The Emotional House: How Redesigning Your Home Can Change Your Life

by Dawn Ritchie, Kathryn L. Robyn

Most of us spend more time in our homes than any other place. For better or worse, this highly personal space has a powerful influence over the way we feel about our lives. Based on the program used by the authors in their successful home consulting practice, this book teaches readers to use psychological and design principles to transform their houses into nurturing and supportive living. The exercises in the book encourage readers to list the activities they engage in, room by room, in their homes. Readers learn how to analyze each room's size, layout, and decor and how to read their psychological and physiological reactions to the various spaces. Then the book offers readers a step-by-step process they can use to figure out what they and their living companions-family members, roommates, and even pets-want out of each room. Based on these discoveries, the book proposes cleaning, organizing, and decorating ideas guaranteed to make each room function better. This book unlocks the door on home design, giving you keys to creating a home that lifts your spirits and agrees with your lifestyle. -Candice Olson,one of North America's top designers and host of Divine Design on HGTV

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more like a workbook, which I love. I expected to get another book of glossy pictures of things to buy, which I love, but I always end up disappointed. This book walks you through each room of your house and through your own expectations for your life and what your home can do for you, and helps you create that perfect environment. I've already made progress in my home, and I'm looking forward to transforming it bit by bit with the help of this book.

[Liberty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun exercise in emotional purging of ones surrounds. Its possibly the author was sponsored by goodwill. ;-)

[Sarah Greig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life and showed me how to live in my home with emotional purpose

[Erika RS · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointingly shallow. The outline of the book seemed promising. Part 1 had you develop an "emotional blueprint" of your home where you would find areas of your home that do no support you emotionally or functionally (because a room that does not function right is an emotional sink). Part two was built around "house rules" which explained various rules that rooms should follow (e.g., rooms should actually be lived in, comfortable, organized, etc.). Part three went through the major common rooms in a home and analyzed them.

All that made for a great book idea, but the execution was shallow. The authors made unsubstantiated claims that did not take cultural variations into account (e.g., the emotional effect of colors) and they gave lots of nice sounding generalities without providing much specific advice.

An illustrative example can be found in the discussion of televisions and living room furniture arrangement. They say things like (my commentary in italics):

increasingly [the living room] has become a place where families and friends commune with video games and the television set instead of with others. The result is an increasingly alienated society with a growing sense of disconnection [unsubstantiated claim of causation]. ... In this room, group dynamics depend on the layout of your furniture. Social scientists have identified sociopetal seating as an arrangement that encourages participation and communication -- chairs that face each other and are not too far apart, but far enough to give some sense of personal space. In essence, you want to create a congenial conversation pit where comfortable chairs and sofas encircle a coffee table, with lamps for accent lighting that bring out everyone's best features and a focal point that puts everyone in an upbeat, talkative mood. [okay, but is that the only option? and how do we integrate the television? It's not going away just because you don't like it.]

The book was filled with passages like this. I could agree with the sentiment, was doubtful of many of the claims, and, most importantly, was constantly left asking, "So how do I actually implement that?"

[Cheryll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our surroundings will affect our moods, whether we are consciously aware of the clutter or not. Actually taking a good look at the rooms in our homes can give a great deal of insight into our personalities. This is a workbook, not an easy pill to fix or put off dealing with reality.

I would add, however, that like all other aspects of life, this is a feedback loop. Live in garbage = feel like garbage = live in garbage. Don't waste time looking for the beginning, just wade in anywhere to make changes, LOL.

Now, back to the worksheets and then the rooms!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been on a house decorating kick ever since we bought our first house. I got this book expecting to read more ways to organize your kitchen and such, but was pleasantly surprised. It covers more of what you need your house to be for you and your family rather than what is the latest trend. It talks about how to have your house not only satisfy your physical needs, but also how to help it satisfy your spiritual needs as well. Don't worry, its not weird, the author does a fabulous job of being practical.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm an organized person but I will never make the binder that they encourage you to make. Am I too impulsive? Too lazy? Too busy? But I really liked the house rules and loved the final section that explores each room in depth. I finished the book with a whole list of inspirations to transform my home. Fun read!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually has some similarities to Snoop. This is a decorating/self-help book that helps people make a home that suits their lifestyle and values. Like Snoop it holds that your environment is a reflection of your truest self (for good or for bad!).

[N.L. Riviezzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book made for surprisingly dull and dry reading. It was immensely difficult to get through. There were a few decent concepts in here but they were buried/dragged down by an odd writing style and a heap of useless concepts/sentences.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a little TOO "emotional" for me. If this looks interesting to you, I would refer you to Apartment Therapy.

[Renee CHAMPION · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still working my way through this one but it has been a great help from decluttering to decorating!

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skimmed more than read this one. Enough to know I would like it in my collection. The workbook type layout would make it great to go through with a friend.