In today’s hectic world it’s important to have somewhere you can escape to, a place that is calming and relaxing for you where all your stresses can fade away. Every person has a different idea of what a relaxing environment is. For some, this might conjure up a different thing; it might be a minimalist pad, light and airy, sparsely decorated with monochrome furniture.
For others, this might be a bright and colorful space, where the walls are covered in framed artwork, and large rugs add to the aesthetic. Whatever calm means to you, follow these simple tips to create a more peaceful home environment.
Go Green – Invest in greenery and improve the look of your home as well as helping to improve indoor air quality. Plants increase the level of oxygen in the air by taking in carbon dioxide and converting it into oxygen, so adding some houseplants is a winning idea for two reasons. Plants can also keep temperatures down, so if you want to save on air conditioning put some pot plants in strategic places. If you are not very green-fingered and fear that any houseplants you buy will end up withering and die within a few weeks, then go for easy to maintain plants such as succulents or a spider plant. These need little water and are happy in many environments so are a low-maintenance start to establishing a greener indoors.
Your Walls Are A Work Of Art – Artwork can reflect elements of your personality and can help to provide an atmosphere to your home. Whatever your budget, there are beautiful ways to decorate your walls including framed motivational quotes, stunning paintings, family photographs or classic prints. Check out an online art selling marketplace such as Etsy to buy artwork direct from artists, and if you want you can even order personalized prints so your walls can reflect your family.
De-clutter – A cluttered house is not a calm and relaxing space to be in. If you walk into your home and every surface is full with things from books to unopened letters, half-drunk cups of coffee to filing that has yet to make it to the cabinet, then it is worthwhile spending the time and getting brutal with the clutter. It is important to establish a system for clearing the clutter so that it doesn’t accumulate as soon as you’ve finished your initial clear out. Try to clear out one thing per day, so it’s a gradual process, or if that doesn’t work for you blitz your house in one sitting but then establish a routine for recycling or donating so that you maintain a clutter-free home. Be honest with yourself and let go of anything that you don’t regularly use or that doesn’t give you pleasure. Do not keep things out of a sense of guilt or simply because someone gave it to you.
Furniture – There is a lot to think about when choosing furniture for your home, including style, use, andcolor. Do you like the shabby chic mismatched look or is your preference more uniform and sleek in style? A site such as https://www.moderndigsfurniture.com can help you to create the feel you want in each room of your house, with high–quality products from desks to dining tables, rugs to sofas.
Focus on color – The color palettes of your home can have a big influence on your mood. Studies have indicated that color can play a part in emotional and psychological responses, so spending time deciding on an appropriate color scheme for your home can pay off. The right color palette can change the perceived temperature of a space, making a room feel cooler or warmer, enhance your mood, and make space seem larger and lighter or more cozy and romantic as appropriate. Before working out a new color scheme, assess the natural light of a room and how many windows there are, then work out what feel you want to create in the space. Is the room the active hub of the house or your bedroom, a place of calm and peace? Perhaps the room would benefit from a feature wall giving a bold pop of color? Or muted neutrals might fit your needs best, giving you a blank canvas on which to hang your artwork and allow your furnishings to stand out.
Aromas – The sense of smell is often overlooked and yet is so important when it comes to creating atmosphere and shaping an environment. Use candles, incense sticks, oil burners, plug-ins or infused reeds to help in your home. Create a statement with large church-style scented candles, or ring in the seasonal changes with different aromas such as sea breeze for the summer months or gingerbread when Christmas comes around. A top tip from realtors is to bake cookies before an open house to give your home a warm and inviting aroma that subliminally makes people feel welcomed and can be reminiscent of childhood. This holds true for day-to-day living too, and if baking fresh bread and cookies daily are not possible, then you can buy fragrance sprays that can replicate the smells and help create a homely environment.
Zone Your Home – Creating different zones can help to calm your mind and improve sleep. If you can allocate a technology zone and ensure this is not near your sleeping zone, this can help your mind to unwind when it comes to bedtime, giving you a more restful sleep. Insomnia is on the rise and thought, in part, to be down to our reliance on technology and the fact that we rarely truly switch off. To counter this, make sure you don’t check your phone or look at screens for at least an hour before bed nor first thing in the morning. When you are unwinding for the evening, you should keep your phone on the other side of the room, as this means you are not tempted to check it at night and don’t watch TV from your bed.
Feel Uplifted – Surrounding yourself with happy memories can boost your mood, so why not get some of our favorite photographs printed and framed so they are the first thing you see each morning? All too often people take endless photos on their phone and rarely take the time to go through them and print the best ones, but make this a habit and your walls will make you smile each day.