What does self-care mean to you?

To some people, self-care means treating yourself. Whether that’s going for that long-overdue massage, taking some time to yourself in a luxurious, candlelit bubble bath, or indulging in a fun shopping trip to update your wardrobe, self-care is a common – and important! – resolution for many people.

But self-care is about more than the occasional indulgence. Surrounding yourself with serenity and relaxation is a key part of practicing self-care. And you deserve to have that rejuvenating, spoil-yourself feeling every day!

Updating your personal space is an investment in yourself.

A recent client of mine discovered how renovating and decorating are some of the best self-care decisions you can make.

They decided it was time to reinvent their bedroom and bathroom into a space that had a relaxed, luxurious atmosphere. They hadn’t invested in new furniture or decor for this space before, but wanted a spa-like, serene place they could retreat to after a long day.

My clients wanted a space that was organized where everything had its place, but they also wanted a larger shower so their bathroom had a more spa-like feel. They also had big, beautiful windows that – while unique – weren’t easy to dress.

So how did we turn their bedroom and bathroom into the perfect personalized retreat?

Give everything its own place.

Storage space probably isn’t the first thing you think of when it comes to creating a place for self-care, but clutter doesn’t make for a relaxing atmosphere.

Creating the bathroom of their dreams required taking some space from the walk-in closet in order to increase the shower size. But that didn’t mean my clients were losing their storage space!

By adding organizers to the closet and designing a custom built-in to surround the TV, my clients were able to get the best of both worlds: a beautiful, large shower and purposeful storage that made it easy to keep their space clutter-free.

Lighting can be an art in itself.

I wanted to celebrate the uniqueness of the beautiful windows in their bedroom while also making sure that the lighting promoted that calm, relaxing feeling. By finding new drapery and blinds that accommodated the unusual shape, the lighting in the room could be controlled to reflect my clients’ needs.

Lighting in the shower was also important to my clients. Creating a serene environment by incorporating a brighter shower added to the luxurious feel of the bathroom.

Details make all the difference

The homeowners had beautiful paintings in their space that they loved. I used this artwork as a starting point to create a relaxing palette featuring grey, white, black, and a calming shade of pink inspired by the flowers in the painting. By choosing colours they love, the space speaks to them on a personal level.

Replacing the carpet with the warm, solid oak flooring from the hallway helped create a cohesive feeling to the home. When the different parts of your home consistently compliment each other, it helps create a calming, satisfying effect.

Creating a calming, relaxing haven in your home is an easy way to incorporate self-care into your everyday life. For these clients, that haven included a beautiful bathroom, purposeful organization, and a soft, personalized colour palette.

Here’s what my clients had to say about their experience

We had been wanting to do a makeover of our master bathroom and bedroom for a long time and hired Natalie after reading her blog posts and Instagram highlights. We wanted a local designer who could help us source products and take the pressure off the design choices. We have lived in the house for 16 years in the style choices of the previous owner. We liked their choices as it was tasteful and generally “not offensive to the senses” but we really had no sense of personal style.

Natalie was able to ask questions and focus on the minor details in things that she noticed that somehow repeated in our spaces. Her attention to detail is impeccable. Natalie dove in and took the assignment of making all of the decisions based on what she observed from our meetings and presented them in a logical and thoughtful way taking into account our lifestyle, our stage in life and longevity we would be occupying the space. She was willing to modify and edit items that we felt might be more suitable and was quick to offer alternatives when the supply chain during the pandemic made original choices difficult to source. She absolutely designed a space that appealed to our tastes.

We took a hands-off approach which was exactly what we were looking for and we were 100% happy with our outcome! We had a detailed timeline that was surprisingly met. The renovation process was completely stress free for us as we knew we were in great hands with Natalie and team.

JoAnne MacNeil and Andy Marshal, Ottawa

What would your dream retreat look like in your home?