Top 10 interior design tips to create a vibrant California cool vibe in your space

We’ve recently been working on a local project here in Carlsbad, California to turn a cold aluminum science office space into a warm and earthy collaborative work and event space. After all it’s those earthy + soulful elements in interior design that TERRA + SOL does best. Our focus taps into the Southern California lifestyle.

The strategy to bring warmth and energy to the space laid the groundwork for our overall design concept of beach lodge. Being less than a mile from the ocean, we’re highlighting the southern California lifestyle while incorporating the cozy feeling of a lodge.

For design concepts for this project I tapped into the traditional eastern elements: wood, earth, water, fire, and metal. The beauty of nature provides the foundation for Feng Shui and allows us to feel connected and grounded to the world. We infused California-inspired themes to help create an energizing and vibrant environment for members to create, collaborate and come together.

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VISION BOARD FOR A NEW CONCEPT COLLABORATIVE WORK AND EVENT SPACE.

Here are our TOP TENs to help you begin:

1.    Earthly Elements – Different in Eastern and Western cultures but very closely related. We chose Eastern for this project which incorporates metal and wood. Working with local artisans, we’re creating a high-end custom kitchen and member only library with inspirational stories and leadership memoirs.

2.    Outdoors on the Indoors – Bringing nature inside is one of the easiest and quickest ways to tap into earthly elements. Don’t have a green thumb? There are loads of easy indoor plants that don’t need a lot of maintenance. Check out our pinterest board for easy to care for plant options. Talking to your oxygen-boosting friends doesn’t hurt either :)

3.    Neutral Color Palette – Start with a pretty neutral palette for your foundation. Choose one color that pops and inspires you to ground the neutrals and keep you interested. This color can easily be changed out with the seasons or as you mood shifts.  

4.    Balance Cozy with Simplistic – Remember that warm blanket we talked about? Bring in the comforts on your sofa or your reading chair for a cozy feel but try and keep the extras to a minimum. Our spaces are there to help us thrive and having too much stuff can feel stifling and heavy.

5.    Textile Mix up – Fabrics are the perfect way to bring softness and warmth to a space. Adding a printed throw blanket on your bed or mixing graphic pillows on a couch adds texture and interest, using curtains in a room creates a beautiful backdrop for any space.

6.    Inspired by nature accents – Curious why reclaimed shelves have become so popular? The natural, rustic feel of the wood brings an element of nature into the home. This can also be done by adding rocks to an indoor fireplace, setting a branch on your coffee table or using real herb plants like rosemary in your kitchen.

7.    Conversational Seating – Casual seating is the perfect way to bring chill into your space. Adding two chairs (or poufs!) across from your sofa makes friends and family the focus and television secondary.

8.    Photographs + Art – The perfect way to tell your story is through art and photography. well-appointed and interestingly placed pieces on walls and shelving adds personality and personalization.

9.    Tile, Tile on the wall – Have you guys seen the creative tile work on pinterest these days? It’s the perfect way to add texture, color and your own uniqueness to your space. check out cle tile for newness.

10.  Let the sunshine in – Allow sun drenched spaces to create warmth and bring energy to a room. Sun challenged? Create the illusion with warm lighting both overhead and on side tables and walls. Keep it warm to keep the vibes chill.

Like what we do? We’re going to be offering one Instagram follower a free face time consult each month. Be sure to follow us @terrasolinteriors so you can enter to win, just in time for the Holiday season!

You can always give us a call at (619) 630-6007 to discuss your commercial or residential design project. You can also subscribe to Terra Sol Interior Design Studio or visit us in Carlsbad, CA.

Creating balance through interior design in your home and work life

HELLO from Palm Desert where today is only 112 degrees! I know it’s crazy being here in August but when the opportunity presented itself to visit my in-laws with my daughter, I knew I needed to accept the gift. I was feeling a little out of balance and understandably so with all these moons rising and mercury retrogrades and what was that other one my yoga teacher Dana Damara was sharing with us on Tuesday?

 I’ve been pondering what is it besides the atmosphere that gets me feeling out of whack. There’s certainly more to it. I’ve been doing lots of work these past couple of years as I transitioned from my New York lifestyle, running a successful company to moving to the beautiful (slow) beach life of Carlsbad, marrying an amazingly devoted man and giving birth to a loving adorable little girl. Change is actually not that hard for me, I’ve always been able to course correct pretty easily. But this one was a doozy. Little did I know my company actually defined me and I allowed it to do so for as long as I could maintain it. That way I didn’t really have to get to know the real me. The universe however was like no way girl, you gotta dig in.

 And I did. And then I took a break. And then I picked back up. And, well you get the picture. Earlier this year I spent the first sunny day after what seemed like a long winter redoing my daughter’s playroom. I literally spent the entire day hanging shelves, putting together a daybed, anchoring curtain rods to the wall and organizing all her toys in the closet. Finishing just before dinner, I came out and told my husband that things had finally clicked. I wanted to do this for a living. Don’t they always say “Do what you love”?! Well I knew I loved design and creating organized, beautiful spaces but how could I turn a hobby into my actual job?

What happened that day was really special to me. I was listening. To my instinct, to my heart and to my body. Wow, that felt good. So I began to work towards creating a vision of what my new company would look like. During my transition I completed a 200 hr yoga teacher training which taught me lots about balance and our environments. Honing in on that foundation, I saw our home for what it had been to me, a sanctuary. It’s also the catalyst for creativity and balance. For sure it’s not perfect. I have a shed in the back that needs a lot of love and a bathroom that could be renovated but I know those pieces will fall into place too.  

Trying to create a unique and highly organized home or workspace can seem really daunting. I suggest starting with one room so it’s less intimidating Find a space that you crave to be in but it doesn’t feel comforting to you as it is today. Then log yourself onto Pinterest and start a little board (you can keep it secret) of all the spaces you connect with. If it’s a home office, then search for “home office” and see where that takes you. From there you can begin to piece it all together. A color story, a theme, plants, furnishings and personal touches. Check out the vision board below for inspiration. Take your time and have fun with it. There’s really no wrong way.

Vision Board

for a podcast space.

It’s kind of like doing the work on yourself. You start with one area and get that feeling good and pretty and then take a little time off until you realize that new beautiful area is starting to show off a not so lovely space. Honestly that’s balance to me, just being in the flow.

They say you don’t find balance, you create it. I love that.

Looking to collaborate or have a project in mind? Get in touch with Terra Sol Interior Design Studio today in Carlsbad, CA or call (619) 630-6007

BALANCE.

SHELVES ARE ALSO A FUN WAY TO START.

8 lifestyle interior design tips to encourage growth + happiness at home and work

How does our home and work environment directly affect our ability to be happier and more productive?  These 8 tips will help you create a space where you grow personally and professionally. This is NOT a Marie Kondo story. You’re welcome!

Remember back to the New Year and that clearly executed vision board you created with well-intentioned efforts (ahem… pressure) to create a new you in the new year? Having more time to organize your garage, plant your garden and finally get to that junk drawer in your kitchen you swear you just cleaned out, all while balancing a toddler, a change in career and trying to maintain relationships with family and friends? I know the feeling because that was ME!

I had this desire to be creative but honestly did not think that was a reality for me. Since sixteen years of age I had worked in fashion. From retail to design to trade show management it was all I had ever known…How in the heck was I going to make this big giant leap? I read books like “When to Jump” by Mike Lewis. I meditated. I ran. I did yoga. I cried. I shut down. I stressed… a lot. And then my husband hooked me up with a yoga teacher training course at Yoga Six, my safe-place studio. It was a BIG commitment for my family. The schedule was intense and there were 10 days at a time when I was at the studio ALL day. I learned more about myself than I had hoped to. And then the real work began. It was hands down the BEST experience of my life. It lead me to find my ultimate creative passion with interior design.

So what was it that the universe had planned for me? Being a practitioner of yoga for 10 years, I was somewhat tapped into the potential of my emotional intelligence but all of a sudden I started to hone it. Ok so here goes, I’m getting to the point I promise. For the yogis out there you’ll probably get this pretty quickly but we like to think about our day as a vinyasa, or flow. Everything we do has a flow to it from the way we brush our teeth to how we root our feet when standing. We’ve assigned a rhythm to our routines and our lives, often times without even knowing it. I began to cultivate new habits in my personal life, learned to love myself (um, for the first time in a very looooooong time) and and like magic the wire between my heart and brain connected and my thoughts started turning positive and loving. Taking this even further I knew I could somehow bring this emotional connectivity into my creativity. Our homes and work places can either keep us stagnant or they can encourage growth. I learned to tap into this potential and over the past couple of years have been creating spaces for inspiration, expansion and health and happiness.

So how can your environment create a positive daily flow for you? Start with the top eight life-changing tips below on how to set up your home or office with intention, purpose and inspiration.

1. There is beauty in simplicity, less is more! Keep belongings to a minimum and really make space for what you want to bring in to your life.

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Smudge bowl by @gemsofagypsy

2. Daily clearing routines like lighting a candle, or burning palo santo or sage for fresh energy. I LOVE these smudge bowls by Gems of a Gypsy.

3. Establish what your rituals look like (or what you want them to look like) and incorporate them into your day. For example, if you love elixirs but haven’t mastered a routine for it yet try something new. Keep powders in cute jars near your mugs and print out a couple of your favorite recipes to try out during the week. Or maybe your mornings are filled with kids and business and you just really crave a little personal time before it all begins. We love the Hatch Baby Rest (which we purchased for our babes but we actually also use it ourselves). Set it to the birds chirping for a pleasant way to rise early. Sit up in bed or in a chair and start with a ten-minute meditation every day.

4. Create an indoor jungle (just kidding, but not really). We love FRESH oxygen indoors. Hilton Carter does an amazing job of bringing the jungle in. We are always so inspired by his wild use of plants indoors.

5. Organize your rooms in a way that fit your lifestyle, keep the things you need most within reach and easy to access. Look at this dreamy pantry shared by our friend Danielle Schaffer of Citygirlgonemom. Cuz who really likes having to search for that almond flour anyways?!

6. Grab a notebook and start writing anything that inspire you. From simple words or phrases to colors and lifestyle interests and hobbies. Write it all down. Even if you don’t surf but want to, write it down. Then …

7. Create a vision board based off your brainstorm. Use magazine clippings and glue or a cork board or keep it digital. You can get super specific searching google. Feature inspirational pieces in your home and at work, your subconscious will absolutely find a way to bring your dreams to life.

8. And last but not least, music, music and MORE music! Whether we are getting ready for our day, creating a beautiful mood board for a client or just doing laundry and dishes we’re inspired by that soundtrack of life. P.s…check out our very FIRST playlist curated by us. TERRA + SOL MUSIC

Crafting your surroundings to fit your personal needs has an enormous effect on your ability to retrain your brain with new thought patterns which will encourage natural growth. Make space for everything you want to call in to this life. The universe is listening, I promise.

Visit us today in Carlsbad, CA or call (619) 630-6007. Terra Sol Interior Design Studio can help with your next residential or commercial interior design project!

VISUALIZE YOUR FUTURE.

Try a new thing each week and see if by incorporating some of the above helpful tips you are able to make small changes that lead to bigger ones.