Feeling at Home

by Stoddard, Alexandra

• ISBN13: 9780688159054
• ISBN10: 0688159052
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-07
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

Most decorating books omit the most important element of the home: you. Does your home reflect who you really are? "Feeling at Home" focuses on this most essential aspect of decorating: creating a home that is truly your emotional center. Every room and object should answer your needs and make you feel more human and whole. Alexandra Stoddard gently leads us through a process of self-attunement and self-expression in which we discover not only our practical needs, but also our yearnings--perhaps a sunny spot for reading; a colorful nook for ironing; an inviting place for paperwork. She urges us to question the rules and to never "pre-compromise" by talking ourselves out of our true desires. With imaginative and practical examples from her personal and professional life, she helps us discover countless ways to express ourselves at home and instantly feel comfort, pleasure, and ease.Why settle for merely being "in" our homes when we can be "at home?" "Feeling at Home" puts us on the path to home as we've always dreamed it could be.

Author Biography

Alexandra Stoddard has designed the interiors of mansions and embassies as well as cottages and one-room studios for clients ranging from notable individuals to young people just starting out. The recipient of the first full scholarship ever awarded by the New York School of Interior Design, she brings more than thirty-six years of design expertise to her work. For fourteen years she worked with Eleanor McMillen Brown, one of the doyennes of interior design, before starting her own design firm, Alexandra Stoddard Incorporated. She appears frequently on television and radio nationwide and has been featured in major magazines internationally. Author of twenty books, including her most recent book on decorating. Open Your Eyes, and her classic. The Decoration of Houses, she is a sought-after speaker on the art of living. She lives with her husband. Peter Megargee Brown, in New York City and Stonington Village, Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Note to the Reader	xiii
Part One Self-Attunement
Defining Who You Are Now	3	(22)
Shaping Your Home	25	(44)
Fifteen Essential Elements of Emotional Comfort at Home	69	(74)
Balancing Your Time at Home	143	(44)
Part Two Self-Expression
Cultivating Your Gift of Creativity	187	(26)
Creating Your Ideal Home	213	(32)
Enhancing the Quality of Each Day	245	(38)
Conclusion	283	(4)
Index	287