We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

The interior design industry has been known to be trend driven like fashion or music. There’s the Pantone color of the year, what’s out, what’s in. One year it’s neutrals and timeless styles, the other it’s saturated tones and bold statements. This is part of what makes design fun to follow-the creativity and evolution. And, while the role of an interior designer is to personalize a client’s home, the aesthetic element is highlighted.

The look of a space IS important…don’t get me wrong. But, there was something else that has surfaced as more important in creating environments. It’s the energy, the feel, the vibe (as in vibration). This may seem like a no brainer. But what happened during the time of lock down truly transformed how we view our homes. For a bit there, folks were forced to look at their four walls and observe what they felt about how their space functioned, looked and felt.

It was through this period of time that the connection between wellness and our spaces came to life for me. The realization is simple: our homes are extensions of ourselves. They reflect back to us who we are, what we value, and how we experience life. They have the power to affect not only our physical wellbeing, but also our mental and emotional wellness too.

At a time when I thought people would reserve their income for emergencies, an influx of design project requests emerged. Home offices and patios were the most popular. Dwellers needed to reinvent how to use their space in a way that gave them a bit more freedom and sanity. They started to pay attention to the drab wall color that actually makes them depressed, the clutter that needed attention, and how to actually enjoy home.

In 2022, I started a certification course at the School of Holistic Interior Design by Kimberly Garner. Turns out there are many other designers observing the same thing and want to integrate new knowledge with well-established design methods. I was thrilled to find an extensive study of this and was eager to apply it right away!

What does this look like? It’s leaning into science (yes, design can be science-y) like epigenetics and neuroplasticity to make a connection between our environments and inner worlds. It’s revealing that our homes illustrate what we desire in life and have the power to shift who we are much like a manifestation tool. It’s using elements of Feng Shui to speak to the importance of balance and flow.

The best thing about this approach is that it brings intentionality into one of the most important aspects of our human experience, our home life. When we design from this place, we open the doors to more peace, better relationships, more inspiration and productivity, heightened abundance…more wellness.

One favorite example of this was a client who was writing a book and was stumped, uninspired-she had writer’s block. She invited me to revamp her home office. Once there, it was clear that the design of the space had so much influence on her lack of productivity and inspiration. The process included editing or decluttering, switching the dark gray accent wall for a sage green, adding better lighting, and artwork that was uplifting to her. A few months after the redesign, she happily shared that she’d completed her book.

The energy of space is everything.

As humans, we have transitions all the time. Things change. We change. Our spaces can support those changes and become healthy containers for the expansion we envision.

I love that my work as an interior designer is more than making a room look pretty. As a holistic interior designer, I become a coach, guide, healer, and co-creator. It’s rewarding to learn from clients that their intentionally designed spaces have made a significant positive impact on their lives.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am proud to say I was part of the beginning wave of online interior design when the concept started to develop about 8 years or so ago. To me, it felt like a great way not only to work with clients all over the world but to make my service more accessible. By being online, the cost of traditional interior design is reduced significantly since there’s very little (if any) in person contact. Also, folks who have a packed schedule are able to engage in their design project online when they have time. Overall, online interior design cuts through the idea that design is only a luxury service. It opens the doors for people to connect with design pros and attain the curated spaces they desire. I like to say that it’s like DIY with professional guidance.

The process begins with an online questionnaire that touches on the client’s design needs, preferences, and also where they feel stuck in their space. With uploaded photos and a sketch of a floor plan, I am able to use all of their information to create a concept board that helps them visualize the possibilities of a beautifully and intentionally designed space. The project includes a digitalized floor plan, an online shopping list, and an implementation guide. My clients always have access to me if any questions arise and I check in with them periodically to see how the progress is going.

Projects range anywhere from residential to commercial, revamps to renovations, one room to whole home. One offering I am super lit up about is the Design Breakthrough. Here we go through a design reading of sorts where by looking at a client’s room, I am able to reveal layers of observations that may contribute to feeling stuck and uninspired in areas of finances, relationships, and self. The goal is to make energetic shifts in the home that will have a direct impact on the client’s belief systems and eventually create life breakthroughs. It’s incredible how we can use design as a tool towards manifestation and wellness.

The last couple of years has really changed the way I view interior design. Much of the way I like to work now is through a self discovery journey with the client, by using what they already have in interesting ways, by weaving in light and color therapy, and by tapping into what makes them shine.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I was an educator for 16 years, mostly working in international schools. It was a great gig. Amazing students, unique locations, and a wonderful way to save money. Most of my travels happened in those years. I did, though, get burned out and was aching to feed my creativity in another way. Having moved to several locations worldwide (Colombia, Tunisia, Korea, Laos, Mexic0), I noticed that making home became a really important ritual for me to feel grounded and safe. What was a natural inclination for me soon was a source of admiration by my colleagues.

“Why does your house feel so home-y if we all get the same crappy school furniture?” friends would ask. I observed that there were things I paid attention to: lighting, bringing in plants, spatial layout. I had a skill for interior design. It wasn’t too surprising. Since I could remember I would personalize my space with my own aesthetic flair. As a kid sharing a room with my sister, I would change up the collage on my wall often and stylize my part of the bookshelf. My mother also loved changing things up in our childhood home. I’ve never seen someone wallpaper as much as her!

So, I decided to take on my colleagues and friends as clients. I created my own consultation process and put together mood boards as best I could using word documents.

I didn’t charge much at first…wanted to build my design muscle more and get experience under my belt. Most of my clients were international dwellers like me. Then, I began to expand to other people I knew living in the US. This was my side hustle as I taught 4th graders full-time and I LOVED it!

An amazing opportunity of being introduced to a young CEO of one of the first online interior design companies, Decorilla, changed the course of my career. I was hired as a co-founder after completing an online design certification course. The start-up world was so new to me and I worked like crazy for four years wearing many hats to get the company off the ground.

After a while, I craved to work more directly with design and decided to leave Decorilla. I opened The Good Abode with my own online interior design platform. I’ve been lucky enough to have had projects globally from Brazil to Russia to Denmark. Remote work has also allowed me the freedom to continue traveling, a passion that will always light me up. Additionally, I’ve been asked to collaborate on some really interesting projects like a home renovation in the UNESCO Heritage town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and a small boutique hotel in Todos Santos, Baja.

Recounting this story now makes me appreciate so much the journey of this design side hustle evolution. It took some time and a lot of effort, but was totally worth it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal has been revealed in the last couple of years, really.

I have parents aging now in their late 70s/early 80s. My father is disabled and my mother has been his sole care giver for many many years until recently. It’s been quite an experience to witness this transitioning time for my folks. None of it has been easy. There is very little in the way of approachable solutions when it comes to caring for our older family members in American culture. Much of the care is inaccessible due to cost and to qualify for government assistance means proof of living at or below poverty. In California, the options for limited and often bleak when it comes to exploring aging facilities.

And, that’s only the concrete, physical part of things. Emotional and mental support for those aging or experiencing dementia AND their families is challenging to find. It exists, yes, but there is little in the way of integrating the elderly in this culture. They often become invisible; their lives diminished into small bedrooms with a TV and little interaction with the outside world. There is a sense of loss and loneliness. This is what I’ve experienced so far.

Yet, having been in other parts of the world and currently living in Mexico, it’s clear other approaches to aging and elderly participation exist. People engage in social events and walk their dogs on the beach and continue to explore through leaning painting, music, another language.

Vitality and connection is so possible later in life. And, I believe part of feeling good, alive, a sense of independence is by creating spaces where these values are upheld. Nursing homes have long been stripped of their “home” feel, adopting a more hospital-like atmosphere to house residents. Many lack character, charm, the personal touch that make people feel comfortable, calm, and happy.

Recently, I’ve been interested in exploring places in the world that honor and value the quality of life of the elderly by creating inviting spaces. There are Dementia Care Villages like in Hogeweyk, Netherlands, that introduce an alternative option to the nursing home model.

I want to be a part of this movement. To help create spaces that nurture and engage our aging members of society in a way supports their end of life with dignity and joy. I feel my education in Feng Shui and Holistic Interior Design are tools that will guide my work towards projects in this realm.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thegoodabode.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodabode/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodabode/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-martin-53150758/

Image Credits
Leon Jorge (photo of me in chair) Gieves Anderson (me in hammock)