Our homes should be unique, special places that trigger positive emotions. When you walk through the door after a busy day at work, you want your shoulders to sink. If you long for a tranquil haven, here are some simple ways to turn your home into a sanctuary.
Use color to set the tone
Colors have a powerful impact on the look of the room, but they can also influence the vibe. To create relaxing living spaces, it’s wise to opt for calming colors that have a soothing effect. Examples include blues, purples, greens and neutral shades. Try to avoid bright, harsh tones in quiet parts of the house, such as the bedrooms, and stick to a simple color palette.
Add scents
Have you ever noticed that you feel instantly calm or serene when you walk into a spa or a store that sells home fragrance? Scents can transform the feel and ambiance of a room, helping to create restful areas in even the busiest of homes. There’s a huge range of products to choose from, including scented candles, room sprays, incense, and diffusers. When designing peaceful zones, opt for scents that induce relaxation, such as lavender, chamomile, rose, and sandalwood. It’s particularly beneficial to use oils, candles, and diffusers in bathrooms and bedrooms to help you unwind and de-stress.
Declutter
Clutter looks unsightly, but it can also increase stress and make our homes feel cramped. Decluttering is a great way to maximize usable space, while lifting your mood and creating a tidy, organized home. Once you’ve got rid of clutter, it’s much easier to stay on top of tidying and cleaning. The best way to declutter is to go through each room and create piles of stuff to keep, sell, donate or throw away. Once you’ve done this, use storage to find a home for your belongings. If you’re short on storage, you can buy extra storage, hire a storage unit or take advantage of savvy hacks. Examples include hanging rails over doors, using your wall space for shelving and wall-mounted units, and buying furniture with hidden drawers and cupboards.
Choose ambient lighting
Ambient lighting changes the mood of a room in an instant. While bright light can be energizing and revitalizing, soft lighting is soothing. If you’re choosing lighting for multifunctional spaces, such as kitchens and living rooms, it’s a good idea to add a dimmer switch. This way you can cater to different activities and times of day. In tranquil rooms, opt for lamps or wall lights or go for a romantic vibe with string lights or LED candles. Warm tones of orange and amber are also more inviting and cozy than bright white light.
Having space to unwind, relax and feel calm is essential for good mental health and well-being. If your home isn’t quite the haven you crave, it’s easy to transform the look and feel of your living spaces. Simple steps to creating a sanctuary include choosing soothing, calming colors, adding relaxing scents, decluttering, and opting for ambient lighting.
