Most of us have spent a lot more time at home than we probably planned to in the last year or so. And while the outside world feels a little chaotic at the moment, home is the one place where we can exert some measure of control. More than ever, home really is our sanctuary. That’s why it makes great sense to create a calming place where we can feel safe and centred.
Here are eight ways you can achieve a more mindful home:
Soothe yourself with calming hues
One of the simplest ways you can soothe the soul at home is by painting the walls. Recruit the whole household for one weekend and use it as quality family bonding time. And when it comes to choosing your calming colour palette, there are two ways to think about the end goal. You can optimise the calm with pastel hues or natural tones (think cream, sage, or lilac) or you can opt for a happiness boost with brighter pops like lemon or terracotta. Or if you’re not ready to take the plunge: glow up your neutral zones with pops of colour in furnishings and décor.
Light the way
The darkest nights are always followed by daylight. Sunshine on our skin and dappled on our walls is a guaranteed way to give us a much-needed joy boost. Try arranging furniture to make the most of the morning and afternoon sun, allowing for quiet time to read or relax while soaking up some vitamin D. Even if it’s a grey old day, you can fake it until you make it by choosing lamps that throw soothing amber-gold tones. Let mirrors reflect the glow into even the dullest corners.
Every sense counts
We focus a lot on how things look to make us feel calm and collected, but our sense of smell is a happiness trigger that’s often overlooked. Stock up on a range of scented candles for every mood, add essential oil diffusers into your favourite chill-out zones and invest in plants that give off a gorgeous waft. Maybe set up a kitchen seat so you can make the most of the glorious scents of yummy home cooking too.
Bring the outdoors inside
A great way to not feel cooped up is to bring greenery inside. Plants look beautiful and really help achieve mindfulness. There are lots of low-maintenance options for the least green-thumbed amongst us, but getting into the rhythm of caring for them can be a form of meditation in itself. Otherwise, opt for dried plants or increasingly convincing artificial options, or channel the sea breeze instead with driftwood, shells and wave-smoothed stones that are cool to touch.
Make some space
Marie Kondo didn’t invent minimalism, but her hugely popular Netflix show sure turbo-boosted its popularity. And if you’ve ever done a wardrobe declutter then found yourself staring in quiet joy at the visual bliss it inspires, you’ll know that sometimes less really is more. We can achieve the same effect everywhere in our homes. What do we really need? What brings us joy? Where are the corners where we dump the stuff we really don’t love? Again, this can be a team effort: challenge everyone in your home to streamline a specific space. You can achieve a huge amount in half-hour chunks, and donating feels good.
Draw boundaries
With many of us working at home at the moment, it definitely pays to establish a healthy work-life balance. A home study with a door you can close and walk away from is the best way to clock off in an ideal world. If that’s not an option, make a conscious effort to turn off and put away your laptop, consider a work desk with a closable lid, or grab a beautiful throw you can drape over your desk to help make the never-ending pull to answer emails disappear.
Create a chill-out corner
Considering turning a neglected area in your home into a dedicated chill-out space where there are no screens. A place where you can meditate in peace, practice Pilates, read a book or just sit quietly with your thoughts. It doesn't even need to be a whole room. It can be a cosy window seat or a corner that frees up – perhaps your study nook after work? Think calming lighting, comfortable cushions and throws, and soothing music.
Bedroom bliss
Your bedroom should be the sweetest sanctuary of all. There's a certain school of thought that the space should only be for sleeping and, well...you get the gist. Consider getting rid of the television and other electronics and popping your phone in a bedside drawer around an hour or so before lights out. Read before snoring. Invest in high thread count sheets and blackout curtains for blissed-out dreams.
If you’re looking for more inspiration to help create a home that you love, we’ve got you covered. Head over to our image gallery for Pinterest-worthy photos of our display homes, visit our video gallery to tour our displays from the comfort of your own couch, or browse through more helpful blogs here.
