A home where we can relax and recharge our batteries is essential to our well-being. Read on for more top tips to create an oasis of calm – from using soothing colours to bringing greenery into your home. Read on for six top tips.
Bring in natural materials
Natural elements bring a calming energy to your home. Choose from woven baskets, natural-fibre rugs, unvarnished wood and natural collections of all kinds. Seashells, stones, driftwood, pressed leaves and flowers — anything from nature will create a calming vibe. Whatever your interior design style, there is a natural material that will look amazing; look for materials like bamboo, rattan and wicker.
Natural materials are also great neutrals that work with many different interior styles and give an instant feeling of calm and style to any space. Because they are always on trend, they will give your home a timeless elegance.
Hide your tech
With so many of us are working from home, it is important that we separate our homes and working lives. Nobody wants to stare at a tangle of cords or a pile of messy paperwork in the evening. It can be very stressful to see your home office every day, so creating a dedicated private workspace is key to creating a calm environment.
Hide your tech away and go for smaller, wireless devices that look less obtrusive. Stylish desks, comfortable chairs and clever office storage are top of many furniture designers’ agendas this year so look for office furniture that suits your lifestyle and works with your interior style.
Bring greenery into your space
House plants make your home feel more lived-in and calmer. A big Fig Fiddle Leaf or Monstera (Cheese Plant) can be a real focal point, whilst a collection of succulents can look great on a floating shelf. Plants have also a range of well-being benefits including improved mood, reduced anxiety, air purification for cleaner air, and boosted healing.
Forage for interestingly shaped twigs and greenery on your next walk. It’s amazing how a twisted branch, some ivy and a few berries displayed in a big pot can create a wonderful focal point in winter, whilst in spring a bunch of fresh tulips or daffodils spark joy.
Use restful hues
Natural hues such as green, blue, grey and shades of white are typically the colours that will make us feel calm and relaxed. But cool colours aren’t the only hues that have a restful influence — muted shades of terracotta, rose, taupe or mocha are also wonderfully restful. Many of the big paint brands have predicted 2023 will be the year of earthy natural colours, so there are some beautiful new colours coming out.
Your choice of colour can really affect how you feel, so think about the psychology of colour when you choose a scheme for each room. Blue is a soothing colour which helps calm a busy mind, green is a quiet restful colour we associate with nature, purple represents spirituality, white symbolises purity, grey is cool and calming, pink is gentle and restful, terracotta is grounding and shades of brown are solid and safe.
Use these colours in the rooms where you want to feel comfortable and relaxed – a bedroom sanctuary, a spa-like bathroom or a restful living space.
Make your house feel like a hotel
There is nothing more restful than spending a night away in a lovely boutique hotel. Try and recreate that vibe in your own home.
To give your bathroom a spa-like feel, keep your bathroom essentials at hand and everything else neatly tucked away to maintain a relaxing atmosphere. Splash out on some spa-inspired accessories – think designer mirrors, candles and tealights, gorgeous smelling soaps and a pile of immaculate white towels resting on a wooden stool. A fluffy bathmat and a towel warmer, so you can enjoy the luxury of heated towels, is also essential.
In your bedroom, invest in some fresh new bed linen and make your bed up like a hotel every day. Plump up pillows, add a colourful throw and pretty cushions – you will feel relaxed when you go to bed at the end of the evening. Tidy up your bedside cabinets and only have essentials on display – hand cream, a relaxing pillow spray, your books and an eye-mask arranged on a pretty tray will mean you can go to sleep without being surrounded by clutter.
Create a calm corner
Carve out a small space with a comfortable chair where you can relax for a few minutes each day with a cup of tea. Add a cosy throw and good lighting so you can curl up to read or meditate every day. If you exercise or do yoga, having a place dedicated to health and wellness will help you focus.
This year when we are facing such uncertain and stressful times, it’s essential that we make our homes feel like a place to escape and unwind. Have a good declutter, use calming colours, bring in natural elements and carve out spaces to relax and you’ll create an oasis of calm you’ll find hard to leave!
