At Peace in Your Home, Part 3: An Exercise in Spatial Mindfulness

We hope you enjoyed Parts 1 and 2 of our continuing discussion of home. In this concluding post on the topic, we’d like to offer a few questions to encourage your exploration of home and guide you as you explore how you can create restorative spaces:

Restful 

What type of space do you need to relax in? Should it be quiet, or is there a particular sound you find relaxing? What colors, textures, views, and smells help you feel relaxed? Do you currently have a space like this? A relaxing space might be a whole room or just a quiet corner.

Social 

What sort of social interaction do you enjoy at home? Perhaps you love to entertain, and need a dedicated gathering space for many friends. Or maybe you prefer smaller interactions with family and limited guests. How can you accommodate the social activities that are meaningful to you?

Natural 

What aspects of the natural world do you enjoy? Can you introduce your favorite type of plant, material, animal, or color into your space? Even without a garden or yard, there are ways to bring elements of nature into your home and engage all of your senses.

Creative/Spiritual   

What activities, hobbies, or practices do you find fulfilling? Do these activities have a dedicated space or presence in your home? Do you have any rituals or traditions surrounding these activities? Some examples may include cooking, crafting, gardening, reading or writing, playing an instrument, or a more formal religious or spiritual practice.

Testimonials

Testimonials

“Living Shelter has been a pleasure to work with on our campaign project. It was clear that they really worked to create a project that was purpose built to our needs, and from a fundraising standpoint, they are always incredibly responsive to updating renderings and drawings that we've needed for donor meetings.”

—Mike Ritter, Capital Manager, Pasado's Safe Haven

“Our experience in working with Terry Phelan was exceptional! Her talents go far beyond what you would expect from a traditional architect. She has a team that truly listens to your goals, and makes them happen! In doing so, they will surprise you with unexpected spaces that impart a very comfortable feel, usually only found in older homes. In addition to designing our primary residence, the Living Shelter team also helped us with conceptual drawings for a coastal property (future build). That was a very fun project, and shows their flexibility to work with various situations. Creative, knowledgeable, professional and a joy to work with - highly recommend!”

—Michele Scaglia, Client

“We can't recommend Living Shelter highly enough. From our initial dreaming, through concept and design, and on into construction, Terry and the LS team were collaborative and creative -- committed to making our new home sustainable, livable, and beautiful. They helped us a create a healthy home that fits the site and our lifestyle.”

—Mary Huycke, Client

“I worked with Living Shelter Design to design and construct my new home in the mountains near Mt Adams in Washington. Their whole team was fantastic to work with! The design ideas presented creatively addressed my aesthetic and space needs, while also fitting within the available budget. Their flexible approach to developing the design made me feel confident that I could build the house of my dreams. The Living Shelter team was also there during construction to help assist the builder and provide the backup support to address all snafus that invariably arise while building a new home. They were so responsive and got the job done for me!”

—Kim Gilmer, Client

“As an interior designer, I have had the pleasure of working with Terry and the Living Shelter team on many projects. They are extremely professional, knowledgeable about sustainable building, and genuinely wonderful people. I highly recommend them!”

—Sandy Campbell, Entero Design

“Terry Phelan is deeply committed to reducing the environmental impact of her buildings, and her work in load bearing straw bale structures is exceptional.”

—Habib John Gonzalez, Director of Sustainable Works

“Did we tell you we love the plans? We do! You really worked magic. Thanks a lot. We are REALLY happy.”

—Judi and Scott Nicolai

“Terry has consistently demonstrated the rare combination of tenacity, caring, and professionalism throughout.”

—Jane Bakken and Jack Fecker