Sonya Rothwell, Alchemist-in-Chief of luxury art + interior décor house Gallery Beautiful has a celestial aesthetic that can elevate our consciousness through the senses. Sonya shares 7 décor tips to help you turn your home into a haven.
“The home is a sanctuary, so why not make it feel like one”
says Sonya who’s also founder of Temple Beautiful a centre of Spirit; the arts, meditation, wellbeing + higher consciousness.
Temple Beautiful, which is also an umbrella charity, began in ancient Egypt. Housed within a huge pyramid, its inner walls and ceilings were adorned with constellations in opalescent hues. There, people elevated their consciousness by raising their creative energy – their emotions – through the senses; art, music, dance, singing, chanting, exquisite decor, fragrant incense and meditation.
A similar sense of spirit pervades Sonya’s celestial décor design which she playfully calls ‘Cosmic Jungle.’ “Our Cosmic Jungle aesthetic is a blending of Heaven + Earth. Being in nature helps connect us to higher consciousness, so we like to bring her inside” say Sonya.
Sonya’s exhuberant, minimal maximalist style elegantly blends her eye-catching celestial statement pieces and tropical plants. Ethereal cushions, organic patterns, shimmering pearlescent textures, iridescence and sleek modern lines with beautiful contemporary art, vintage treasures, butterflies and kaleidoscopic colour.
SONYA ROTHWELL’S 7 INTERIOR DESIGN STYLE TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN TEMPLE BEAUTIFUL :
1.To create your own Temple Beautiful you’ll need to first energetically ‘clear’ your space by smudging it with sage (used by high priests and priestesses of ancient Egypt) or palo santo (favoured in South America by shamans and medicine men). This creates a protective energy field around your temple, removing negative thought-prints and unwanted energy. Simply ‘go within’ for a moment to still your mind and connect with your higher self. In that pure state of connection, burn the sage or palo santo letting its smoke fill the room. As you do so, briefly hold a vision of your beautiful temple feeling clean, fresh, anew. That is all. Remember, it’s the purity and intention of the person clearing the space that’s important, not the item you are using to do it.
2.Next ‘align’ your space. Best-selling author Freddy Silva is a leading researcher of ancient civilizations, sacred sites and their interaction with consciousness. Freddy works with ancient secrets – the kind of knowledge once guarded by ancient Egyptian spiritual teachers – to create an in-depth guide to Templemaking. He outlines several principles such as attracting magnetic lines of earth energy, how to apply sacred geometry, the correct use of crystals, stones, cardinal direction, and the subtle forces of pyramids. You can also watch his documentary on Gaia TV.
“There are certain keys that open certain doors” says Freddy Silva. “Once you know what they are and what they do, by using your conscious intent, magic starts to happen … mastering our own reality, rather than allowing events to dictate our lives. Ultimately it’s about possessing knowledge that empowers you to be a co-creator in this world, to live your dream awake.”
3.Once you’re happy with the ‘feel’ of your sanctuary, adorn it with beautiful things of a heavenly and earthly nature, that uplift you. Elevate your senses with candles, crystals, incense, feathers, paintings, lavish textural pattern, celestial mandala motifs and shimmering pearlescent hues.
Try to avoid over cluttering your space. It should feel calm, not busy. The ancient art of Feng Shui reveals that clutter blocks the energy flow of a space, making one feel drained, stagnant and confused. I suggest grouping your ceremonial objet on large trays to add order, and make them easier to clean.
4.Colour plays an important part in our sense of wellbeing and spiritual experience. Colour frequencies can be deeply uplifting. The ancient Chakra System uses colour to identify each of the seven energy centres in the body. The health of one’s chakras or spinning disks, is directly connected to the health of the physical body, mind and emotional wellbeing.
For example the 6th ‘third eye’ chakra is indigo, a colour that enhances the senses opening the conscious awareness, allowing us to operate in higher spiritual realms. It’s the colour of deep inner knowledge and wisdom, and the bridge between Heaven + Earth. The 7th ‘crown’ chakra is Violet, the colour of oneness and transformation. It has a very fine frequency that elevates us beyond physical pain, helping us to let go by activating wholeness and completion.
I use lots of violet and indigo throughout my home and suggest you use the Chakra System to introduce relevant hues to you in to your sacred space.
5.Encourage a relaxing environment with deep pile rugs, comfortable throw pillows and oversized floor cushions – they are perfect for lounging on listening to music or meditating. Sitting on the floor helps us ‘ground,’ feeling more centred and connected with the earth.
6.For a tranquil ‘hot house’ feel add orchids, tropical plants and life-like butterflies subtly scattering here and there as if just settled on a palm frond, drum shade or painting. A great tip, if you who don’t have green fingers, there are some really convincing artificial plants on the market (and some not so). I recommend Sia for orchids and silk flowers and Maxifleur for ferns, monsteras, hanging plantsand traveller palms. Silk-ka’s best for bamboo, foliage, trailing vines, rubber and zee zee plants.
7.For extra ambiance, I like to fill the air with a fresh rainforest fragrance and birdsong for a tranquil touch of inside outside living.
For scent, you can burn traditional Nag Champa incense which creates beautiful smoky swirls adding an air of mystic. Or use soothing essential oils such as Ylang Ylang that supports relaxation and equilibrium, in an oil burner. I prefer to use an electric diffuser as they feel fresher and lasts for hours.
For sound, there are loads of ambient jungle birds sound tracks on Spotify to chose from such as Forest Peacefulness from album An Adventure Deep Into The Magical Rain Forest which evokes a visceral feeling of being deep in the jungle.
Sonya Rothwell created a Temple Beautiful mood board to help you recreate her ‘Cosmic Jungle’ look. See image. Her luxury décor pieces, numbered 01 to 09, are available from gallerybeautiful.com
01. Artro Armchair, Orbit Saturn £1,495
02. Sacred Geometry Drum Shade, Golden Jade, 500x500mm £395
03. Nirvana Velvet Throw, Aqua, single £795
04. Lightening Dining Chair, Infinity Blue Velvet, £1,495
05. Butterfly Effect Cushion, Blu, from £115
07. Rainbow Naga Georgette Silk Scarf, Noir Pink, 100 x 200mm £245
08. Sādhanā Geo Giclée Print, from £795
09. Holographic Universe, Copper Wallpaper, roll £190
All above created by Sonya Rothwell available from gallerybeautiful.com
06. Artificial 3D Butterfly Wall Stickers, from £8.99 www.amazon.com
09. Artificial Traveller Palm Tree, 130cm, £99.95 www.maxifleur-artificial-plants.co.uk
10. Artificial Phalaenopsis Orchid, 80cm, £99 www.sia-deco.com
11. Artificial Traveller Palm Tree, 165cm, £152.50 www.maxifleur-artificial-plants.co.uk
12. Rainforest Incense, £1.70 www.anaturalmagick.com
13. Meraki Rainforest Room Spray, £16.50 www.trouva.com
