Most of us enjoy daydreaming about our perfect home. Do you ever think about your home just before falling to sleep? Instead of worrying about your tasks for tomorrow, try this exercise tonight: imagine you're arriving home. When your head hits your pillow, close your eyes and daydream about your homecoming. What do you see that greets you?

Daydream about easy changes or additions you can make that would make you smile when you get that first glimpse of home. Perhaps a few white flowers planted by the walkway or a refreshing tropical fern by the door or....

Think about your front door. Could a fresh coat of paint in a happy color help you feel joy? Visualize colors like snappy apple or silver pine green and rosy coffee au laits. Imagine your home from the curbside viewpoint and play with new colors for your front door.

Maybe you come home and park in a garage for security. If so, paint your connecting door a welcoming color and create a mini-entry inside with a mirror. Make your entrance just as welcoming as your formal entry for guests.

Next, in your dreams, open the door and what do you see that immediately greets you? What can you do so that the first glance makes you feel happy to be at home? Carefully examine the first thing you notice when you take your first step inside. Most of us look down to watch our step. A soft area rug makes your feet feel pampered. Look up. What catches your attention? People get so used to their accessories, they don't even notice them after awhile. Rearrange your pieces so they grab your attention anew.

Where do you go when you arrive home? Each of us has a ritual when we come home, whether we're conscious of it or not. Think about your first activity upon arrival. Make sure it's a pleasant task or change it.

Try to envision changes that you can make to achieve a harmonious home-coming. Besides organizational changes, home decorating changes can help you, too.

Keep daydreaming about your spaces and visualize your desired changes. Think about how you want your spaces to make you feel. For instance, if you want your kitchen to make you feel organized, take out cluttering accessories and repaint the walls a calming muted green. Maybe your dining area needs a facelift to bolster family conversations and a new large mirror would reflect shimmering candle light and happy faces.

Most home makers enjoy shopping for that perfect accessory, daydreaming about colors for their rooms, and planning a new look for their home. I'll bet you fall asleep before you get to your bedroom in your dreams.

Copyright ? 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher, author of Joy to the Home Journal and interior design and real estate books, has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. Besides flipping houses, Jeanette teaches college courses on Design Psychology and professional real estate investing seminars. For free Design Psychology reports, visit http://designpsych.com/