Being intentional is engrained in Lykke Haven. It is about developing and designing spaces that you find refuge in, that give your life the space it needs to grow & breathe. We curate spaces that bring people together and create an overwhelming sense of
“Yeah, I belong here…”
But how do we do that and how can you bring some of these concepts into your own home? I would love to share that with you! Come on in, let me pour you a cup of tea, and let me share the story of Aria Hope’s Haven. I am so glad you are here!
When we found out we were going to be blessed with a fourth little girl, our final hurrah for our family, we wanted to encircle her with all the intention she deserved. In a home filled with so many girls, we wanted her to find her place of belonging, a place she would call her own, a place where she could be filled. This place would be Aria Hope’s Haven (better known as her nursery!).
One of the first steps in creating a room design is to select a color palette. Seems like a pretty simple task, but not when there are an infinite amount colors to choose from! Aria’s name means “Lion of God”, paired with a middle name of Hope, we prayed that she would be a lioness of a hope put into God. In other word’s we wanted her to be a light of God’s hope in this sometimes dark world, and to fiercely shine that light! From this intentional name, came an intentional color palette of dark navy walls with a rose gold center chandelier.
Haven Tip
To select an intentional color palette, start to write down specific words and feelings you want to feel in the space. Then head to Google or Pinterest and type in “(word) colors” or “(word) aesthetic”. Find a color palette that connects the room to the feelings or words that you want to feel in the space.
Now that we had the colors, we began to think of how Aria would use the space and what we wanted to tell her through the design of her nursery, her haven. Yes, I understand that a nursery has to have the main objective of a place to lay her head and a place to change those infinite number of diapers! It is also a place though, where we get to connect one-on-one with her through reading enchanting tales, where she will giggle with her sisters as they play together, where we will pray over and sing to her before she lays her head down, and where she will know that this space was created just for her. Through the design of her room, we wanted her to have a sense of natural simplicity. We chose natural wood to build her bookshelves and changing space, and added a natural woven basket for a few toys. We used modern lines for a wall accent in the same color as the wall to bring a sense of simplicity. By using a white crib and curtains, the room is given a feeling of purity. All of these brought together an intentional use of furniture and design selections within the room.
Haven Tip
Figure out how you want the space to be used and support those use-cases with the furniture and design elements you pull into the space. You don’t need to fill the space with furniture just to fill it, but fill it with furniture that has an intentional use in the space.
Finally comes the fun part: accessorizing! It is so easy to go overboard at this point, but remember, you are not only creating a beautiful space, but an intentional haven. Because we wanted to give Aria space to grow and shine her light, we did not want to fill her space with accessories; we were very selective. The first accessory we hung on the wall was a macramé that I actually knit and created myself for Aria in order to bring God’s word into her haven.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
-Psalm 139:13-14
We also selected an art piece with her name in rose gold to bring the intention of the meaning of “Aria” and our prayer for her to be a fierce light of God. The final touch we added to the space, was a design element that brought mission into her room. While starting some Christmas shopping, we were getting very frustrated with the lack of connection we had to our gifts from an un-named big e-commerce shopping site. That is when we stumbled upon an e-commerce gift site that sourced socially responsible products (https://simplyinspiredgoods.com). We found the perfect item to bring into Aria Hope’s Haven, a handmade doll named Aria – I can’t even make this up! It is true, we were able to bring the mission of intentionally buying gifts from companies that were socially responsible above buying from big e-commerce, with a natural, simple, handmade doll sharing her very same name. I told you being intentional was engrained into Lykke Haven! Each accessory was specifically and intentionally chosen for Aria. (Don’t mind me over here grabbing a tissue, I still get choked up with the story of Aria Hope’s Haven!)
Haven Tip
It is easy to go to Hobby Lobby and pick out some beautiful room accessories, but do you ever feel a deep connection to the space? Select intentional accessories by sourcing them from a mission, from your favorite local store, or from an artist you love (heck, even better if that artist is you!).
I hope you have loved the story of Aria Hope’s Haven as much as I have loved sharing it with you! I hope that it has also inspired you to create your own intentional haven in your home. Now, as easy as this may have sounded, I understand that it can, and will be difficult the first time (heck even the first dozen or so times!) I did not create intentional spaces overnight by any means. I practiced, I grew, and my hope for you through my story, is that you are inspired to start the journey of living (and designing) more intentionally.
Do you want to create an Intentional Haven, but don’t know exactly where or how to get started? I would love to connect with you over a cup of tea!