Founder of SPANX shapewear, Sara Blakely, (who also happens to be the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire), does her best thinking in her car. For years when she didn’t have much of a commute, she’d go out and drive around randomly just to clear her mind and percolate on her business enterprise. Even now as a mother of four she sometimes sneaks out to her driveway for a little quiet time in her parked car, which prompts her children to knock on the window and ask her what she is doing.
Cars are so much more than vehicles that get us from Point A to Point B. The way our cars look and feel can make them a refuge as well as imprint our day with positive emotions. Or negative ones, depending on their style and state.
I recently purchased a lovely new car and found myself thinking about how I could make it even more safe, comfortable and beautiful. I came up with and implemented many welcome ideas, some of which you may wish to try yourself.
The Luxury of Privacy - Most of us don’t wish to be stared at as we drive, like a goldfish in a bowl. Also, depending upon where you live, the inside of your car might become unbearably hot in the warmer months. Tinted windows change all that. Not only do they deliver whatever degree of privacy you like, they also help to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature and protect your skin from the sun’s burning rays.
While it’s true your car dealership can usually handle window tinting for you, you’ll find the service more affordable at small, independently owned local businesses, if you’re willing to do a bit of online research. The guy who did my windows was such an expert on the topic I wound up learning a lot from him. Which is good because you’ll have some decisions to make as there are several different options from ultra-dark to barely there, all with their own pros and cons to consider.
The Luxury of Immaculate Conditions - Back when people had chauffeurs and Bentleys, their cars would be cleaned every single day. No truly elegant person would dream of getting into a car with a dusty dashboard and dead leaves, pebbles and dirt on the floors. But cleaning your car daily really isn’t realistic for most of us. I’ve found the easiest way to keep my car interior pristine is to carry a small hand-held vacuum secured in the cabin. I use one that plugs into my 12 volt lighter, so I never need to replace any batteries nor do I need to find an exterior outlet and drag a tiresome cord around.
My mini-vac has been a game changer for being able to quickly pick up the detritus that shows up on the carpeted floors. And it’s honestly a pleasure to use. It has attachments that can reach beneath and between seats as needed. Similarly I keep a cotton cloth to wipe down the interior surfaces, and for the tricky and hard to reach vents and angles I use a stipple art brush, as I find it has just the right shape and bristle firmness for the job.
The Luxury of Peace of Mind - Here’s a shocker: according to the American Automobile Association, over 30 percent of new cars sold in the US no longer have a spare tire. Mine did not. Many manufacturers have removed them to save weight and bolster government-mandated fuel efficiency dictates. And the drivers have no idea, until they get a flat.
My car came with just an inflator patch-type kit, but the experts at AAA say it’s the rare flat that can be fixed with one of those. Being stuck on the side of the road, or worse, in traffic, is definitely not luxurious, so I had a spare tire put on after I bought it, placed in the empty recessed wheel-well on the vehicle’s undercarriage. You could get a fifth tire or just a donut spare, depending on your budget and the typical road conditions you usually face.
It’s definitely worth checking to see if your car actually has a spare, rather than find out the hard way. If it doesn’t you may find, that like on my car, the space for the spare is intact, so it’s just a matter of placing one there aftermarket.
The Luxury of Reduced Visual Noise - Last year I took an online course about interior and domestic aesthetics run by a glamorous woman in Moscow. It was a terrific course and one of my biggest takeaways was the concept of visual noise. So many of us are surrounded by visual noise every day and we may not always notice it but it takes a toll on our energy and psyche.
For example, when you go to a spa or high end hotel, they do not have piles of clutter laying about, or branded bottles of things in garish colors. Colors are harmonious and the placement of objects is purposeful. This immediately calms the mind and soothes the spirit. Well, the interior of our cars is no different.
I’m not saying to put a little stone fountain under your dashboard, just rather become aware of the visual noise within the space. Car manufacturers have taken to applying garish yellow and red stickers on both sides of the front window visors with safety messages. They are so ugly. I did not care to look at them every day so I had some simple covers sewn up to match the interior fabric. You can purchase visor covers online or even just cut the sleeves off of a long-sleeve shirt and slide them over for a similar effect.
The Luxury of Self-Expression - It was Coco Chanel who said “Elegance is refusal.” For a truly elegant vehicle, it’s not enough to remove anything branded or unattractive, we also want to infuse the space with our own personality. This can be done with little touches, like cupholder inserts in your favorite color or a personalized keychain that reminds you of happy memories every time you use it.
For a truly luxurious experience you will want to consider all your senses. Once the new car smell wears off, you can spritz your favorite fragrance on a cotton ball or tuck a beloved scented bar of soap underneath the seats. I eschew the standard audio packages that come with new cars in order to listen to custom-selected music that I play from a digital dongle, commercial-free. And a box of mints or hard candies tucked in the driver’s console will always come in handy.
If you’ve never stepped back and considered how you could make your car more elegant, I encourage you to do so. Taken in total, these many small touches have transformed my car into a distinct source of daily pleasure, and who couldn’t use more of those?
Barbara Wayman is the author of Living An Extraordinary Life: 9 Transformational Strategies for Living Your Best Life Now.