A Space of Your Own

Carve out a place to escape without going anywhere

By Jake Laub
CTW Features

Victoria Moran's favorite place in her home is the closet where she keeps her shoes. And that's no accident - she made it that way. Inside the closet, which is painted a deep, cherry red, hangs a painting by her grandfather and picture of her daughter. The walls are studded with stars.

"It's the most wonderful space I've carved out in any place I've lived," says Moran, author of "Shelter for the Spirit: Create Your Own Haven in a Hectic World" (HarperCollins, 1998). "It's like a portrait of myself."

Creating a personal space like this is important, Moran says. It allows you to decompress, express yourself and rediscover who you are in private. It doesn't matter if it's only a reclaimed corner of a room. In New York City, Moran's personal space was a small meditation area she created in foyer of her apartment.

"There was room for a yoga mat and a small bookcase with my favorite books," she says. "It didn't matter that everyone else called it the entryway."

The most important thing is that it's yours. Ask yourself, "What would make me happy?" and make it happen. Is it a place to exercise out your workday stress, or is it a place to curl up and read a book? It's up to you.

"You can't impose what makes a good personal space on anyone else," says Elizabeth Vaca, owner of Personal Space Interior Design, Hoboken, N.J. "We all have different ideas of what makes us calm and relaxed."

Once you decide on a space, start focusing on the details. Paint it a color you like, keeping mind that certain colors such as pale green and powder blue are more relaxing than reds, for example. And when it comes to furniture, comfort is paramount. Choose a material that is soft and enveloping - chenille rather than leather. Even scent is important.

"Scent stimulates the mind and can get you excited or put you to sleep," Vaca says. "Aromatherapy plays a big part in creating a personal space."

If you're personal area is small, use candles. If you want a scent throughout a whole room, diffuser wreaths take longer but spread their aroma farther. Lighting is important, too, and depends on use. Harsher, whiter light will prepare you for work - useful in an exercise area - while softer, yellow light will relax you.

And when it comes to relaxing, keeping other people out of your personal space while you're using it is just as important as anything else. If you are unable to retreat into your hideaway while the kids are out or asleep, make sure they know this your special space. You can even post a small sign to remind them or, better yet, help them create a personal space of their own.

"If you can say, 'What I really need is a space just for me, and all of you would like that too,' I bet they would," Moran says. "Everyone deserves a space like this."

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