Living well encompasses so many aspects- more than the backdrop we designers create, more than the things we surround our clients with, its more far-reaching than that. Yes, Residential Interior Design is a key component of living well- but its not everything. Living well is a daily act. Its a conscious decision to be the best you can be and live the best you can every day. Living well is maximizing what you have and striving for better when you can. Its using everything you have and everything you are at the highest level.

I was recently on site with clients that are at the tail end of a full kitchen remodel. Anyone who has ever lived through a remodel can attest to the perils of a remodel situation. Though the project is nearing completion, there is much to be done. There's still plastic on the floor in surrounding rooms, crown moulding to be installed, painting to take place and the finishing touches such as knobs and pulls to grace the gorgeous new cabinetry.

Since it was an early evening appointment, my clients offered me a light meal of sandwiches. My favorite is peanut butter and jelly (although they laughed to hear my humble request, they agreed that a classic PB&J is, in fact, a great sandwich!). So, in the midst of remodel chaos, in the living room at the table that is normally in the kitchen, we ate sandwiches. My favorite part, aside from their gracious hospitality, was the fact that they put the condiments in cut crystal dishes. I can honestly say that I have never put peanut butter or jelly into a crystal serving dish. This is a new high in everyday fine living. In fact, its a new high in living well under distress (remodels have been described as torturous), and I loved it! These people "get" it!

This is just one example of living well. Here are a few ways to live well each day with means you already have:

-Utilize fabulous lighting every evening. Don't just reserve it for company! Lighting creates warmth, ambiance and lends comfort- use it! Put your ambient lighting on a dimmer switch if its not already, then adjust the lighting levels according to activity. Its amazing how much more relaxed you can be when the lighting is dim and very warm. You will enjoy your home more when its "glowing" correctly.

-Set your dinner table as you would for company. Use your linens and candlesticks. It takes all but two more minutes to set these items out and two more to break it down after dinner. Don't save these things for special occasions- every day should be an occasion.

-As mentioned, use your china and crystal! For morning cereal, for coffee, for that bottle of Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe's...for pizza! Embrace it. Love it.

-Display fresh flowers in a gorgeous vase (or recycle a San Pellegrino bottle for a casual kitchen bud vase). There is something about real flowers, aside from the fragrance, that really perks up a room and causes a smile in passing. Fresh flowers trump artificial, hands down.

-Burn your candles. Get into the ritual of lighting them upon arrival home. The scent and warmth really make you feel cozy, and candlelight adds that extra sparkle to a lighting scheme. I have a handful of scents I burn throughout the year, changing the scents with the seasons. Further distinguish your home with a hallmark of warmth and subtle fragrance.

-Keep an organized and clean house. Looking at clutter and making huge messes due to not being able to find something does not bode well for a gracious home or lifestyle. Take a weekend to overhaul your closets, cupboards, cabinets and those black holes we all seem to contribute to on a daily basis (my personal vice is mail, I will let it pile up for weeks!). Then, just stick to daily maintenance of putting things back, filing documents, etc. You will be amazed at how much better you feel about being in your home.

-Be consciously grateful and appreciative of what you have. At one point, everything you have (and everything you have kept, if it was a gift) is something you wanted and something you deem important. Get into the mindset of wanting what you have, instead of what you don't have. Utilize and maximize. Serve dinner on that platter set collecting dust instead of scooping it directly from the pot. Make your bed up each day the way you did when you first bought that fabulous bedding. Wake up a half hour earlier to make your coffee French press style and read the news before rushing out the door. Use those ice cream dishes instead of sneaking bites from the carton.

Maximizing your daily experience by utilizing what you already have access to is what living well is all about.