E=MC2
Energy is one of my favorite things to talk about because without it, the world as we know it would not exist. And I promise you that this will be the first of many posts on the subject because it totally fascinates me and it plays a big part in what I do. You see, energy is all around us and it manifests in our lives, our houses, and our stuff. I'm sure you've gone into a space that just "felt" good (or bad) and didn't really know why, or you met someone that you just liked (or didn't) and didn't know why. Without getting too woo woo on you, I will tell you that being a house whisperer means that I pick up on these energy signals and I can instantly tell when a house has what I call - good juju.
Good juju is very very important. For me it usually means that the house has good bones and feels balanced and has a nice pleasing layout without too much funkiness (if it's not a new house there is ALWAYS funkiness). It also means that no one was murdered there and that the energy of the people and animals is pretty positive. These are the kinds of clients and houses I like to work with because they just feel, well, right.
There are a few mistakes that everyone makes in terms of juju so I think it's worth pointing out that achieving balance in a home often translates to good energy flow. Claustrophobic, cluttered, stifled, shit-everywhere type houses have stale energy and I'd be willing to bet there's a higher level of illness in houses like this and a general feeling of "stuck" in the lives of their inhabitants. But I've also been in houses with not enough furniture where the energy is flying through and there's a manic, chaotic, drumbeat pitch that can mean the people living there are in a constant state of buzzed anxiety. Neither of these is ideal and it's also why when you are in a space that gets it right, you can literally feel it.
I like to call the secret sauce that I strive for in a home "lingerability." When a house gets it right you usually feel so comfortable that you want to stay, hang out, get cozy, LINGER. I was at a friend's house for the first time recently and aside from the fact that there were nuts and cheese on the table and they have two kittens (uh, I'm sorry, have I died and gone to heaven?) I could immediately tell that they got it right because I felt embraced. I wanted to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and some cats and wake up just in time for pancakes.
The difficult part is that I can't give you a recipe for how to bring positive energy into your home because every house is different (and because that's actually my job) but I'm pretty sure you'll know when you've got it right. Because I'll be on your sofa in my leopard snuggie asking "where's the bacon?"