Happiness house therapist

Caroline WATELET - Holistic designer

Par: Aurélie ROUTHIER

We met Caroline while her book "Toit et moi", co-written with the interior design journalist Billie Blanket, was being printed. It was in September when Saudade was taking up residence in the rue des Batignolles. For this enthusiast of the habitat, the house and the objects that inhabit it are more than just an intimate space, they are an extension of our body. And as such, it is a matter of paying attention to it and maximising its - positive - impact on who we are.

Crédit © Sandra Fourqui

Caroline, you present yourself as a "harmonist of places", can you explain?

Our home is not just a roof, it reflects our personality. Decorating is about creating harmony between people and places. Interior design can be a great tool to move towards an inner well-being and a better knowledge of oneself.

Specialised in Feng Shui and Geobiology, I propose to take care of houses as we take care of our body. I focus on the energetic and vibratory aspect of the decor and not only on its visual design. It is about creating a setting that will simultaneously act on you, physically, psychologically and emotionally.

When you talk about a house, it sounds like you are talking about something living!

Yes, the house is a living thing because it is the reflection of our unconscious. It is an extension of ourselves, a second body.

Just like us, it needs to breathe, to be nourished and to be loved!

Holistic decoration is an art of living: we no longer decorate only for the aesthetic aspect of the decor, but also and above all, to move towards a more harmonious life, in coherence with what we wish to live.

By consciously modifying our decor, we can gradually modify some of our behaviours and our philosophy of life.

A decor should support us, accompany us, give us energy on a daily basis!

Crédit © Fabrice Rondon

When we buy a "responsible" object, made in an ethical way, there is certainly the satisfaction of having contributed a little to better consumption, but what are the real impacts on us?

Today, everyone is concerned with environmental issues but the first environment that impacts our health is our home.

In this period of urgency, with the climate change, awareness is growing and eco-responsible decoration is taking on its full meaning. We want to consume differently.

You have probably already heard of "chi" (or "qi"). It represents the energy of life. This energy circulates in the body and interacts with the universe around us. Many things can affect this energy, either positively or negatively. Therefore, it is very important that you surround yourself with positive energy in your home.

When an object is made with a certain ethic, the energy that comes out of it will be better for your health and emotionally more positive. You will feel the effects. If the carpet you have has been handwoven with a lot of love by craftsmen, this love is going to vibrate in your home by raising the vibratory rate of the place.

Crédit © Fabrice Rondon

In the past years, have you seen a change in people's relationship with their home?

People have become aware of the importance of eating better, meditating and reconnecting with nature.

The months of lock down that we have experienced recently have accelerated this awareness. Our current society is undergoing a profound change. More and more people no longer want to live a life that only promotes the values of productivity, of a frantic race to acquire more and more material goods, to the detriment of our social links and our quality of life.

We are all looking for a form of balance and harmony, and this vital need pushes us to consume, to live, differently. It is an "awakened" vision of interior design that translates into a desire to live in harmony with our home: use of natural materials, search for charming furniture, less harmful for our planet and the air we breathe in our homes.

Crédit © Fabrice Rondon

We're in the middle of the entertainment society, and that doesn't exclude design. When you look at Instagram, you get the impression that the interiors on display all look the same because they have to fit in with the codes of the moment. As someone who has a more personal and intimate vision of interior design, how do you see this "living" of social networks?

Social networks are a great tool to connect with each other and to get inspired. But they are also a terrible trap that pushes us to want to belong to a virtual community, by respecting certain obligatory codes, such as those of a decor that is necessarily "like this or like that". This is a mistake because in the long run, you will create a decor that denies certain traits of your personality or your history or your deepest tastes. I advise my clients to refocus on personal needs. We are all unique and therefore each home and decor should be too!

Can you pitch your book and explain us why it can help us to see and live our interior differently?

You will find a room by room analysis from an energetic and psychological point of view, tips on how to purify a place or to evaluate the impact of colours on our psyche, but also crossed views of a philosopher, a sociologist and a decoration specialist, and lots of visual inspirations. Long story short: everything to guide you to the interior that will do you the most good in your daily life.

We are all looking for meaning, in all senses of the word "meaning"! In what other area are you looking for meaning?

My search for meaning is simple and can be summed up in one question that I apply to all areas of my life: am I in love or in fear?

If my answer is love, then I know that I am saying yes to my soul and that my choices will be in line with my childhood dreams and in phase with the expression of my deepest desires! Heaven is here and now and not after our death. Finding meaning is finally living in joy and sharing it.

Glycine by Karen Rami

Do you have a brand or person you would like us to know about?

Billie Blanket who wrote the book with me. Her world is a joyful one, and she shows us very different worlds on her blog and her instagram account. Interiors that are not sanitized and all the same, but instead have a soul of their own!

The final Saudadian question: what object in your home would best embody the idea of Saudade

A ceramic by Karen Swami. These ceramics are all unique pieces. As one journalist beautifully put it, "Karen Swami is at one with the earth she turns and leaves an irrefutable trace of it"!

Sua Casa A house in Lisbon, like a summer dream.

Sustainable friends The eye of the artist, the hand of the craftsman.

Sua Casa Materials to live by. Facing the Ocean

Aurélie Routhier
Tags: interior design, Feng Shui, decoration, sustainable design, energy, energetic impact, holistic decoration

Happiness house therapist

Caroline WATELET - Holistic designer

Photo of the room