How To Create Inspiring Spaces Using Flowers At Home

NF Note: Flowers are such a part of our daily lives in Fayette County. Whether they evoke memories of fresh love or comfort during the hardest of times of life, they can make us smile.

Photo: ©2008 AS Eldredge. Used with permission.

(StatePoint) Your home should be more than a collection of rooms used for different purposes. It should be a place that restores your soul, refocuses your energy and creates the proper atmosphere.

While redecorating can be expensive, beautifying your home with flowers can be a powerful yet economical way to create the desired atmosphere.

Decorating your home with flowers can be more than just a cost-effective way to make your personal space reflect your taste. Research indicates flowers hold an intrinsic, natural energy that, when used throughout the home, can create positive shifts in emotions.

In fact, a Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people's morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, feeling happier and more energetic.

"We need and deserve simple ways of creating homes where we feel happy and harmonious by disconnecting from the hectic pace of the world outside," says personal fulfillment expert and best-selling author Jayme Barrett. "Flowers are a wonderful way to ease the stress of everyday life and refocus our emotions."

Anyone can introduce a range of positive energies in the home, stresses Barrett, who applies the principles of Zen and feng shui to floral design. Here are some easy ways to create different soul-stimulating atmospheres in your home, simply by decorating with different flower varieties, color combinations and vase styles:

* Serenity: Allow your mind to unwind and release tension. Loosely arranged hues of blue, violet and lavender can evoke serenity and help clear the mind of stress. Flowers to achieve this include hydrangea, delphinium, lisianthus and stock. Consider placing the flowers in a cobalt blue glass vase in your entryway to set the tone for tranquility as you step inside your home from the chaotic world outside.

* Love and Romance: The right floral decorations can spark intimate connections and blossoming love. A tight bunch of flowers flush with burgundy and red embodies feelings of passion and romance. Incorporating lush pinks and peaches will help invite love and inspire kindness. Place a circular vase (the perfect shape for never-ending love) containing such flowers as stock, roses or alstroemeria in your kitchen or dining room, to help instill love while you nourish your body at mealtimes. These can be a great addition to the bedroom, too.

* Wellness: The proper arrangements can evoke balanced feelings of mind, body and spirit. Yellow is the primary color for this emotional energy, as it represents the sun, life force and health. Supplement a big burst of blooms with greens, which induce nature's healing energy, and white, which reflects serenity. Locate this energy in the living room or family room to enhance the space of relaxation, meditation and family connection. Choose an oval or round terra-cotta, wood or bamboo container to provide grounding and balance. Suggested flower options include gerbera, carnations, solidago, hydrangea, callas, pompons and chrysanthemums.

* Inspiration and Motivation: Infuse your soul with rejuvenating energy! Use red flowers to epitomize motivation, fame, courage and power. Design an up-shooting spray that also includes sensuous, rich orange and fuchsia, which suggest enthusiasm and exuberance. Try roses, callas, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons or hypericum. A tall mirrored or shiny metal container of any kind will stoke inspiration. Mirrors boost positive energies which will circulate through all endeavors. The home office is an ideal place to inject this motivational energy.

For more information on decorating with flowers, visit www.flowerpossibilities.com or www.aboutflowers.com.

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