Time for a change

As human beings, we are often afraid of change. Afraid of the unknown or even the known. We tend to resist what could be sometimes even beneficial to us in the long run. Yes, change can be frightening. I read a post of Mr. Steve Harvey some time ago. He said - quote “Jump!” After reading that post, I was skeptical to be honest. Funny thing, a few days later an opportunity showed up and I had a chance to do sky diving. Well, that was something frightening. At a height that you could see my whole island of Curacao and surrounding ocean, I jumped! And there I was with the instructor, flying in the sky and singing the song “I believe I can fly” in my mind. It was such a relief and so liberating. I could touch and feel the clouds, the cold air and see the beautiful sky and horizon. Wow, that part was beautiful, I could only imagine how heaven will look like with God and all His angels. But, if I was afraid of change, of the unknown, of taking risks, I would not have been able to contemplate such a beautiful sky and liberating experience. After doing that big jump, I had to meet my favorite client couple the very next day. With many years of romance and cruising in the boat called marriage, they agreed that they needed to revamp their love nest. A house that they bought way back after their marriage and needed some major update. Especially the bedroom was their main concern. Being there, I instantly saw the perfect solution for creating more space in their bedroom for a beautiful master suite transformation. By demolishing the wall that separated the two rooms, it would create more space that would serve as walk in closet, seating area, TV room and master suite. All in one. They requested calm subtle colors, for which I suggested white and light grey as neutral colors and turquoise to accentuate the whole. All curtain rods had to be stainless steel since the house was near the ocean and saltpetre was a big issue there. So, all decors had to be resistant as well. For a couple of days, I went shopping and got great finds. After demolishing the wall and painting the overall walls light grey, the flooring has been installed. Smoothly it flows with the color of the paint. The carpenter made a tremendous job afterwards by building a wall to wall, floor to ceiling closet. I have chosen a lighter version of wood to contrast with the flooring. Beautiful it looks. There was one wall that I still wanted to accentuate with some white textured wall paneling. Together with the white and silver lined curtains and sheers, the room instantly got such a relaxing vibe. So calm and cozy. Since the husband is a news aficionado - mind you that I personally don’t like installing TVs in bedrooms - I compromised with him to install one in the seating area, where he could enjoy his favorite news while relaxing in his TV chair or comfortable 2 seat sofa. The sturdy sound blocking curtains were added to divide the two areas when closed for some needed quietness. A fluffy comfortable carpet was introduced in the TV area, but a woven one below the bed since the wife had some mild allergies. I dressed up the room with stylish ceiling and table lamps and adorned the main wall with 3 abstract paintings in the turquoise color scheme to add that pop of color and vibrancy to the wall. Since they wanted their room to be airy and simple, I chose to accentuate the bed with colorful soft bedding, decorative pillows, a bold throw and a nice tea set with some delicious goodies as an added gift. A color balanced bedroom is crucial for relaxation and a good night sleep. Of course, to enhance the romantic vibe, some pine scented candles were also part of the whole decor. That fresh scent that greets you when reaching home after a stressful day at work, surely does elevate your senses to embrace a very much deserved tranquility. The result, well… the couple did not sleep for a week on the bed, since they did not want to mess it up. They just wanted to leave everything intact to enjoy the beautiful makeover to the most. It was a total satisfaction to learn that. Changes are necessary in order to become or receive a better version of what is destined for us. We just need to embrace it! About Nadin Nadin Benito is a well-known International Interior Designer at Welcome Home Designs, based on the beautiful island of Curacao where she has more than 20 years of design experience under her belt, as well as being a producer of her own TV series. During the illness and passing of both of her parents in less than 1 year apart, but also 3 of her close friends, Nadin founded Welcome Home Foundation - Curacao which is dedicated in designing Pro Bono for a good cause, namely for Cancer patients and Cancer survivors, who went through drastic life changes, by designing an area in their home/ location completely for free including all decorative items, to give them hope and help them gather much needed strength. “As an Interior Designer, I had the opportunity to experience the importance of creating beautiful places at several Cancer patients’ and survivor’s homes, in order to give them hope and also to contribute to their prompt recovery after all the chemotherapy and exhaust. By experiencing the passing of my own parents, 3 close friends and other close family members due to Cancer, it gave me the ultimate push to continue with this noble work... Designing for a good cause… An area where the Cancer patients feel welcome and at peace. Cancer does not take a break. But with this noble cause, we can ensure that hope for these patients and survivors won't either…” Visit Nadin at www.welcomehomefoundationcuracao.com .