Ep. 425: Spatial Alchemy with Olga Naiman

Summary

Podcast Summary: Ep. 425: Spatial Alchemy with Olga Naiman

Introduction

In Episode 425 of "How to Decorate," hosted by Caroline and Liz from the Ballard Designs team, the focus centers on the innovative concept of Spatial Alchemy presented by guest Olga Naiman. Released on August 5, 2025, this episode delves into how Olga intertwines psychology and interior design to help individuals create living spaces that reflect and support their personal growth and future aspirations.

Guest Background

Olga Naiman is a seasoned stylist and interior designer with over two decades of experience. Her unique approach merges her academic background in clinical psychology from Tufts University with her passion for design. Olga's journey began in her childhood as a refugee from Ukraine, where frequent relocations inspired her to seek stability through interior design. This blend of personal healing and professional design expertise culminates in her groundbreaking book, Spatial Alchemy.

Core Concept: Spatial Alchemy

At the heart of the discussion is Spatial Alchemy, a term Olga defines as the intersection of one's home, psyche, and manifestation. She explains:

"Spatial alchemy is the intersection of your home, your psyche, and your manifestation" (Olga Naiman, 02:58).

Olga emphasizes that while beauty and functionality are fundamental layers of design, Spatial Alchemy introduces two additional layers—psychology and manifestation—that influence how one's environment impacts their overall well-being and life trajectory.

Understanding the Future Self

A significant portion of the episode explores the idea of the future self, a concept integral to Spatial Alchemy. Olga describes the future self as the person one aspires to become, shaped by intentional design choices in the home. She states:

"The future self is what we're trying to bring into form in our lives" (Olga Naiman, 10:06).

By aligning home elements with the qualities of the future self—such as stability, creativity, or abundance—individuals can foster an environment that supports their personal evolution.

Practical Steps to Implement Spatial Alchemy

Olga provides actionable advice for listeners looking to incorporate Spatial Alchemy into their lives:

1. Identify and Release Unwanted Patterns: Start by recognizing elements in the home that no longer serve your desired self. For instance, Olga shares a story of a client:

   "She had this picture... a goat about to go to the slaughterhouse... It was programming her unconscious mind" (Olga Naiman, 18:41).

2. Incorporate Meaningful Symbols: Utilize art and decor that symbolize desired qualities. Olga advises:

   "Symbols are the way that our unconscious minds speak to us" (Olga Naiman, 33:24).

3. Transform Routines into Rituals: Enhance daily routines by integrating intentional design elements. For example, choosing specific types of glassware to embody qualities like playfulness or stability.

4. Leverage Doorways as Focal Points: Treat doorways as frames that lead into the next space, strategically placing symbols that resonate with your future self.

Decluttering vs. Dissolving Patterns

A nuanced discussion arises around the difference between decluttering and dissolving outdated patterns:

"Decluttering is awesome. But underneath it is a bigger pattern, which is dissolving, outdated identities and unwanted patterns" (Olga Naiman, 43:16).

While decluttering addresses the physical removal of items, dissolving involves a deeper introspection to eliminate elements that no longer align with one's current and future self.

The Power of Symbols in Home Design

Olga elaborates on the importance of symbols in shaping one's subconscious through their environment. She highlights how universal symbols, such as animals or natural elements in art, can influence one's feelings and behaviors:

"Symbols are in sculptures. Symbols are in fabrics and textiles. Anything that's figurative... has a symbolic weight" (Olga Naiman, 38:00).

By consciously selecting symbols that represent desired traits or states, individuals can subtly influence their mindset and daily experiences.

Creating Rituals from Routines

Transforming everyday routines into meaningful rituals is another key takeaway. Olga suggests:

"Dignity turns routine into ritual" (Olga Naiman, 27:45).

This involves selecting items used multiple times daily—like glasses, salt cellars, or tea towels—that reflect the qualities one wishes to embody, thereby reinforcing positive habits and feelings.

Doorways as Transition Spaces

The conversation touches on how doorways act as transitions that frame what one sees and experiences as they move through their home. Olga advises being intentional with what is placed in these frames to ensure each passageway supports the desired ambiance and psychological state.

"Doorways frame focal points... you're crossing the threshold towards something through the doorway" (Olga Naiman, 44:52).

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Olga encouraging listeners to engage deeply with their living spaces as a form of self-care and personal development. She highlights the enduring impact of intentional design choices and invites listeners to explore her book, Spatial Alchemy, for a more comprehensive guide.

Olga provides her contact information and resources for further engagement:

"My book is available anywhere, everywhere... my website is spatialalchemy.com" (Olga Naiman, 53:20).

Final Thoughts

"How to Decorate" Episode 425 offers a profound exploration of how our living spaces are not just aesthetic backdrops but active participants in our personal growth and manifestation journeys. Through Olga Naiman's insights on Spatial Alchemy, listeners are empowered to transform their homes into sanctuaries that reflect and support their evolving selves.

Notable Quotes

• "Spatial alchemy is the intersection of your home, your psyche, and your manifestation." — Olga Naiman (02:58)
• "The future self is what we're trying to bring into form in our lives." — Olga Naiman (10:06)
• "Symbols are the way that our unconscious minds speak to us." — Olga Naiman (33:24)
• "Dignity turns routine into ritual." — Olga Naiman (27:45)
• "Doorways frame focal points... you're crossing the threshold towards something through the doorway." — Olga Naiman (44:52)

Resources

• Book: Spatial Alchemy by Olga Naiman
• Website: spatialalchemy.com
• Instagram: @OlgaNaiman

For more decorating tips and insights, visit howtodecorate.com and follow Ballard Designs on social media.

Transcript

[Caroline]

Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team. And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.

[Liz]

I'm Liz. I head up the creative team.

[Caroline]

We're your hosts. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world. Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.

[Liz]

We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email [e-mail] now, on with the show.

[Caroline]

Today, we're thrilled to welcome stylist and interior designer Olga Naiman to the podcast. Olga started her career with a bachelor's degree in psychology, spending over 20 years exploring alternative healing and transformation methods, while also maintaining a flourishing design career on the side. In her new book, Spatial Alchemy, Olga shares how she combines her extensive knowledge of psychology and transformation with her design expertise to help her clients unlock their true goals by creating a home that supports their future self. Olga, welcome to the show.

[Olga Naiman]

I'm so happy to be here. I can't wait to dive in with you.

[Caroline]

Spatial Alchemy was such a unique book. We have never had a design book quite like this one, so it was a real treat to dive into. And I have to tell you, what was the hardest part about getting through it for me was that I kept getting to chapters and being like, oh, I need to go fix this drawer. And so then I would, like, be, you know, googling what thing I needed for the drawer. And so I kept, like, thinking of. Of little examples in my own home and life that I needed to put on my to do list. And so then I'd be like, you know what? Let me go finish so that I can, you know, I can. I can get there. I'll get there. But anyway, it was. There's so many great takeaways, so I'm excited to get into it.

[Olga Naiman]

Thank you. I'm. I'm really happy that it spoke to you. And, you know, these things, you can move at your own pace because, like, it's. There's no pressure in, like, having to do all these, like, little things all at the same time. It's actually about doing something and then seeing what happens to doing something. It's about the cause and effect relationship between what you could do to your home and how it impacts not only how you move about your home, but other circumstances. In your life.

[Liz]

And it doesn't cost a thing to get started too. I also was moving things around consistently while reading this book. It was really. And there's a lot to get through in this book. There are so many different concepts and different exercises and different thought processes. But maybe you can get us started by defining what spatial alchemy is.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Olga Naiman]

Spatial alchemy is the intersection of your home, your psyche, and your manifestation. So we all know anyone who's into their home knows the impact that your home has on your psyche, on your body, even on your self worth. You know, when we upgrade and move into a new home or we shift things around drastically, we begin to realize that, wow, this like, this thing that happened, this person that I randomly ran into, like, I think it has something to do with what I did in my home. Like, this book really shows you how to connect the dots and close the circle on that. So you're not only designing for beauty and function, which are the top two layers of design, but you're designing for your psychology and your manifestation, which are kind of the silent two bottom layers of design. Like how do, how do all four work together? And if you're someone especially who's into manifestation and who's into like really taking an active role in self growth or evolution, your own personal evolution, this serves as a guide for how to link your home up with that process.

[Caroline]

Like Liz said, there's so much to get into. We have a lot of questions we want to ask, but before we do that, I was wondering if you could share a little bit about your backgr, because it seemed like your upbringing, your family life, your psychology degree, all of that is really kind of foundational to the, the whole concept and message of the book. So I wanted to start there so that, you know, our listeners have a frame of reference for how the book evolved.

[Olga Naiman]

So my parents are both psychiatrists and we are like refugees from the Ukraine and we came to America in the late 70s. So like kind of moving around a lot and being uprooted a lot was such a big story in my childhood. That feeling of not quite belonging and not feeling like connected to my home, being taken away from my home. So that was kind of one of my major personal woundings. And when I was in sixth grade, I discovered interior design at my local library. This was before the Internet. So I would spend hours, hours looking in interior design books at House Beautiful magazine, at all the magazines, and really teaching myself how to redo my rooms so that I could feel more grounded because I wasn't feeling rooted or grounded with all the moving around. So that was really the beginning of my relationship with design. And then I did a psychology degree at Tufts University, clinical psychology. So I was working with clients at that point in internships. But there was. Was that love of design that was always there. And when I graduated from college, I decided I'm not going to go into psychiatry like my parents were, like, you must be psychiatrist like us, you know, I decided that I was going to try to be in the world of design, which was one of my big loves. And I got a job at House Beautiful magazine shortly thereafter and worked as an assistant and worked my way up to be an editor and then was a stylist at Domino and a freelance stylist for West Elm. And. And I just had a big career with a lot of editorial from, you know, El Decor to Real simple to Bon Appetit styling their entertaining stories. So a big 20 year career as a freelance stylist and interior designer and doing my own spiritual kind of practice on the side, doing my own healing work for myself, working with shamans, plant medicine, psychology, behavioral psychology, somatic therapy, all kinds of things to kind of heal my ruptured sense of self through. Because family trauma, you know, that happened to my family, you know, in the Soviet Union, as a Jewish person, you know, in the last century. So I was doing a lot of healing over here, and then my design career was over here. But then when I started working with clients for interior design, I began to connect their home to their future self. Like, what are you looking to bring into your life? And is your home aligning to the thing that you're looking to bring? Because there's so much beauty in the world, we can design for beauty and that's a wonderful thing and function. But if we're not aligning our home to what we're looking to manifest in our life, it bec. It doesn't. We're not using an opportunity, right? So as I started working with clients and they would come to me and say, oh my God, like, we redid my house. Like I took out, like, a lot of things would happen when we released. That's the first step of state spatial alchemy. Seeing your patterns and seeing what you can release in your life. And when we, when I showed them their patterns, oh, you're neglecting yourself here. Or these are. These items belong to an outdated identity. They don't belong to the person who's in partnership, like what you say you want. They belong to like this person, this Frustrated person that can't seem to find the thing, you know. So we would, I would show them the patterns and then we would release the patterns. And even just with that alone, seismic shifts would happen in their life. And they would come to me a few weeks later, even a few days later sometimes like, oh my God, like I met someone or like I'm going on like this college person that I was never quite got with called me or you know, just these like magical things started happening. And I started putting two and two together and started working with my own self through my house and began to like systematically realize that what we do in our home has impact in our life. And then creating a system for like, okay, so how do we create this system? So that's when I really was able to unite the two sides of myself, like the psychological, the spiritual, the kind of self help side that I did for myself, to the design side that I was doing for clients and in my professional life.

[Liz]

This whole approach is so highly personal. And I think everyone is going to come away with their own, their own take on this process because it is so highly personal. And you touched on the phrase future self and that is a key to kind of unlocking the first steps of this. Maybe you can describe what you mean by the phrase future self.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, the future self is what we're trying to bring into form in our lives. Like we all have vision boards, right? We all like, we all like in pop culture there is this kind of desire to, when we're talking about manifestation, like who would the person that can manifest this easily be? And that is your future self. So it's like dress for success or don't dress for the job you have. Dress for the job you want are examples of this. And we all inherently know this to be true. When you start believing, bringing like the what you want to manifest into physical form by dressing, for example, like as the person who has that more successful job, you start embodying that self. And I call that the future self. So whether it's more free time, more leisure, more abundance, more money, more success, more recognition, partnership, intimacy, or maybe healing in your family circle or healing of the body. If you're having health issues, like for example, my, like if you're having health issues, my future self is healthy and vibrant and has a lot of vital energy. So whatever your, however you define it, yes, that is a personal thing. But you could use your home to, to begin to represent and align to what you're wanting to become.

[Liz]

Right? And then by doing that, your Home. And the. The movement throughout your home and the design of your home then supports that future self.

[Olga Naiman]

Yes.

[Liz]

So that you then become that future self.

[Olga Naiman]

Yes. Yes.

[Liz]

So amazing.

[Olga Naiman]

I'd love to give you an example of this.

[Caroline]

Please, please.

[Olga Naiman]

So just for people to understand. So, for example, if you want more stability in your life, right? There's. You want to start looking where your home feels unstable. Do you have a lot of furniture on little skinny legs? Do you have, like, rickety vintage, like, side tables that are kind of, like, shaky? Like, do you. Is your foyer not really set up to ground you when you walk in? Does it feel like you're kind of constantly haphazard and unorganized and, like, not grounded and rooted? You want to start looking at your home through the eyes of where am I not supporting stability? And once you begin to recognize those patterns and begin to shift them, then you begin to train your body to experience the stability. And a lot of us in childhood may not have had the most stable childhood. Maybe our parents divorced. Maybe we moved around a lot. Maybe our parents were always struggling financially, and we never felt stable or grounded. So you want to start seeing where you're actually reinforcing the patterns that you're. That are your biggest laments.

[Liz]

I really, really loved this book and loved all of the different exercises that you walk the reader through, because this is a lot to take on. I mean, we are, you know, going through this process. It's. The suggestion is to really unpack your inner psyche, and that's a whole lot, and that's really hard, and that's really hard work. You know, so what are. What are some first steps that someone can do to kind of dip their toe into this practice?

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Sometimes it's really hard to see our own patterns, but once you train yourself to see them, just like in therapy, you know, once you start seeing your life patterns, you know, as a pattern rather than as random kind of occurrences, you begin to gain more agency over your life. So in a way, I don't even see it as hard. I see it as something that we can get curious about and realize that we're not going to realize all our patterns all at the same time. But once you start with one or two of them, you begin to kind of get the hang of it, and it's. And it becomes very natural. And also, when we come into other people's homes, it's very natural for us to see exactly who they are. Right. Because we can't see ourselves. We live in our own blind Spots, oftentimes. But when we go into like, say we're starting to date someone new, we walk into their house, we're like, okay, I got this. Like I see exactly what I'm dealing with or a new friend or anyone really, you can see like how much they value themselves, how much they nurture themselves, how, like how their able to express their creativity. So if you're having a hard time seeing your patterns and I recommend like walking out of your house and coming back into it and seeing it through a stranger's eyes. So who is this person who lives here? What do they value? And are the values aligned with what they're bringing into their lives? And if one is get feeling stuck, I recommend just bringing a friend in because your friend is going to tell you immediately, oh, okay. So I feel like rather than seeing it as hard, see it as fun and like interesting and, and begin to see how your home is aligning with that which you want to bring into your life. Or perhaps aligning with that which you are complaining about a lot. Like I'm not being supported or I don't feel held. Like, how is your home not allowing you to feel held if that's what your complaint is in your life? And we all have themes in our lives that we return to over and over and we complain to, to our closest people. Like, I wish I, you know, I wish I felt more fulfilled or I haven't felt fulfilled in a really long time. And how, how is your home either creating that sense of fulfillment or disrupting it?

[Liz]

Yeah, that's really amazing and I think it's really great to approach most problems in our lives with curiosity. And do we allow ourselves enough curiosity to examine ourselves? Yeah, that's really amazing. I did end up walking through my house with fresh eyes and I always find it messier than I want think that it is. But I also, you know, started seeing the things that I didn't see before because we end up walking past things, whether it's, you know, I had some branches that I brought in a little bit ago and you know what, they were past their prime. But I kept walking past them and so I quickly got rid of them before this interview.

[Caroline]

Good job.

[Olga Naiman]

You can start. I always tell people an easy way to start is looking at what's on your walls. The art that's on your walls, like reading it through the eyes of symbol. And we all inherently could do that. You know, like is the. Do I. Does the art feel like I want to feel? Is one thing that I always tell people when they get stuck, like, look at your art and does it feel the way you want to feel or is it something that's just been hanging there for years and you haven't really even looked at for a long time?

[Caroline]

Yeah, yeah.

[Liz]

You mentioned a great story about a client that had a picture of a goat that was looking kind of sad and she didn't realize that it was bringing her down.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, she. This is a client that lives in Nashville and she had this picture. It was by a well known artist. It was like this drawing of a goat with like a little tag on its ears. Like it was about to go to the slaughterhouse. And she had just gotten divorced, you know, and it had been a really rough divorce. And like the goat was like literally right by her front door. And so every time she wasn't noticing it anymore, she'd had the piece for years. And I was like, is this how you want to feel? Like this is the entry to your home? And she was like, wow, I never looked at it through those eyes. Like, it was just this piece of art by this well known artist that was passed to me by my parents. Like, I never recognized that it actually was programming my unconscious mind. And she sold it, made quite a bit of money, and then was able to buy all these other things that did align with, with what she wanted in her life.

[Liz]

Yeah, there's such power in letting something go and then just moving some other things around and giving. You talk about giving things energy as you move them around. Yeah, because it gives them different focus.

[Olga Naiman]

Yes, yes. When you move things around, you're moving them. Especially if you link that to your future self intentionally. Because intentionality is massive. And there's like so many scientific studies on this. I'm not even gonna, you know, state this, but if you read the intention experiment by Lynn McTaggart, there's like a million scientific studies about how the intention of the observer impacts the results. So once you start recognizing that and you start designing your home with the intention of bringing that future self out of the vision board, out of the cloud, and into the third dimension with you, it starts really beginning to shift things. So, yes, it's a big deal.

[Caroline]

Yeah. There were so many parts of the book where I like, there was a lot in the book where I was like, oh, okay, I'm. Because, you know, we have a decorating podcast. We talk about our houses a lot. We've listened to it, We've had a lot of excerpts on the, on the show. And so I don't want to speak for you, Liz. But I spent a lot of time thinking about my house. I've put a lot of work into it, so there's a lot that I'm happy with. But I will say that reading the book, there was a lot where I was like, oh, maybe that is why that space was so successful, you know, where. So, for example, you know, in my living room, like, it's. It has a lightness. It's happy. And as I was sort of reading the book, I was kind of thinking of that room in mind and sort of using your descriptions and your exercises and thinking like, oh, wow, okay. I didn't necessarily do that with the intention of what she was saying, but with a different intention. You know, pre kids, I had a lot of, like, neutrals in my space, and then I started having my daughters, and I was like, you know, I need to have more color. Like, I need to create this happy, creative space that I want for my kids. And I think it. It doesn't. It just, like, doesn't jive to have that with, like, all whites, you know, and so that was sort of the intention that I was setting for my room. But then the. The. The palette and everything had, like, there was a part in the book where you talk about stability and fluidity and, like, it's an active room versus a passive room. So there was a lot that I was like, oh, okay, maybe I was doing this, but not with quite the clarity that you outline. So I probably would have made a lot less mistakes along the way had I had your book to start with. But I also loved what you were talking about with your sort of, like, setting the time, setting time aside, your time scarcity mindset where you would put, like, calendar invites on your calendar to go tackle things. Can you tell our listeners about that? Because I really, you know, just loved that and felt like, okay, like, this is something I'm really going to. I could see using in so many ways.

[Olga Naiman]

So many of us, like, scared. Like, shifting from scarcity into abundance is a big theme of the book. And we have. Oftentimes we have financial scarcity and, like, time scarcity is another one that's so common to us, especially here. Like, in the US when we're trying to juggle so many things, we always say, oh, my God, I know I have to tackle this, like, reorganize this cabinet or do this thing, but I don't have the time. So we kind of let it slide for months and months and sometimes years. But a lot of these things are solved in 20 minutes. A lot of our design issues are solved in 20 minutes. So even if twice a week for 20 minutes, if you just wake up 20 minutes early and set an alarm for yourself to do the thing to like, it's like you could do, reorganize one drawer at a time or it's like to go through your papers or to like little design things to like restyle your bookshelf, just to move things around. Oftentimes it doesn't take more than 20 minutes. But then the key thing is you get such a dopamine rush, your brain gets such a dopamine rush after you've done it, because you walk by that area or you open that drawer or you open that closet and like that 20 minutes, like twice a week, 40 minutes equals so much self pride that it gets a cycle going because you want to start doing that more, because you want to feel the dopamine. You know, it's just something that happens to our brain. So it's a small, small, quick way to shift out of the scarcity. I don't have time, I don't have time into abundance. Like actually can make time. And then when I make time, like I feel this way. And after like three times of making time, oh, this thing happened in my life. Oh, I wonder if it had something to do with me making time. Maybe something became, that was a difficult project, became more easeful in my life. And I wonder if that has anything to do with me learning how to make make time instead of feeling like I don't have enough time.

[Liz]

I think that leads into another word that keeps popping up within this book and it's dignity and living with living in dignity. Can you talk a little bit about that? I feel like that word is really important.

[Olga Naiman]

That word always meant a lot for me as a refugee, as a former refugee, not, you know, also coming to this country. Parents didn't have finances, you know, feeling very scarce in finances. My childhood, during my childhood and then learning how to give myself dignity, right? Like invite dignity in. So dignity is like the opposite of scarcity in my mind. And it doesn't have to do with money. We could not have like massive funds, but we could design our homes with dignity. Because dignity is what starts bringing in like self worth. The more dignity you learn how to weave into your home, the more self worth you start weaving into your life. And I see those two things as very related. So for example, if you are in therapy or any kind of, kind of self growth practice and you're learning how to bring more self worth into your life so that you're, you know, self esteem could grow or you could support yourself more. Weaving dignity into your home supports that process. So it's not like this thing that's only in your mind of like, my patterns and my, you know, self worth and my childhood. You're almost like re parenting yourself with more dignity. And a lot of us as children might not have received that quality, but it's a very beautiful, like, frequency. Dignity. When you are beginning to hold yourself with dignity, it opens a lot of doors into your life and you can begin to experiment on your own and see what happens.

[Liz]

That's amazing. And I think another part of that is you'd also talk about taking the routine of every day and turning that into ritual. What are some things that we can examples that we can take routine and turn it into ritual.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, yeah. I love this practice. And I always recommend that when people are doing spatial alchemy, they begin with their little routines in very small ways and begin to start witnessing the cause and effect relationship. Because that's what we're always going for in spatial alchemy. It's about the cause and effect. So once you've let go of like, unwanted patterns in your home, I always suggest doing that step first, like seeing your patterns, releasing outdated identities and unwanted patterns wherever you can, wherever you spot them. Once you have done that, begin to work with like, seeding new patterns by bringing dignity into your daily routines. And that turns them into rituals. So dignity turns routine into ritual. So for example, the things that you repeat daily, like putting some salt on your food, what does your salt cellar look like? Does it have dignity? The glass that you drink from next to your bed, does that glass have dignity? And does it resonate with your future self? For example, there are many kinds of glasses we could drink from. Is it like a colorful, funky, little playful glass? If we want more playfulness in our lives, if our lives feel too serious and too much grunt work and we want to add some energy of play, bring in like a glass that has like a quirky shape or a quirky color, like a colored glass where the light comes through it and it like beams. If you want more stability in your life, like, start really working with that glass. Is it more like earthenware? Does it have a heft to it? These little choices are what turns routine into ritual. So it's not like, yes, it's about dignity and like designing it very intentionally, but what are you actually wanting to invite into your life? What quality is it playfulness? Is it Stability. Is it structure? Like, some people like me, add a little. Add. You know, I'm, like, constantly working with how do I bring more structure picture into my life? So maybe my glass is more, like, precise, and there's a precision. And maybe there's, like, a square handle to the glass rather than a rounded handle. You know, like, you can begin to have fun and start thinking, okay, what. What kind of glass do I want to drink from? Like, your bathroom rituals? Like, like, do you have, like, beautiful pumps for your dishwashing soap? What does your sponge look like? We could all, like. Most of us can afford to buy the best sponge that money can buy, right? It'll be, like, $15, $20, or, like, the most beautiful and exquisite tea Towel, you know, $35, you know, and just begin to. And that. And the tea towel could begin to, like, what kind of stitching does it have? Does that stitching relate? Is it like this fecund floral pattern? If you want to get more into your, like, sensuality, or is it a geometric metric pattern? If you want more structure into your life? So you want to start really thinking about the choices that you're making, and that's where the intentionality comes in in tiny little ways. And then you're using the tea towel many times a day, and your body is like, oh, wow. And it's really feeling the difference, especially when it's the glass and the salt cellar and the sponge and the tea towel and the shampoo pump and the little things. So start tracking what you touch more than once a day. Your daily routines, and seeing where you can uplevel them and seeing where the objects associated with those routines, like, bring in the future self that you're wanting to bring in.

[Liz]

I love that. And, you know, cups and saucers and plates are just a little easy way to kind of make that shift. I know. That was one of my pandemic takeaways. I now drink champagne from teacups. From my favorite teacups.

[Olga Naiman]

I love that. I love that.

[Caroline]

Yeah. I feel like that idea of, like, you know, little things in your world matter just.

[Liz]

Yeah. And why save it for a special occasion? You're a special occasion.

[Caroline]

Exactly. Yeah. Like, you were worth splurging on, having a nice, like, pepper mill or salt cellar, whatever. Exactly. Like, you know, and the thing about some of those things is they have such a long lifespan. You know what I mean? Like, you're. I think so many people probably have lots of kitchen items that maybe they got for their very first kitchen. And, you know, you didn't buy the best, but it lasts a long time. So if you do buy something and you upgrade it, like it. It'll. It'll have a lot of impact because we'll have it for a long time. I wanted to revisit the symbols a little bit because I loved that chapter of the book. And, you know, just especially the idea of picking symbols that are really, like, meaningful to you. Can you, you know, kind of touch on that a little bit more? And. And I guess, sort of where you feel like it makes the most sense to incorporate the symbols, like, you know, you kind of talked about art a little bit, but maybe other items in the home where it is a little bit more, you know, easy to incorporate.

[Olga Naiman]

So symbols are the way that our unconscious minds speak to us. And anyone who's ever done dream analysis or tracked their own dreams understand that, you know, their themes that happen in our life. And these are like kind of archetypal, universal themes. For example, like a parachute is a universal theme. Whatever culture it is around the world, a parachute kind of means the same thing. Same with the difference between a snake, the symbol of a snake, the symbol of an eagle. Right. Those are two different things. One is, like, on the ground and moving in a specific way has a very similar. Like a similar kind of symbolic reference in. In many cultures around the world. Whereas an eagle or a bird has a other kind of symbolic reference. And I don't even need to tell you what that is. We all know what that is. So these are universal principles that transcend kind of culture. Yes, there are some cultural symbols. Like, you know, in the US we have our own cultural references, but many times there are symbols like a ship, you know, that a ship on water, like something that you have on your wall. What's the sea? Is the sea calm or is the sea rocky? You know, is it like a stormy sky? And are you always looking at a painting, beautiful painting, but of a ship in a stormy sky? And then start thinking, wait, is how has my life been feeling? Does it feel like I'm always on these rough waters, bouncing up and down? So these are kind of the symbols that you're feeding your own unconscious mind. Universal symbols. So, yes, you can start looking at your art symbolically. I mean, that's fairly easy. Like, I'm looking at the little drawbridge that you have behind you, Caroline, like, going onto the lake right behind you. And a lake is a very different symbol than a river. Right? There's a placidity to a lake, whereas a river is always moving so you start looking in your mind at the symbols that hang on your walls. But also symbols are in sculptures. Symbols are in fabrics and textiles. Anything that's figurative, basically, in your home has a symbolic weight to it. So, like a sculpture of a headless nude could, you know, like. As opposed to a sculpture. And, like, the nude is a little, like, in a. In a. Like an uncomfortable body position. You know, those are. That's a very specific kind of symbol that you're giving yourself, whereas, like, there's a sculpture of a nude sitting in a kind of graceful body position. You want to start looking at the positionality, especially human symbols. Symbols of humans that are on your walls, for example. Another example. If you're wanting more union, more intimacy, more connection, or just partnership in general. If you're not in partnership and you want that in your life, start looking at the symbols on your bedroom walls. Like, how. Like, are they representing the union that you want or the union. How you want to feel inside that union? Or are there pictures of, like, kind of gnarly, dry, cracked desert landscapes, for example? And I've seen that in a client's home. Like, she was really into the desert, and she had these pictures of these, like, dry desert, cracked earth kind of things. No. No growth there. And she was, like, feeling that same way in her romantic life. And so there. And she hadn't seen it. You don't see it because you're, like, looking, oh, cool desert, you know? But really, how are you using that to feed your own unconscious mind? So look at everything that's figurative in your home. You know, pictures of just colors. You know, they. They're like more the symbols of the colors. Is it like a bright red? Very activating, or is it a deep red? So you want to start. You can look at colors, right. And do you want to be activated? Is your bedroom full of bright, vibrant colors and you're actually not sleeping so. Well, color has symbol, too, and it's not even the color. It's the depth and the intensity of the color.

[Liz]

Yeah, I think that's something we talk about a lot, especially around. Around bedrooms. But it's so interesting to think about the psychology of the colors or. Or the artworks that we have in our bedroom. You know, the. The images that you see when you first wake up or in the images that you see when you. You know, the last things before you go to bed and how those have impact.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, yeah, because you're just, like. Your mind shows you symbols while you're dreaming. You're feeding your unconscious Mind symbols during the waking hours.

[Liz]

I'm rethinking everything. It's all great.

[Caroline]

Of course, in the beginning of the book, you talk a lot about clutter and, you know, as sort of being like a. That release of. Of things. And that was definitely something that I honed in on and. Or, you know, just even like, thinking, okay, like, decluttering my bedroom before I go to sleep so that when I wake up, it's. The room is ready for the day and I am ready for the day. And, you know, that 20 to 30 minutes before bed to have the house in order means that in the morning I'm like, more ready to tackle things. So I. I loved that as a practice and. But I also do struggle sometimes with letting go of things. And I Occasionally, you know, part of me is like, oh, just throw it away. Like, I get rid of it. Like, donate, you know, kind of slough it off. But then a part of me is like, well, one day I might need this. So I. You had a list in here that I thought was so. So fun and so accurate. And it was about items that don't make you feel good. And so I just wanted to read it because I thought it was so funny. Never, you know, something that didn't quite work in your home, something that feels emblematic of an old version of myself. Things I forgot about. Like, things you just forgot. Even you had. That one made me laugh. Things that I wouldn't buy again, things that I forgot about. It just. It was funny how accurate so many of things are because I could almost picture in my mind when I was really reading this list, like, oh, yes, I have all of these things in my house that I, you know, haven't let go of for some reason or another. And, you know, and it was such a. An astute, I guess, way to identify that you might have these things and it's okay to. To move on from them, even if.

[Liz]

It'S a bigger piece of furniture too, you know, letting go of something, because that's not who. That's not a representation of the person.

[Caroline]

Right.

[Liz]

And I think that that's also something you. You mentioned in there that, you know, Grandma's sofa is not Grandma.

[Caroline]

Yes.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, that's. And that's such a key thing because oftentimes we receive things from relatives as gifts, you know, especially someone is. Especially someone who has passed, you know, and then you hang on to this thing. But you realize that I actually don't really. Like, this sofa was never comfortable. Like, it's not really serving me I'm holding onto it because I'm holding onto the memory of this person. But you're not really honoring the object. You know, when else could honor it better? If you give it to Goodwill. Someone else could use that sofa in a way that honors your grandmother even more. And I want to differentiate, actually between decluttering and dissolving. So dissolving is a deeper layer than decluttering. Decluttering is awesome. But oftentimes we kind of all of us go through the cycle of decluttering, and then the clutter comes back, and decluttering and clutter comes back. So we're always in this kind of cycle around decluttering. And it's an important cycle to keep on top of. Yes. But underneath it is a bigger pattern, which is dissolving, outdated identities and unwanted patterns. So what you want to do is start saying, do I value. What do I value more? Do I value the future self that I'm bringing in? Or do I value this always uncomfortable chair that, like, I'm my future self feels held and nurtured? And this chair does not make me feel held and nurtured because it has, like, these, like, wooden arms. I can't lean into it. It's always like, I never really even sit in it, you know, do I. What pattern am I giving more weight to? Like, the thing that I want to bring in or this old unwanted pattern that I'm just hanging on to, just to hang on to it? And that's when you start asking yourself that deeper question, do I really value the thing that I want enough to let go of? The thing that's the opposite of it. That's when you start really seeing, okay, okay. You know, and it's just like that with relationships, when we have to let go and walk away, or jobs that aren't quite right, but then they fulfill some needs. You know, at a certain point, you start to value the alignment, your inner alignment, more than the job, the relationship, or the chair.

[Liz]

And now I'm getting new chairs. I feel like you described my living room chairs that I never sit in that have tough wooden arms. And, yeah, I never sit in them, though. You're absolutely right.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, you want to ask yourself these questions, because sometimes things look good, but they don't feel good. And if you're not actively using them, then there's a reason. And then you have to ask yourself, and sometimes it's good to sit with an empty space in your home and let. Because the universe sometimes fills that empty space in a way that you Wouldn't think, because maybe you sit with an empty space for a month or two, and then somehow you'll, like, receive some chair that you never, like. You don't even have to buy it, but the perfect chair comes into your life, and you're like, oh, that's interesting. Like, that's the universe talking to you.

[Liz]

So, so much of the first part of this book is really all about breaking down to build back up. And I feel like the whole second half of the book is all about the. I think you say dissolve and coagulate, so that that coagulation and bringing things into a formation that works for you in your home. One of the things that I found very interesting is recognizing doorways as frames to lead you into the next space. Maybe you can talk a little bit about your philosophies around that.

[Olga Naiman]

Well, doorways frame focal points, right? What you see through a doorway is literally a physical frame that frames what you see through that doorway. So I call. That's a focal point. Just like over the sofa is a focal point. Over the mantle is a focal point. There are many focal points in our homes. What we see on the other side of the bed, what's over the bed is a focal point. But back to the doorways. What you see through a doorway is a focal point because you're walking towards it. Like, think of the body as, like, you're constantly, many, many times a day walking towards something that's being framed by the doorway. So what are you walking towards? Like, often we want to be very intentional with how we're creating that space and aligning it. Like, for example, if we want more balance in our life, I always want more balance. I'm a Libra, so I'm always seeking balance. So do you want to work with symmetry, for example, in what you see over the door, like, through the doorway? Do you want to work with asymmetry? Is your life too stagnant and you want to, like, you know, shake it up a little bit? You. This is what I mean by, like, the moving your things every so often to align with what you're bringing into your life. But the doorways, you're always crossing the threshold towards something through the body. So you want to get very intentional about what you're crossing the threshold towards. And this is a powerful place to use symbols you like. For example, you're crossing a door, you're crossing a threshold, and I'm looking at a set of large set of gold wings across from my desk, you know, and you kind of. And you Want to, like, start working with. Okay, I'm walking towards these wings through the doorway because I'm seeing these wings, and it's like, I want to have that, like, feeling of, like, flying, not falling. So you start working with all kinds of symbols and doorways, accentuate those symbols.

[Liz]

Yeah, you definitely had me walking through each of my doorways with fresh eyes, too, to just kind of see what. What's going on there. And I did end up moving some lamps that were like, a little bit more iconic into. Into frames so that I can see them when I'm sitting on my sofa. I look into my dining room and see that kind of more iconic and bold lamp.

[Olga Naiman]

And how did that make you feel? How did it begin to impact you?

[Liz]

Yeah, it really made me smile and it really made me enjoy sitting in the other room and being able to see this thing that I love in the room that was framed by the doorway.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, doorway will accentuate. It will amplify the thing that you see through the doorway.

[Caroline]

I was also thinking about my front.

[Liz]

Door itself, which has gone through many colors and iterations.

[Caroline]

Yes, it has. My front area, for example, gets very messy quickly, like two young kids and their bikes and their shoes and, you know, all the things. So I definitely was thinking a lot about, like, the, I guess, tension that. That I can feel coming home and passing through all of that stuff to get to my front door and what can I do to make it to where my entry to coming home, which is something that I, you know, like, I always look forward to coming home, but, like, there's that middle space that I have to pass through, and it sort of, like, creates friction where I wish that, you know, there was more peace, I guess. So that was definitely something that I was thinking and like, what does the view look like when I open that door? And is it recharging or is it, like, you know, hectic, frenetic? And that's definitely something I'm going to be thinking about a lot because I haven't, you know, especially compared to other. Other areas of my home, I haven't spent a lot of time in that. And I. That now is like, seems like such a. A place that I've overlooked. So.

[Olga Naiman]

One thing I would recommend especially. I have children, too. I have twins who are 11. And I've passed through all the stages, the little kids stages and all the messiness. And I. I also am always negotiating that in my. In my foyer. One thing you. I recommend to people is, like, really working with the walls, the ceiling, you know, like, can we, like, especially if it's a small space, maybe there's wallpaper in the ceiling that feels peaceful, that has, like, maybe it's a moire wallpaper that feels watery at the top, you know, like a light blue moire wallpaper. Me. And a beautiful chandelier that's like, round and not pointy, not angular, but, like soft, you know? And like the art that's on the wall, can it. Can it be more peaceful? So you want to start because. Influencing where you can influence, because oftentimes with little kids, it's really hard, you know? Yes, we can work with storage solutions. Yes. We can work with, like, closed door armoires or, you know, baskets and things like that. But the things that you can influence, like the art, the colors, the lighting, the quality, like, can things be more angular and softer? You know, that brings about peace.

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Liz]

I think you could even ask your kids too. Like, how does it make you feel to come in?

[Caroline]

Great. Ideal. Liz. Yes. Right.

[Liz]

They have feelings. They feel so hard.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah. Yeah. How do we bring more peace into this?

[Caroline]

Yeah.

[Olga Naiman]

And then, like, strategize with them together.

[Caroline]

Yeah, that's a great idea.

[Olga Naiman]

What is peaceful? What feels peaceful to you? What feels calming and soft?

[Caroline]

Yeah, it's a good idea. I'm gonna do that.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Caroline]

My old intention right now is like, really into organizing all of a sudden. And I'm like, like, oh, okay, let's. Let's harness this interest. I can put this to work. Yeah. Well, Olga, this was such a delight. I am gonna really be revisiting your book a lot. I know that just because there. There was so much to take away, and I could imagine, you know, going back to it, especially again and again as.

[Liz]

As we evolve.

[Caroline]

Exactly. As, like, what you're looking to bring into your. Into your life changes, you know, now it's something. In five years, it might be something else. And so this is gonna really stick with us. I know.

[Liz]

Yeah. I know. We always talk about, you know, letting the room grow slowly, and, you know, it does. It's. Designing your home is not an overnight process. And the questions that you're asking and the exercises that you're offering in this book really are things that we could ask in five years and we would have totally different answers.

[Olga Naiman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. True. Totally. And. And you don't. One doesn't need to, like, redo their home every five years. Like, this is such a, like a practice of intentionality. And is. It is. It's more about, like, moving things around, like, realizing which, like, one or Two things, three things don't work where you can begin to upgrade. It's like getting into a deeper conversation and intimacy with your home.

[Caroline]

Yeah. Yeah. I think we. We often talk about how, like, your home matters and thoughtfulness and the plan and the intention is really worth it because it's, you know, it's the base for your whole. The whole rest of your life. And I'm. But I just don't think we've ever quite articulated it or.

[Liz]

Like, treated our home as another family member, which is another phrase that I think you use in the book, which I think is just great.

[Caroline]

So it was great to see you kind of articulate that in an even deeper level because I think we sometimes, like, get almost there, but not quite. And so it was really, really delightful. So wonderful if you could tell everyone where they can find you, follow you, and pick up your book.

[Olga Naiman]

So my book is available anywhere, everywhere. You could buy it at your local bookstore on bookstore dot or, or Amazon or wherever you shop. So that's. That's easily, easily obtained. And my website is the spatialalchemy.com so you could find me through there or on Instagram at. Olga Naiman And I write a lot about, you know, my philosophy and how I'm in my own life. So those are ways. And reach out. If you hear this and this speaks to you, please reach out. I love hearing from people and how some of these things are impacting their life because it's always about the cause and effect in relationship. And I love hearing how things are shifting in your life as a result of some of the practices that you did in the home. That makes me happy.

[Caroline]

And, you know, we didn't even touch on all of the beautiful spaces that are photographed in the book. We were talking so much about the.

[Liz]

Words and the design of the book is gorgeous.

[Caroline]

Oh, my gosh. Like, all the layout, the. I also just this color, such a delicious color to me. But like, your. Your projects are stunning. And just. Yeah, it just occurred to me that we didn't even talk about any of the actual spaces themselves, which is so unusual for us. So if you love all of the intentionality that Holga talks about and you want some beautiful, beautiful rims, then this is the one for you. Thank you.

[Olga Naiman]

Thank you.

[Caroline]

All right, that's our show. And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space. And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at ballardesigns.

[Liz]

Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.

[Caroline]

Until next time, happy decorating.