Design psychologist to explain tastes in home decoration

YWCA Princeton Newcomers Club to host presentation Friday

By: Jake Uitti
   The YWCA Princeton Newcomers Club will host a presentation by design psychologist Toby Israel at 11:45 a.m. Friday. The presentation is for those interested in having a home that reflects what is special and unique about their individual sense of place.
   Based in Princeton, Ms. Israel is a founder of the new field of design psychology that maintains that past environments — childhood homes, favorite haunts — influence the choice of houses later in life, as well as one’s notions of home.
   In her recent book, "Some Place Like Home: Using Design Psychology to Create Ideal Places," Ms. Israel contends that only by recognizing and understanding these past influences or "our buried sense of home," as she puts it, can people turn their surroundings into a place that truly feels like home.
   Taking interior design to a deeper level that emphasizes people over luxury, she believes that exploring someone’s past should be part of the home-decorating process.
   Lunch will be available for a nominal fee, and reservations are not required.
   For those who prefer a more casual setting to find out about the Newcomers Club, a social coffee will be held Oct. 19 at the YWCA’s Bramwell House beginning at 9:30 a.m. This meeting is an informal gathering to introduce prospective members to the club.
   The purpose of the Newcomers Club is to give those new to the area a way to make friends and get acquainted with their surroundings. Also welcome are those who have lived in the area for a while but have experienced a lifestyle change and would like to meet new people.
   Members of the club live throughout the greater Princeton area. They have moved to the area from as near as the next town over, and from as far away as Europe, Australia and Asia, officials of the club said.
   Those interested in membership are invited to attend one general meeting, one social coffee and one interest group activity before joining. General meetings are held at the YWCA the second Friday of each month at 11:45 a.m.
   Social coffees meet at the YWCA’s Bramwell House the third Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m.
   Interest groups typically meet in members’ homes or at local establishments or areas of interest at varying times during the month. An evening social coffee will be held on Nov. 15 at Bramwell House from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
   For more information, call the YWCA Princeton at (609) 497-2100 or visit the YWCA Princeton Newcomers Club Web site at http://www. ywcaprinceton.org/newcomers/index.html.
   The Newcomers Club, which is part of the YWCA Princeton, costs $35 to join. Concurrent membership in the YWCA is a requirement.