WESTPORT, Conn., Dec 06: Homes are more than buildings; they are environments that embrace loved ones who make us a family. But when those we’ve cared for under that roof depart — whether from growing up or growing old — we can feel overwhelmed. How do we move on and rejuvenate our lives after years of putting others first?

Author, mental health therapist and attorney Annie Guest faced just such a dilemma.

“My parents left their house to me. I decided to reimagine it in ways that would help me remember the whole of my parents’ lives — not just those sad final years — as I rebuilt my own life,” Guest said. “The process has helped me work through my grief over my parents’ final struggles and appreciate the fullness of their lives. It has also helped me take stock of my own life and find my way forward. I wanted to uncover the house’s beauty, dust it off, and maybe reinterpret it. I wanted to bring the house alive.”

Guest takes us through her journey of reinterpretation in Design For Your Mind: How a Family Caregiver and Mental Health Therapist Renovated her Home to Recharge Her Life—and Didn’t Break the Bank, and shows us the magic of how she transformed her home sustainably and on a budget.

Design For Your Mind takes us step-by-step through the renovation that jump-started her creativity, refreshed her life and allowed her to mourn her parents. Using 95 “before” and “after” photos accompanied by easy-to-follow explanations of the science of good interior design, Guest helps us discover the true purpose of each room and how it can promote healthy living.

Design for your emotional health. Good home design can fulfill the needs of its inhabitants, everything from safe zones for children to explore their own interests, to fostering a sense of independence for adolescents, to giving busy adults spots to unwind from the pressures of daily life.

Design for your mental health. Working from home removes the separation between you and the outside world. Creating clear areas for work and relaxation can help maintain balance and calm anxiety.

Design for your creativity. Every adult needs a place to play, no matter what your hobbies are, but good design also allows you to express your personality, tastes and values through thoughtfully curated choices.

Design for your future. Aging in place — and staying healthy and productive while you do it — can be achieved with good home design.

This is more than a book of inspired, affordable interior design. It’s a guide for anyone facing a new beginning and wants to recreate a home that supports well-being, self-expression and personal empowerment. It’s a reminder that taking care of ourselves by taking care of our home is a worthy focus, and even in the most difficult of times, our homes can bring us satisfaction, good mental health and joy.

Design For Your Mind

Publisher: B. D. Walsh Publishing

ISBN-13: 979-8992203332