Bougie on a Budget: How to Bring Balance and Peace to Your Home with Designer Shawna Buenger

Can a home be beautiful, budget-friendly, and wellness-supporting? Absolutely, and today’s guest, interior designer Shawna, is here to show us how. Known for her “bougie on a budget” magic, Shawna believes everyone deserves a home that feels curated, calming, and full of soul, no matter your price point.

In this episode, we explore how to create a healing home using intentional color, cozy textures, meaningful art, and sensory-friendly lighting. We talk about what to avoid (fluorescents and clutter, we're looking at you), how to start small with a rug or a single paint color, and why hiring a designer might be the smartest move, even on a budget.

What you’ll learn:
✨ [12:00] How to use color psychology in your home (hello, greens and blues!)
✨ [13:05] The power of textures, natural elements, and lighting to shape your space
✨ [18:30] Why clutter messes with your nervous system, and what to do about it
✨ [25:20] How to design rooms that energize or relax you (on purpose!)
✨ [37:50] Easy, affordable upgrades that create a big impact

If you’re dreaming of a home that feels like a retreat—but your budget’s screaming "reality check"—this one’s for you. Whether you rent, flip, or live in your forever home, you can design a space that supports your body, your mind, and your vibe.
🎧 Tune in now and start transforming your space from the floor up.

🎉 SPECIAL OFFER FOR LISTENERS 🎉

Shawna Buenger is offering a **free consultation** when you mention you heard about it on the Homes That Heal podcast!
👉 More info Here: www.nevieloru.com
📌 Just mention “Homes That Heal” when booking!

Resources & Links:

Bio:
Shawna Buenger is the owner and founder of Nevie LoRu. She is an artist, a budget-friendly interior decorator, and a business owner. After a career in high-end property management and development, she quit her job to stay at home with her kiddos. She found herself still searching for a creative outlet and turned to the walls of her own home. Shawna had always loved to create large-scale paintings, and basically all aspects of the creative process, so she took the principles she had learned from interior designers she worked with in property development and applied them to her home.

Shawna discovered that she loved interior design and renovated every home she had, along with friends' and families' homes. When her husband and she built a home together, she told him that she wanted to create the designs and visions she had in my head, not hire a designer. Their home became the catalyst for her hobby, turning into her business. After her children were all in school, her focus became Nevie LoRu. Her daughters are the inspiration for her company's name.

Shawna absolutely loves being able to find stylish options for her clients that do not cost a small fortune. She believes everyone is entitled to a beautiful home that suits their style and needs without having to keep up with every design trend. Shawna works with clients to remodel, renovate, and transform spaces, mostly in residential homes, but also on commercial projects. She works with all budgets, all speeds, and as hands-on as her clients need her to be.

Website: www.nevieloru.com
Email: nevieloru@gmail.com

Connect with Me:

• Website: www.jenhellerlifestyle.com
• Instagram: @jenhellerlifestyle
• Facebook: @jenhellerlifestyle
• YouTube: @JenHellerLifestyle
• Email me at hello@jenhellerlifestyle.com

Ep 48: Wellness Rooms 101: Easy Ways to Create Peace, Health + Longevity at Home

Let’s be honest—if you’re feeling off lately (low energy, weight gain, brain fog, hormone chaos), you’re not alone. And if you’re anything like me, you just want simple ways to feel better, slow aging, and actually enjoy your life, without having to move to Bali or spend six hours a day meditating. That’s where intentional wellness spaces come in. In this episode of Homes That Heal, I’m walking you through how I created a home wellness sanctuary that helps me detox, restore, and thrive—right under my own roof.

This is the final episode in our 8-week home wellness series, and I’m going deep, sharing the behind-the-scenes story of how I went from losing my brick-and-mortar wellness business to building a healing environment in my own home that honestly feels better than most spas. (There’s even a cold plunge. Some mornings it’s a hard sell, but worth it.)

I’ll tell you:

• [7:05] How I carved out peaceful, tech-free zones for meditation, movement, and full-body recharge
• [9:25] Why lighting, layout, and little decor details matter way more than you think
• [11:30] What wellness tools I use daily—like my infrared sauna, red light tower, PEMF chair, and brain-tapping headset
• [14:15] And how to visualize (and start building) your own version of a high-vibe wellness space—no matter your square footage

I'll even guide you through a quick visualization exercise to help you dream up your own space. Because the truth is, you don’t need to “get away” to heal—you just need to create a home that helps you heal.

🌿 Want support? Head to jenhellerlifestyle.myflodesk.com/homewellnesschecklist to grab your free Home Wellness Checklist and get on the newsletter list—because this summer, I’ve got a few surprises coming just for my inner circle.

🔎Take a peek at the tools and products I recommend:

jenhellerlifestyle.com/jen-recommends

Thanks for being here and following along week after week. You’re the reason I keep doing this work. Here’s to creating a calm, cozy, joy-filled home that supports your health every single day. Let’s keep healing, together.

Episode Website:

jenhellerlifestyle.com/2025/05/13/how-to-create-a-wellness-room-decor-lighting-and-healing-tools/

Connect with Me:

• Website: www.jenhellerlifestyle.com
• Instagram: @jenhellerlifestyle
• Facebook: @jenhellerlifestyle
• YouTube: @JenHellerLifestyle
• Email me at hello@jenhellerlifestyle.com

Ep 47 Ask Jen: Infrared Sauna Wood Options, Garage Setup Tips, and Buying Used

Looking for the best infrared sauna for your home? This Ask Jen minisode is your shortcut to the answers you actually need. I’m diving into your top infrared sauna questions, like:

• Should you go with basswood vs. mahogany for your home infrared sauna?
• Can you really put an infrared sauna in your garage (without wrecking it)?
• And is that “too good to be true” Facebook Marketplace infrared sauna really a smart buy... or a disaster waiting to happen?

Whether you’re just starting your infrared sauna research or you’re already ten tabs deep into specs and sauna wood types, this episode is packed with the real talk you need. No fluff, no internet rabbit holes — just clear advice to help you choose the best infrared sauna for your home without second-guessing yourself.

What You’ll Learn:
[3:00] Pros and cons of basswood, mahogany, and other sauna wood types
[4:25] Why cedar saunas are rare—and what changed after 2020
[6:35] If putting a sauna in your garage or basement is really a good idea
[8:45] What to look out for when buying a used sauna (spoiler: no, the warranty doesn’t transfer)
[10:45] Why it’s better to reach out for help than rely on Reddit threads and Facebook chat rooms


🎧Mentioned in this episode:

• Free Home Wellness Checklist: jenhellerlifestyle.com
• Submit a question for a future Ask Jen episode: Contact Page
• Shop Clear Light Saunas + see current promos: https://jenhellerlifestyle.com/infrared-saunas
• Episode Website: https://jenhellerlifestyle.com/2025/05/06/ask-jen-buying-used-saunas-wood-options-and-garage-set-up/

⭐️ If you loved this episode, please rate, review, and follow the show! It helps more wellness warriors like you discover how to build a Home That Heals

Connect with Me:

• Website: www.jenhellerlifestyle.com
• Instagram: @jenhellerlifestyle
• Facebook: @jenhellerlifestyle
• YouTube: @JenHellerLifestyle
• Email me at hello@jenhellerlifestyle.com