I can place it next to my late grandmothers chaise lounge and be reminded of her love for me, and enjoy sitting on the chaise as I gaze at a photograph of my mother on her wedding day and imbibe her romantic joy. All those things bring harmony to both my heart and my mind. And whether the touchstone in my home is a crystal I wanted with me wherever I lived before I even knew about the power of crystals, or a $5 temple rubbing I bought at a gift shop in Taiwan, Ive learned that meaning and money are two separate things. As Xorin says so meaningfully, This process is a continuous journey of evolution, not acquisition. I have a statue of Buddha from a flower shop in Santa Barbara, who holds in his hands some crystals people have handed me as Ive lectured around the world. They remind me of whats important in life, and of how much I have to be grateful for.

I was fortunate during my childhood to have a mother and grandmother as examples of women who treated their homes and the items that were in them lovingly. In the years since, Ive been educated further by those whose knowledge has far outdistanced mine people who could come into my house and politely suggest that the neo-yenta look could use some revising, or that the clutter in my closet was stopping the flow of energy into my career, or that the feng shui of my bedroom was limiting my sex life! One design expert gives you a more sophisticated eye for fabric; another teaches you not to fear white space on the walls. But SoulSpace is about more than how we decorate our homes; its about how we care for ourselves. It guides us into a deeper understanding of more than mere home decoration: it teaches us how to create a home that provides not only for our physical comfort but for our emotional comfort too.

In SoulSpace, Xorin reminds us that what all of us yearn for, deep in our hearts, is the experience of home. And when the place we live in is a reflection of our spirit, then we can more easily experience our home within. If all of that sounds wonderful but you have no idea how to do it, then read on. Imagine the mythical wizard Merlin as an interior decorator, and youve got Xorin. Imagine a magical treatise on decorating your house, and youve got SoulSpace.

This book should be the gift that everyone receives at their housewarming, the book you send to the friend who cant quite get it together in their house or apartment, the book you give politely as a gift to someone who you know is struggling to find peace yet lives in a clanging environment amid clutter or mess. This book is unique and filled with wisdom, not only about design but also about us, not only about beauty but also about transformation, not only about how to decorate your rooms but also about how to better your life.

If youre looking to make your home more reflective of the deepest truths of who you are and what you want in life, then SoulSpace is the coolest thing you could possibly read. It takes you, and the home you live in, on a journey toward something beautiful and true. And once there, you really do feel at home not only in your house or apartment, but also in your soul.

W here do you live?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and we always have a ready answer: I live on this street, in that neighborhood, in this town or city or country.

I invite you to consider the question in a new way.

Where do you live? Where do you feel alive? Where do you feel safe, peaceful, hopeful, and supported? Where can you explore your hobbies, think, learn, and love? If your home is just a temporary holding pen where you leave your things during the day instead of a beautiful space that makes you feel safe and calm every time you walk in the door, something is wrong. Your home is more than a place where your possessions are it is a place where your body can recharge, where your passions can be fulfilled, where you can safely explore yourself and your desires, and where your soul can rest, be inspired, and soar. Home is about satisfying our basic animal needs: eating, sleeping, seeking shelter. But it is also about achieving transcendence on earth through our other needs, the ones that are the basis of our humanity: beauty, love, and creativity.