​I spent the first part of my life not being an outdoorsy girl, it wasn’t until I started focusing on my health and wellbeing that I started to become aware of my desire and joy of the outdoors. There was a specific moment when I was trail running that I broke down crying in the middle of the forest, overwhelmed with a grief that it took me till I was 50 to find the immense joy of being physically active in the middle of nature! I felt truly alive for the first time.
Biophilia makes us happier and healthier by increasing our connection with the natural world.  We’re all talking more about Wellness Design in the built environment and Biophilia is an important part of that. There are MANY health benefits!

• Decreased stress, enhanced creativity, and accelerated recovery from illness, increase memory, lowered blood pressure, lowered heart rate, airflow stimulation has been found to keep people awake, naturally improving focus and performance. Decreased inflammation, increased immune system

​Biophilia is a desire or innate craving to connect to nature and the world of living things.  The study and implementation of Biophilia is NOT new! For many years the design and home industry has embraced the trend of outdoor living spaces and we’ve long talked about “bringing the outdoors in”.  Now we have the appropriate language and resources to truly implement this sense of connection with nature within our homes.  I have come to utilize the Chinese Earth elements, modified for our purposes, which resonated with me.
​Air Water Earth Metal Wood Fire, and I added Rhythm and Organic Shapes

1. Windows with views, operable windows, and skylights for fresh air

1. Water/Spa Therapy, Epsom floats, Steam showers, sauna, hot/cold water therapy, fountains
2. Plants that purify the air and increase oxygen in our homes, wood that grounds and stabilizes our heart rates, living metal finishes that connect us to nature, stone and other elements of the earth that texturally or visually remind us of nature
3. Thermal comfort, candle and fire light, Hygge/coziness, light, circadian rhythm, Chroma therapy, filtered diffused lighting, light shining through elements casting shadows
4. Rhythm meaning cycles of the day and changes in the seasons. Balances our circadian rhythms.  Lighting that randomly passes through the room at different times of the day and seasons.
5. Organic shapes mimicking imperfections in nature, random patterns, soft edges.

TIP:
NASA’s Clean Air Study states the Snake Plant is so effective in producing oxygen that if you were locked in a sealed room with no airflow, you could survive with only 6-8 plants in it!
I’ll post more in the coming weeks with specific examples of spaces and products that will allow you to bring that health and well-being inside your own homes.
Happy Fall!  Paula

Why is this chair special?  Why am I naming my blog “Posts from the Chair”?

As a practicing Interior Designer our own homes can often be the last thing we invest in as we’re usually investing back in our businesses.  Recently I moved into my own place, which makes me so happy.  I’d had my eye on this beautiful chair for literally years.  My friends Wayne and Will who own this showroom in the Seattle Design Center always joked with me when I would come in and sit in it, every time, we all said this chair had my name written all over it. I am a believer in putting out to the Universe what we would like to receive, but never in a million years did I entertain the idea that it could become a reality.

​​When I made the decision to purchase it from their showroom, I arranged a vehicle to pick it up. I thought I could just unscrew the legs so it would easily fit.  The joke was on me!  The legs are literally part of the frame!  And I thought . . . we’re not in Wayfair world anymore folks!  When you ask me what the difference is between online furniture and luxury items from the Design Center, now I know first-hand! Quality!

I was telling a design friend of mine that I won’t let my boyfriend sit in it, it’s silk!  Then she intuitively asked me how often I sit in it.  You know that story about using our China for our own family diners instead of saving it for something or someone special?  She reminded me that I am that someone special, I worked hard to have something nice like this, I deserved to enjoy it.  She was the one who had the brilliant idea of the blog name “Posts from the chair”.  All of us sitting at the table got goosebumps with an instinctive knowing that truth had just been spoken!

We all know that we get what we pay for.  We all deserve quality items in our homes that bring a smile to our lips, feels good to sit in or to the touch, looks good, and works well.

Thank you to Charlene Mathew, Maria Stapperfenne and William & Wayne showroom at the Seattle Design Center. As I gear up to celebrate 25 years as an Interior Designer next year, here begins a new chapter to my career, and here’s to many more thoughtful Posts from the Chair!

Cheers! 
​P.S. I'm also known for wholeheartedly loving the color pink!  It's my happy color! And don't worry, I protect the silk from the sun.

See the link below for the article.
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It was an honor to participate in this article with Doug Walter talking about Universal Design, Aging in Place and Living in Place.  There are so many "titles" for this segment.  Most of us don't want to talk about aging but we really can't ignore it.  If we ignore it, then we're not prepared when the unthinkable happens.  And you don't need to be in your golden years to need a grab bar!  I tell my students and clients all the time, I fell and sprained an ankle skiing, and I needed a grab bar.  That's why we call it Universal Design, good design for all abilities and stages of life!

Wellness and Universal Design features in this bathroom:

• Barrier free shower entrance
• Fold down seat in the shower
• Handheld shower head 
• Towel bars were rated as Assist Devices
• Easy to get in and out of freestanding tub with ledge for the tub filler
• Color contrasts for way finding​
• An outlet near the toilet for future bidet attachment 
• Lever handles
• Cabinet pulls with closed ends 
• Open floor space for future mobility aid use
• Open floor space allowing for future caregiver space to assist 
• Lots of natural light, layered lighting and careful light management planned
• AND of course, a beautiful happy beach vibe!

Here in Washington State, we are able to list ADA/Universal Design features on the MLS when you go to sell your home.  This is a wonderful benefit that I hope more States will follow.

Enjoy this article and inspiration. 
https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=46227&i=762375&p=38&ver=html5

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Since it feels like I’m starting this Blog journey from scratch, it only seems natural to start at the beginning even though I’ll be celebrating 25 years as an Interior Designer in 2023.  Who am I?

This is a second career for me.  I worked at Microsoft for years before reaching the end of my creative rope.  It was a phenomenal experience as a young woman to be part of something like that, but I was so burnt out.  Gratefully, I was allowed the freedom to leave and attend the Art Institute of Seattle.  I’d always been good at decorating and knew I was creative, now it was time to see if I had the ability to be a professional Interior Designer!

I fell in love with kitchen and bath during school on a field trip to a local appliance distributor.  I was hired right out of school at a little kitchen and bath design/build showroom.  I jumped in feet first, kept my head above water and learned so much, from sales to drafting software, estimating, and managing projects. There’s a tremendous amount that they can’t teach you in school!  I went to my first National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) meeting, which is a Trade Organization, and haven’t looked back!

The kitchen and bath segment within residential design beautifully combined my creative talent, education, experience, and my affinity for technical detail.  I have a secret inner Industrial Designer sitting on my shoulder, which comes in handy when designing these intricate and often challenging spaces.  These spaces in our home calls for skills beyond color selection.  A professional in this field needs to understand all the mechanics of the spaces, from the foundation up, appliance installation, plumbing, lighting, cabinetry and how all those elements interact with each other.

I teach kitchen and bath now as well and I always tell my students, my goal for them is to either fall in love with this segment and make it their specialty, or to understand just how challenging it is so they can build their collaboration team with the experts they need to execute a safe, efficient, and functional space.