Clean Style, Clean Living | THREE TIPS ON LIVING STYLISH AT HOME, MAKING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

By Dominick Hiddo

Home of Naomi Watts + Liev Schreiber / Arch Digest

Home. It's a sanctuary. A retreat. A place of refuge. Ideally, home should be a place to let go of all the subtle inhibitions and nuances of our external lives. And truthfully, it should represent the truest and most liberated expression our entire being. What we see in our home will provide a beautiful mirror reflection of what we see in ourselves. This is probably why when we have people over for a visit, we're always so super particular as to who's granted access to our humble abode. And whether you love to entertain or not, we all love when those fortunate few come into our home and experience those other beautiful parts of our life: our food, our family, our inner beauty, our entertainment, and most importantly, our decor and style.

The color combinations of fabrics and drapes, of wood finishes and rug choices, it all adds to the look and feel of our home. The choices in art, the creative display of coffee table books, the fragrances pervading the air of the home, the arrangement of furniture, fixtures and florals, it's all super important for creating that clean living lifestyle in our place of solitude. And this is not just for your guests, this is for you: for your peace, happiness and tranquility. We do this to feel good about our home: when we leave it and when we return. So whether you're super organized and cleanly, or a hoarder of all things beautiful (and not so beautiful), here are some things to keep in mind when creating a stylish home with a peaceful energy flow.

Add Palettes of Color

In my free time, I love to paint. And as much as I love the actual process of brush stroking paint on a canvas and bringing a work of art to life, I also really love that moment before any paint lands on the canvas: the blank white space itself. I stare at it. I look at it from a variety of angles in order to gain a very loose perception of what this forthcoming piece could potentially look like. In truth, I never really know how something is going to turn out. I go with how I feel, and I let a few colors be the dominant tone setters, thereby letting the other colors dance around them: it's kind of like the way our shoes, belts and bags dance around our outfits. Eventually, a beautiful expression comes to life. I'd like to think that designing our home could potentially take the same route. Think of it like this. Your home can be that blank canvas waiting to be graced with balanced color notes and tones that speak to your sense of creativity and style. Color is a type of language, and it can be that language your home speaks to you on a daily basis: like a real personal connection and dialogue with your home. It can communicate mood, season, emotion, culture, and even appreciation. And not only for you, but your guests will also seamlessly interpret this language of color that your home is exuding. So, whether it's a safari-themed living room with sandy tans, mocha browns, and ivory whites, or an industrially modern kitchen with metallic green finishes, Calacatta white-marble countertops, and brown oak cabinetry, the culmination of all these things create a feel in the home that will be special for you. It's such a beautiful feeling.

Have The Right Mix 

You can get your furniture anywhere nowadays, right? Ikea, West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Ralph Lauren Home, Made-to-Order, Vintage stores, Craigslist, local suppliers, random online distributors, in your neighborhood on the street corner: yes, there are many options. But regardless of what you decide to get, it all has to gel well. It should all compliment each other. The look and feel of your home both inside and outside should dictate and set the pace for not only the style of furniture, but also for the dimensions of that furniture. Why? Well--for example--in a really open and vastly spacious home (North to South, East to West), furniture for the minimalist could potentially seem out of place; especially if not balanced by something more grand. Or in an apartment that is filled with a lot of light, it would be important to get furniture that could benefit from that light: a bookcase with molding detail, chairs and couches with heathered tones, a bed frame with lots of special finishes. Because if the mix is not right, a large reclining chair could seem bulky and out of place in a small studio apartment. But if the mix is right, that same chair could be perfectly balanced in a large living room with lots of space. So in theory, no furniture is really too bulky or too small, it's all about the size and feel of the room: and the size and feel of the home. When we walk through our home, we shouldn't feel like we're tip-toeing around and trying to find room to move about. When you are at home, it should be like living in a kingdom. You should be able to easily maneuver throughout, from one bedroom to another, to the office, to other themed rooms, into closets and storage spaces, to the living room, to the kitchen, and (most importantly) to the bathroom. Your lifestyle in the home should be easy, comfortable, and as consistently balanced as possible: especially in and around your furniture.

Make It Flow

Tim Beddow / Arch Digest

I know. It sounds like the perfect cliché for all homes. However, "It needs to flow". It's true. All of the colors, all of the fabrics, all of the furniture, the finishes, and even the fragrances reverberating throughout the home need to blend seamlessly and flow beautifully together. Everything about our home has to be in agreement with one another. The color language of the couch has to be understood by the rug beneath it. And the scents and essences of the home has to go well with the theme presented for each room. Not that there is a "prescribed scent" for every themed-room (secretly I'm sure there is): but the scent and fragrance should suit your palate and your desire for a pleasant home. The chocolate brown loveseat that you've beautifully placed in front of the TV shouldn't be overwhelmed by it (or underwhelmed by it). And that same loveseat should compliment the floral-printed drapes that you decided to hang. The dialogue of the room has to be equally strong and beautiful, and at the same time calming and familiar. It shouldn't feel like you tried too hard to design a home by "over designing it", neither should it feel like you made an effortless jump at interior designing. Every room of your home should have personality, charm, and a swagger-like level of attraction to it. Whether it's you or your guests, there should be a level of comfort within each room and around each room. And of course it should go without saying: but clutter and hoarding should always be a no-no, while cleanliness and organization should always be a must. These, too, are also a part of the flow. Because, again, the flow of the home represents the flow of our lives. How we present ourselves in the home, is usually how we present ourselves in the world.

Clean style is all about finding that perfect balance in the home: a place for everything, and everything in its place. And clean living as a compliment is about striving to expand a life that feels pure, organic, and fun. Both clean style and clean living starts with ourselves. And, a beautiful life starts in the home.