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Page 149
Putting the Divine in the Décor
According to vastu, the home is a temple for the body and soul. The objects that surround you and the way that they are arranged in every room should reinforce this premise. A vastu home, appropriately decorated, makes you feel good.
Books
Books may be a statement of our personal interests and speak of our inner self, so it is best to keep books tidy and in some order. A sloppy bookcase that becomes a home for whatever fits shows disrespect for a book collection and perhaps for ourselves. A bookcase where books are arranged by subject or category might make you inclined to choose to look at a title if you like books and are curious. But a bookcase where the tops of books have become shelves themselves, or where the front space of every inch of bookshelf has become a parking lot for more than loose change makes most people not want to touch a book at all. Since reading is often a hoarded, good pleasure, offer yourself and your friends access to your books.
Carpets and Tiles
Terra cotta or stone tiles that peek around the perimeters of an area rug add an earthy tone to a room. Vegetable-dye colors in rugs honor the agricultural aspects of nature, the colors seen in the woods and in the fields. The careful choice of floor coverings gives a lovely and personal touch to a home. Wall-to-wall carpeting, functional as it is, is less appealing and less evocative. Try, if you can, to avoid such carpeting. It will cover the floor, but little else. Wall-to-wall carpeting does not express anything about us, except

 
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