00:00:00:02 – 00:00:34:00
Unknown
Listeners, welcome back to the Space to Be. Well, we are in our first season talking about wellness design as a philosophy. And, we are in the second half of our season talking about the principles of wellness design. And these are sort of non-negotiables when you’re creating your interior. And so the last couple episodes we talked about, the, the principle of luxury, as a key to a, well, environment.

00:00:34:00 – 00:00:57:00
Unknown
We talked about hospitality and we talked about quality. And today we’re going to talk about something that is near and dear to our hearts. And that is a principle that is going to come listeners is a little bit unexpected. But it’s a non-negotiable because we all love this. Valerie, do you want to, drumroll, drumroll, please. What are we talking about?

00:00:57:00 – 00:01:32:12
Unknown
We’re talking about beauty today. Yay! Yay, beauty. Hey, beauty. Beauty is everything. Beauty impacts our every day. And, you know, just think about, you know, really process this. You know what beauty really does for our well-being. You know, it elevates us. It awakens our senses. It elevates this spirit. You know, think about a beautiful sunset or a gorgeous ball gown, you know, a coat or dress or even a beautiful story.

00:01:32:16 – 00:02:08:15
Unknown
We all love beauty. We absolutely do. And I think that’s such an amazing tool that we have is really to kind of think about beauty in a little bit different way than maybe just what we normally do, where it’s about kind of the appearance and what we’re seeing around us. And I think today, what’s exciting is that I think we’re really going to dive in a little bit deeper and talk about how beauty is transformational and how beauty really does affect us in these deeper meaning and deeper ways.

00:02:08:15 – 00:02:33:15
Unknown
So I’m really excited we get to talk about beauty. I think you know for sure. And you’re exactly right. Beauty is a human need more than we think it is. And it’s something that is transformational. It’s not superficial is where you going? You know, beauty is not superficial. Real beauty, true beauty, which we’re going to talk about today, is not superficial.

00:02:33:17 – 00:03:03:13
Unknown
Beauty and design is transformational. But you know, there’s so you know, I really have to start with, talking about sort of our background and where we’ve come from. I have been in the beauty industry for designing beauty environments for, you know, 25 plus years. I started my company 25 years ago. But we I fell in love with the beauty industry.

00:03:03:15 – 00:03:30:17
Unknown
I had applied for a job when I was quite young, my one of my first jobs, and I was answering an ad for a receptionist position at a company I had never heard of, and I walked in the door and I was in awe. It was this beautiful showroom and it was filled with salon furniture and it was like, there is beautiful colors and architecture and design.

00:03:30:19 – 00:04:01:06
Unknown
And I thought, whoa, what is this? I was captivated by the just the beauty of the showroom and the this knowledge that, wow, there’s even such a thing. And I was further captivated by this idea of beauty design. So in some ways, Valerie, I think that’s what makes our approach to design different. We have a different way of thinking about beauty because we’re surrounded by it.

00:04:01:08 – 00:04:37:14
Unknown
So in some ways it’s very literal for us. We are beauty interior designers and we create beauty interiors and we create beauty furniture for beauty environments. So it’s very literal for us. But what we’re talking about today is more, it’s it’s more of more of untouchable. It’s it’s more unspoken. It’s really this feeling of beauty. And by the way, this is all about, you know, we’ve been designing these beauty spaces for years.

00:04:37:16 – 00:05:00:14
Unknown
But at the end of the day, that’s not the end result. The end result is creating well-being. And that’s where wellness design. You guys, we’re putting it all together here. Wellness design is a means to an end. It’s about creating well-being in the spaces that we live and work in. Beauty is one of those principles. It’s a tool to get there.

00:05:00:17 – 00:05:36:00
Unknown
So while we’ve been creating these beautiful spaces for these beauty environments, the end game really wasn’t beauty in a way. It was transformation and changing lives. Wow, that’s impactful, isn’t it? It is. And I think we’ve always had this kind of underlying like thought behind when we get done with a design where when we start with it to the finish and then we think to ourselves, wow, think about how many lives we’ve actually impacted by the power of the design that we’ve created.

00:05:36:02 – 00:06:14:11
Unknown
And just to see people’s reactions to to see and feel that transformation is something like really incredible. And of the power of design. So I think, you know, this, this topic of beauty and transformation, it really has no limits. And, you know, and and what you can do with it. And I think if we can continue to find ways to leverage, leverage, beauty and, and design and to really use it to evoke that true, deeper sense of beauty, I love that that’s so well spoken.

00:06:14:11 – 00:06:38:12
Unknown
That is so well spoken. Beauty has no limits. You heard it right here. It is a true need. Beauty is a need. Again, I come back to thinking about these things that, you know. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And that’s because we all resonate with beauty in our own way. And that’s why it’s deeper than what you think.

00:06:38:12 – 00:07:12:14
Unknown
It’s not superficial. It’s because, true beauty and the things that move us, the the beauty that inspires us, the the beauty that awakens our senses is what really means that it’s resonating with you and it’s changing your life. Yeah, absolutely. Don’t you agree on that? Not only does true beauty need to be felt, but at the same time, in some ways beauty has this invisible role.

00:07:12:16 – 00:07:35:10
Unknown
You know, we talk about beauty and people think about beauty’s outward. But at the end of the day, you have to reverse that because it really is inward. And that’s what I think true beauty is all about. It has this invisible role. And I think that’s something that when we’re looking at the spaces that we’re designing, we need to be thinking about the end result.

00:07:35:15 – 00:08:02:00
Unknown
How do we get there? How do we how do we really achieve beauty? And again, here we we designed hundreds and thousands of of beauty environments. So in some ways we’re going for beauty in, you know, all of our clients generally want a beautiful space as it relates to their own needs and wants. But at the end of the day, we’re we’re sort of reversing.

00:08:02:00 – 00:08:38:08
Unknown
And I think that’s what listeners, I want to challenge you with this. I want you to rethink beauty, not as outward or visual of what you’re seeing, but how you’re responding to it. And so beauty is very powerful. It really moves us. It can be very transformational, even. Think about, you know, when you first fell in love, you know, with your with your partner and, and and for you, that person was so beautiful and it moved you to the point where you know, there was a connection and then ultimately, you fell in love.

00:08:38:10 – 00:09:03:10
Unknown
I mean, that same power is is part of the the design and build environments that we create every day and that you live in, you know, so the challenge is, is while you know, the process and the principle is luxury, it’s like deeper than that, it’s what is it that’s going to resonate with you? That’s going to inspire you.

00:09:03:10 – 00:09:38:11
Unknown
And ultimately you have a beautiful environment. How do we get there? Yeah, that’s such a good question. And, you know, I think, of course, we have to, you know, to get to that place of that deeper connection and that deeper meaning. And of course, I feel like we always have to go back to our resonant framework, right to the very beginning of the season where we really talked about, you know, your identity and the behavior and understanding the why and integrating the how and putting that all that together.

00:09:38:11 – 00:10:13:23
Unknown
I think as the foundation that you can then apply these principles we’re talking about with luxury and quality and hospitality and beauty. And if you have all of that coming together, you know, I really think that now you’re now you’re talking, you got something. Well, you you start to achieve the end result. Yeah. You know, the end result is about living your best self, living your best life, feeling, as good as you can possibly feel in terms of your emotional, your physical and your spiritual well-being.

00:10:14:04 – 00:10:42:05
Unknown
You know, that’s the that’s what wellness design is all about. That’s why we have this podcast. It really is about achieving well-being through the built environment. And so exactly what Valerie was saying. We have to start with the resonant framework. That’s the that’s part of how we get to well-being. And when we’re talking about creating a beautiful space, it’s something that we can’t ignore.

00:10:42:05 – 00:11:07:09
Unknown
And so if you haven’t listened to the first, half of the first season, then that’s something you need to go back to because we’re going to continually come back to this. The resonant framework is the foundation. And then we apply the principles, and these are principles. And I want you to understand what the principles are, the ones that we’ve been discussing the last several episodes.

00:11:07:09 – 00:11:37:17
Unknown
They’re non-negotiables in design. These are things that Valerie and I go for in the spaces that we create. We go for hospitality, we go for quality, we go for luxury, we go for beauty. And those non-negotiables play a role in our successful environments. And then it’s all about the artistry. So. All right, so follow us. If you know, you start with the resonant framework.

00:11:37:19 – 00:12:14:09
Unknown
You in, you integrate the non-negotiables and again, remember their philosophies. So, you know, you have to be thinking about them in their own way. You know, again, going back and listening to each of the principles, more specifically because it’s, it’s it’s looking at these principles in a deeper level, in and, and today, because we’re talking about beauty, we can’t ignore, you know, the artistic beauty of what goes into a beautiful space because, you guys, beauty is created.

00:12:14:11 – 00:12:35:17
Unknown
I mean, we could there could be an argument to go back to this idea of creation in general. Right. And so if you believe that God created everything, all you have to do is look around you, look at nature, you know, you look at the beautiful sunrise that was is a creation. You know, I believe that. I believe it was creation.

00:12:35:17 – 00:13:02:15
Unknown
But, you know, it’s but when we’re creating these environments, there is creation involved, you know, so, you know, we’re born natural, you know, but at the same time, if you if you bring in this idea of creation and that you have the power to create beauty, that’s something you want to be thinking about. And that’s what we’re teaching you here today.

00:13:02:21 – 00:13:31:23
Unknown
We have the power to create beauty because it’s inherent in our skill set, it’s inherent in our experience. And we create beautiful spaces. But the end result is well-being and, you know, creating environments that change lives. But we tack on another level, right? So yeah, there’s another level to this. Right? So there’s a resonant framework. There’s the principles that we talked about, the non-negotiables.

00:13:32:05 – 00:14:06:17
Unknown
And then there’s artistry which is true creative transformation. Yeah. And I think that when you get to that level where you know, you’ve applied, you know, the resonant framework you’ve applied, and in general, the principles, the next level of that artistry. And I think there’s something really about the refinement that comes with that, that I think is something that we really strive for in, in design.

00:14:06:17 – 00:14:51:10
Unknown
And it’s the refinement of, of, you know, the interior design principles and, and elements that we also use, you know, from our vast experience in design, you know, we do have this extra knowledge base that we’re pulling from when we’re creating these interiors that are for beauty and for wellness. And I think the result of that, you know, being able to apply all of this vast knowledge that we’ve attained over 20 some years of, of experience, really just allows us to have this unique perspective and our own style, that I think really resonates with people.

00:14:51:12 – 00:15:29:12
Unknown
I agree, and, and so what Valerie’s referring to in terms of the interior design elements are align, proportion, scale, contrast. These are trained, elements to successful interior design. So not to confuse you, but to understand that once we go beyond the resonant framework through the principles and we’re applying the principles, then we’re applying the, you know, the, the real and true artistry that goes into creating an amazing interior.

00:15:29:14 – 00:16:00:11
Unknown
And so these culmination of ideas and this creation, it doesn’t happen just at the snap of a finger, you know, it’s a process. And, you know, we we’ve been talking about process. We’re a very process driven company. And I tell, my clients that all the time in our process really works. And part of that process is going through design development.

00:16:00:17 – 00:16:25:10
Unknown
And that’s where the refinement happens. You know, we don’t have to guess at how far we need to space out a chair to get ample, you know, movement around the chair. We know all this, but where we spend our time is in design development. And that’s where the refinement and the creativity happen. And by the way, that’s where Valerie and I step back and we say, wow, what’s missing here?

00:16:25:15 – 00:17:06:04
Unknown
You know, will be in the middle of a design. And we challenge ourselves and we’ll, you know, say, oh, that feeling of hospitality. I’m not getting that here in this space. And then what’s our, you know, what do we sort of pop in there? Maybe a beautiful, luscious drapery panel. You know, if we’re missing that element of nature, it’s like, you know, and, but but there’s also this, you know, scale, proportion, line pattern and repetition that is happening in the space that really sort of takes it next level.

00:17:06:06 – 00:17:31:04
Unknown
I agree. There’s this refinement of all of these interior design details is really where the beauty starts to really come alive. I feel like and it’s in those design details. And I think that’s so important because a lot of times I feel like people are so ready to, just say, okay, come on, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.

00:17:31:09 – 00:17:58:12
Unknown
But if you give the appropriate amount of time to the details, then you’ve really got something. So it’s true. Yeah. You know, I know, you know, some, some clients would love to see a design happen overnight. And you know, I, I’m going to just go on record and say, I think a lot of us are accustomed to, HGTV where, over an episode, they transform a space.

00:17:58:14 – 00:18:29:03
Unknown
But that’s not really reality. In reality, to create a beautiful design. It’s it’s morphed. It’s changed, it’s manipulated, it’s thoughtful, it’s reasonable. And it’s almost restraint to, you know, it’s like there’s just finding that right balance is key to creating an amazing design. And then the other thing that I want to say, that’s really important at the end result, you know, beauty has to serve us.

00:18:29:08 – 00:18:55:04
Unknown
You know, if you really step back and you think, especially if you’re, you know, planning a design for your home or you’re planning a design for your business at the end result, you know, beauty needs to serve us. It needs to inspire us. It needs to lift us up. It needs to transform us. And then so there’s the question, how do you know when you’ve achieved beauty?

00:18:55:06 – 00:19:31:21
Unknown
Well, that’s a that’s a really good question. But I think it’s it’s really it’s it’s how you’re feeling when you’re observing it or in the space. It’s knowing if you’re you are feeling inspired, if you are having that creative spark, that connection to, to something. And so I think that’s a really good way to even talk about how, you know, the difference between even like beauty as a trend and, you know, our, our version of true, true beauty.

00:19:31:23 – 00:20:01:10
Unknown
And so I think some of the best ways that you can even like ask yourself, are listeners, you know, doesn’t really evoke that, that positive emotion when you’re, you know, because beauty in the underlying way that we we take in beauty, it it is positive, it’s joyous. So if it doesn’t, it doesn’t serve you and make you happy, then right off the bat, okay, this might not be really resonating in the right way with you.

00:20:01:12 – 00:20:25:07
Unknown
I think another really good one is to think about, you know, we always say that like good design, really can, grow on you and kind of linger. And the more that you look at it and the more that you’re, you know, observing it, the more that you either love it or maybe you don’t, you know, maybe it’s not really resonating with you.

00:20:25:07 – 00:20:46:14
Unknown
And so I personally I do this where if I, if I, let’s say maybe it’s a chair or, a piece of clothing or something that I want to purchase, I will take, take a picture of it and I will look at it like five, five times different, you know, times of the day, different days. And I will keep going back to it.

00:20:46:14 – 00:21:08:22
Unknown
And if I love it even more and even more, it’s growing on me, then I know that this is really something that’s resonating with me on that deeper level. Don’t you? Agreement. And you’re so you’re using your head in your heart. Yeah. We talk about it in any time. I think that’s so smart, you know, is to use your head in your heart on any decision that you’re going to make.

00:21:09:00 – 00:21:33:23
Unknown
You know, in in what you’re describing, Valerie, is truly that beauty needs to be felt. At the end of the day, you’re taking this picture of something that you know you’re first connecting with. And I’m going to tie this back to design because this is so powerful. So you take a picture of, of something that you’re interested in, and over time you keep looking at it and you’re like, yes, I do the same, same exact thing.

00:21:34:01 – 00:21:58:01
Unknown
But at the end of the day, we go through this in our process for design. And that’s why I don’t believe that, you know, true. Great design can be rushed. I think it can be, I think you can have a process and you can move it forward, and you can, you know, be very cognizant of time and you can meet timelines and deadlines and so forth.

00:21:58:01 – 00:22:24:05
Unknown
That’s key to a successful design. But at the same time, they’re sort of if you’re looking for beautiful design and you want it to be transformational, all of these principles need to be applied all of the framework needs to happen. And then the refinement needs to happen and refinement and discovery. And studying the principles. It doesn’t happen overnight.

00:22:24:11 – 00:23:03:07
Unknown
It’s not HGTV. Yeah. It’s just not it’s just not yeah. Design is very collaborative. And when we’re designing for a customer, it’s not just about what we see as beauty. It’s about what our customers understand is beauty. So when we create design and we’re going through the process and we, you know, we get to a point where we think that we’ve gotten to a point where something is, you know, just sort of checked all the boxes and we love it because, you know, listeners, if you don’t know, it has to pass the Michelle Paul office test.

00:23:03:07 – 00:23:29:11
Unknown
Test, you know, if I, if I, if I don’t see it is you know, if it doesn’t check every box for me, it doesn’t the customer doesn’t see the design. And so but you know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And so we can push back a design to a customer, and a customer may have, you know, feedback or, input and that’s great because design is collaborative.

00:23:29:16 – 00:23:57:05
Unknown
And so in remember, we’re designing this space for our customers and for our clients. So it really is about them. We go through a very rigorous discovery process and we dig deep to understand, their you know, their whys and their identity and their behaviors. And when we go through that, that really starts to set the foundation 95% of the time.

00:23:57:05 – 00:24:24:08
Unknown
We’re right there, right? Yeah. But but sometimes, you know, there’s, you know, you know, feedback, which we love. Why? Because design is collaboration. We want that push back and that just challenge us to go deeper on on their project. We’ve have several examples of that. Yeah. I think the one I’m actually thinking of, it was for a residential project that we’re working on.

00:24:24:10 – 00:24:55:19
Unknown
And, you know, we put forth what we felt was, you know, a really great design for a kitchen. Their kitchen and their living space was very open plan. And we we were in love with it. Right. And not that the customer didn’t like it. I mean, they liked it, but and you could tell, it just wasn’t resonating with her at the level that she really deserved and wanted to feel that it needs to and it needs to.

00:24:55:19 – 00:25:16:20
Unknown
And so, you know, we couldn’t quite put our finger on, you know, maybe what it was about it. But she didn’t give us feedback of maybe some things that maybe just weren’t hitting the right notes for her. And so, you know, we welcome that feedback. We, you know, came back to the drawing board a little bit, adjusted some things.

00:25:16:20 – 00:25:44:07
Unknown
And, you know, the second time we presented, you know, a great result right. She’s she loved it. She loved it. Yeah exactly. And that’s true design and that’s collaboration. You know we I had a customer just yesterday, you know, she was, interviewing several designers for a high end residential project, and she said, what makes a successful relationship between a designer and a client?

00:25:44:09 – 00:26:07:16
Unknown
And I, I, I come back to this. It’s called trust. Yeah, trust capital t capital t trust so important in a design client relationship. We have to trust the client that they, you know, that they’re invested in this process and they want the best end result. And they have to trust us that we have their best interest at heart.

00:26:07:21 – 00:26:39:11
Unknown
And when there’s trust in a relationship, just like a marriage, you know, distrust will absolutely destroy a marriage. Distrust in any relationship will destroy a relationship. But that’s what we had with this customer. You know, she really trusted us in the process. And, and, and we establish open dialog with our customers all the time. In fact, we don’t even move on to subsequent phases in the design.

00:26:39:11 – 00:27:14:08
Unknown
This is our guarantee is that, you know, at the end of phase one, if you don’t love what you’re getting, we’re going to go back and refine it until you love it. And then once you love it, we move on to the next phase. And that is part of the beauty of collaboration. Yeah, I love that. And and I think that’s like a really big topic that I, I feel like the not only the trust, but I think the honesty and her openness to really just tell it like it is, you know, you don’t have to worry about necessarily sugarcoating anything.

00:27:14:08 – 00:27:39:19
Unknown
Our feelings hurting our feelings. We just need to know where you’re at. Because if you’re not honest and really what your truth is to us, we can’t get to that point of really hitting the mark for you. So I think that’s really important. You know, when you talk about, our relationships with our customers and this is all about beauty, you guys, we’re talking about beauty as transformational.

00:27:39:19 – 00:28:05:08
Unknown
We’re talking about beauty as a wellness design principle that changes lives. And this is one of those principles that you, you know, you don’t want to ignore. It’s it’s no greater nor less than luxury and quality and hospitality, beauty is something that we go for in our, our designs every day. And, listeners, I want to challenge you to rethink beauty.

00:28:05:13 – 00:28:32:20
Unknown
You know, think about beauty as, sort of a means to an end. And so when you’re thinking about your home design, what are some of those things that you can do that are really going to hit the mark and really, create an environment that allows you to thrive? Listeners, I hope you enjoyed this topic about beauty and we encourage you to drop a line.

00:28:32:20 – 00:28:50:04
Unknown
Let us know what you think. Let us know what you think about beauty and how that plays a role in the environments that you live and work in. And stay tuned for our next episode. We’re going to continue the topic of wellness design principles in this next one. You don’t want to mess.