Our homes are many things to different people. Your home might be where you work. It might be where you exercise or practise your hobbies. It could be where you entertain friends and family, or where you are raising your own family. Or, it might just be a base. It might be where you sleep but spend little time otherwise, as you enjoy your busy lifestyle.
But, whether your home is busy, or still; whether it’s just yours, or you share it with others; your forever home, or just your right now house, it should be relaxing.
Whatever else it may be, your home needs to be somewhere that you can relax and unwind. It’s your safe space, where you are free to be you. But, with a busy lifestyle, it can be hard to create a relaxing home.
Your house may be filled with distractions and clutter. It might be a busy family home that’s filled with toys as well as love. You might find it hard to relax, even in your own space, with so much going on around you.
Why You Need a Relaxing Home
If a hectic house has been working for you so far, you might be wondering why you need a relaxing space. Well, it has many benefits.
A relaxing home can help you to sleep and rest. Having such a space can help you to focus and put your problems into perspective. It can make the rest of your life easier. Most of your days will start and end at home, and being able to start them happy and peaceful, and end them relaxed and sleepy, can boost your physical and mental health and give you the strength that you need to tackle the world. So, let’s take a look at some of the things that you can do to create a more relaxing home.
Get a Pet
Pets can be extremely relaxing and soothing. Having a pet to look after gives us something outside of ourselves to focus on, and the simple act of stroking an animal can be extremely peaceful. Pets like dogs will be happy to see you when you come in from home, and taking them out for walks will help you to get more exercise. Check out Time for paws for everything that you need to keep a pet, as well as more help and advice on finding the right pet for you.
Spend Some Time Organising
A messy home will never be relaxing or restful. When we’re around mess and clutter, it can be hard to clear our minds. Spending some time decluttering, and installing adequate storage so that you can keep things tidy more easily can help.
But, you might actually quite like the clutter. Some of us do. We don’t quite feel comfortable in a very tidy space. If that’s the case, you might want to spend time clearing a room, perhaps your bedroom, so that you’ve got an escape when you need it.
Bring Nature In
Nature is so soothing. There’s nothing better than a long walk or run outdoors when you need to unwind or clear your head. This benefit of nature doesn’t have to end when you come home. Fill your home with natural elements, including natural materials like wood and stone, as well as smaller touches like houseplants, and it will quickly start to feel more peaceful. You might even want to think about an indoor water feature.
Another option that you might want to consider may be installing larger windows or sliding doors so that you can see more of your garden, or view, even when you are indoors. If this isn’t possible, even keeping your windows clean, and uncluttered, will help.
Treat Yourself to Fresh Flowers
Houseplants are great, and those with intricate leaves or that flower will help you to welcome colour into your home. But, few flower all year round, and fewer match the aroma of freshly cut flowers.
If you are the sort of person that loves being bought flowers, stop waiting. Start buying flowers for yourself. They’ll make you smile when you look at them, as well as filling your home with delicate scents and vibrant colours.
Use Colour Carefully
Pops of vibrant colours, like with flowers and plants, are great. But, if you want to create a relaxing space, you should be careful with colour on larger areas, like your walls and furniture. Stick to light shades and neutral colours, and accent with complementary shades, and you’ll find it much easier to relax. They won’t overwhelm, they will look sophisticated, and these colours might also help you to sleep.
If you love bolder colours, add them to your accessories and soft furnishings. You certainly shouldn’t be scared of colour, but use them carefully.
Fill it With Pieces That You Love
If you want your home to be relaxing, it needs to make you happy. So, fill it with things that you love. Whether you want everything to match, or you prefer an eclectic mix, focus on pieces that make you happy. Find furniture that you love, accessories that make you smile and mementoes that bring back happy memories, and you’ll always find it easier to relax.
Add Lots of Photos
In that spirit, surrounding yourself with photos, and artwork that means something to you and brings back happy memories is a great idea. Frame photos of holidays and important occasions, as well as people that you love. These will make you smile, and feel loved, even in the harder times.
Add Subtle Lighting
Overhead lights are crucial. But, sometimes we crave something somewhere in-between bright and dark. Subtle lighting, from a dimmer switch, candles, lamps or lanterns, can help you to change the atmosphere in your rooms. They can be bright when you need to work and softer when you are ready to relax.
Create a Reading Corner
Books are another thing that help us to relax and make us smile. Surrounding ourselves with books can help us to feel at peace with the world, and remind us that whatever else is going on, we can get lost in a good book. Adding a reading corner, with a bookshelf and comfortable seating, can give you a space to chill out, whatever else is going on in your life and in your home.
Squeeze in a Home Office
You might not have room for a home office. But, fitting a desk or workspace into another room, even if it’s just a corner, will give you somewhere to work, where you can focus and store work materials. Even if you never work from home, this space can be handy.
Make Comfort a Priority
In every decision that you make about your home and your furniture, ask yourself whether it will be comfortable. Your seating should be soft, your bed supportive, and your decor subtle. Your floors should be soft to walk on, and the air should be fresh and clean. In every room, comfort should be a top consideration.
Focus on Your Hallway
Your hallway never seems like a priority, but it is more important than you think. Your hallway welcomes you home and says goodbye when you leave. Keep it tidy and fresh by adding storage for coats and shoes, and shelving for anything that you want to dump when you get in.
Creating a relaxing home doesn’t mean that you have to make big, costly changes. Most of the time it means making small, but effective changes to your decor, which will improve the atmosphere in your home.
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