Visiting at a friend's house for dinner six of us got caught up in a small design project. The participants were the couple whose home we were in, the 92 year old mother-in-law, two other friends and myself. The discussion centered on a small wall in the dining area where we were sitting. The discussion was What should go there? One of the owners was wanting a low cabinet on the wall, the other was wanting a tall plant and a picture. The first would mean there would be three walls with low cabinets, not good. The latter would be a repetition of the corner across on the diagonal. Not good either. One owner remembered a small inherited Victorian table, very open in a deep brown wood. Sounded good to me.
We retrieved the table and placed it on the wall. It looked great. Now, we needed wall treatment above. A picture was the first suggestion. Certainly a possibility. A tall accessory? I felt it would make the table top heavy. One owner remembered their modern metal sculpture consisting of many small and varied sized sqaure and rectangular pieces. "Get it," I said. It looked fabulous for it enhanced the curves of the table and was vertical, aligning well with the shape of the wall.
We were having fun and it was looking great. So now what should go on the table top?" This was very tricky because we had two very strong statements in the table and the sculpture. I said that I'd like a small soft green plant that was a vine. One was retrieved and what a success! The plant lived in a rectangular brass box. It was so right on!
We all loved and were so proud of our accomplishment. Finished, we went on to other topics. All except our elderly guest who remained with the new visual. She loved it. Somehow the plant added exactly what she wanted and just pleased her aesthetic sense. She just stared and stared. Her comments kept bringing us back to the vignette. Her shoulders would go up and she'd comment how it just was so nice! I was as entertained by her joy of the visual as I was by our successful creation. It reminded me deeply how much creativity can please our hearts, and how, if it really reaches us personally, it continues to bless our delight no matter who we are or what our stage in life. Truly design and beauty hold extreme importance to our Souls.
Never forget!
Love, Denny
About Me
- Denny Daikeler
- My passion for integrating Interior Design, Spirituality, and Environmental Psychology began when I was 12. My best friend and I painted my bedroom closet green because my gut wanted it deep hunters green. I knew then there was more to life than beige, but little did I know that the powerful healing spirit of the home that comes from within would become the cornerstone of my life’s work. I received my degree in Interior Design from Drexel University and started designing filled with confidence. My perceptions changed as I worked with clients and taught classes. I discovered the huge gap between trends and what a person loves. My focus turned to exploring the Spirit of the home. I developed questionnaires and exercises to examine client's lives, preferences, and needs, and came up with the Inner Blueprint and Beloved Object. These methods brought so much transformation to people’s lives that I decided to share them in a book, "What Color is Your Slipcover?" published by Rodale. My life now is rich with all of this as I travel from place to place focusing on this process and experiencing the awareness, discovery and joy that comes with this new way of being with Home and Design.
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