Learn how to do a ‘Home Detox’

The home also deserves renovation at New Year’s Eve. In order for your refuge to have good energy all year round, it is worth organizing the space, placing more plants, using crystals, adopting new philosophies and goals. Get ready for a total transformation

By Maria Silvia Ferraz

FOLLOW THE MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN

Yes, astrology also impacts your home. Specialist Masumi Suginoshita, from São Paulo, says that, since 2011, you must be on the way to building more sustainable and green housing, as Neptune is passing through Pisces.

“The environment has become a concern. At home, we see this in the choice of materials, colors and even in indoor gardens and vegetable gardens, ”she says. This transit will last until 2025 (see below how to intensify this process). Decoration can also be affected by other conjunctions. “In recent years, when Uranus was in Aries, urban style was in vogue. Until March, however, the planet will be retrograde.

So a lot of people will reformulate the environments. Now the concept is something more open, but also sincere, truly reflecting his personality.”

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CHANGE YOUR HABITS

Making the home effectively more sustainable is a necessary goal. “It is possible to reduce your ecological impact with changes in simple habits”, says Maurício Waldman, from São Paulo, author of the Domestic Ecological Guide (Contexto). According to him, on average, a house wastes 25% of gas, 30% of water and 42% of electricity.

To reduce these numbers, opt for suitable pans when cooking, reduce bath time and only turn on the lights when you need to. It is also worth putting an aerator on the taps (which reduces the flow of water), changing the air conditioning for a fan and cleaning products for vinegar. Separate recyclable waste and take it to a collection point. “It is rewarding to feel that we are doing good for ourselves and for others”, believes Waldman.

ABUSE THE POWER OF CRYSTALS

Cristina Bevilaqua Monteiro, interior designer from São Paulo and feng shui teacher, belongs to Escola da Bússola, which uses a kind of compass, the Luo Pan, to find the magnetic orientation of the building. Based on it, the bagua is applied in the house, a Chinese map divided into nine parts: eight guas and the center.

Feng shui will indicate the appropriate color to balance the energy of each gua. Instead of painting walls or choosing decorative objects, she suggests using crystals, which the Chinese believe have healing power. “In addition to bringing the necessary color to that location, the stone has energy. An environment that needs blue, for example, can benefit from lapis lazuli, which proposes a connection with the divine. The nine combined crystals shield against everything bad”, he says.

DISAPPEAR!

Let’s agree that we accumulate a lot of unnecessary things at home. “In addition to taking up space, they overload the energy of the place”, explains personal organizer Rita Heroína, from São Paulo. She suggests scheduling two letting go sessions a year. “But in January everyone is willing to take care of themselves, they want to start the new stage on the right foot. On top of that, the sale season is perfect for restoring what’s out of date,” she explains.

The recipe is simple. In the wardrobe, everything that has not been used in three years must be forwarded to another owner. In the kitchen and bathroom, get rid of what has broken or lost functionality. Plan yourself and divide the process into steps, fulfilling each one until the end. In the kitchen, for example, start with smaller objects, such as crockery, and move on to utensils.

This is not a task to do alone, include the whole family and divide the functions.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR GARDEN

Flowers change the mood of the house. For the beginning of the year, Marina Gurgel, florist at Bela do Dia, in São Paulo, recommends the turmeric flower, a trend due to its tropical appearance, and angelica flowers, very fragrant, both of which bloom in the summer. “Invest in arrangements all year round. They don’t have to be big. You can pick a little flower from a flowerbed on the street and leave it on your bedside table. It will definitely make you wake up happier”, says Marina.

Some plants, which you can keep in a mini garden, also have beneficial functions, such as aloe vera, whose gel relieves sunburn on the skin, or citronella, a natural insect repellent. Having mint around is a hand in the wheel: it seasons several dishes and complements drinks and refreshing flavored waters.

MAKE SMALL RENOVATIONS

São Paulo architect Robert Robl guarantees that, with planning, it is possible to transform the house in one or two weeks. Installation of vinyl flooring on ceramic, for example, takes just two days. Robert proposes some quick but powerful interventions for the eyes and sensations.

“Painting walls and tiles or covering them with paper or adhesive, investing in lighting or changing the fabric of the sofa already gives it a new face”, he explains. Robert suggests a light color palette, with pale shades of green and blue with mustard, easy to match and not boring.

SPREAD GOOD SCENTS

Familiar smells trigger the hypothalamus to release pleasure hormones, triggering positive emotions. At home, this is a way to feel welcome, welcomed. It’s worth making a spray with your favorite aroma to spray whenever you want. Looking for a more mystical way to start the year?

Biologist and aromatherapist Luciane Vishwa Schoppan, from São Paulo, recommends cleaning cupboards with rosemary essential oil (dilute three drops in a bucket of water to moisten the cloth), which provides freshness, in addition to keeping moths away. For the floor, she opts for the Sicilian lemon fragrance (the recipe is the same), which brings mental clarity.

Drops of sweet orange essential oil sprinkled on add to the joy. A drop of ylang-ylang, applied under the pillow, guarantees lightness and sensuality at night. Finally, a drop of geranium oil on each door and window prevents negative energies from entering the house.

PUT YOUR HAND IN THE MASS

Ikigai is a philosophy of life that originated in Okinawa, Japan. It can be translated as “the reason for being” and preaches to put more purpose and meaning in the routine. Even the house is a manifestation of your love of life. “So decorating is not an obligation, but a dedication of your energy”, explains Eduardo Almeida, who introduced the practice in Brazil. Therefore, material possessions are of little importance.

Ideally, residents should actively participate in the construction and care of the home. It should be a pleasant process, taking advantage of the talent of each resident. “Your ikigai could be cooking, sewing, gardening. The essential thing is to focus on the excellence of your production”, he concludes.