Cultivate A Relaxing Home
As a self-proclaimed home body, I willingly spend a substantial amount of time at home. It is where I feel my most happy, my most free. I have been this way since childhood. There is no place on earth that brings me more comfort and ease than my own home. As an adult, this sentiment has only been amplified, due in large part to the freedom I now have to tailor my home to my exact wants and needs.
There are a handful of guidelines I adhere to in order to create a home in which I actually want to spend my time. I am a firm believer that the perfect home for us doesn’t simply land in our laps. It is instead, something which takes years of dedication to cultivate. Although a relaxing home looks different for everyone, I wanted to share some tips that have vastly improved my quality of life at home and have made the time I do spend at home immensely more enjoyable.
Image: One Kindesign
Treat Your Home With Respect
Keeping a home is a considerable undertaking, whether you own or rent. Our homes require time, effort, money and attention from us in order to keep serving us to the capacity which they do. If we fail to make our homes a priority, they fail to be a haven for us in return. This is why it is crucial to treat our homes with respect and stay on top of cleanliness, repairs, and maintenance projects regularly. Have you ever tried relaxing in an untidy room? How about hosting a dinner party with a broken oven? It is virtually impossible to enjoy our homes if all we see are messes and incomplete projects at every turn. Giving our spaces constant attention will ensure that everything that needs to get done will be completed in a timely manner.
Image: Greige Design
2. Hygge
Are you familiar with hygge? Pronounced “hooga,” it is a characteristic of Danish culture meant to describe an overall feeling of contentment, coziness, togetherness and sanctuary which can be cultivated and incorporated in one’s daily life. It is a way to create a sense of community, well-being and warmth in one’s home for the sake of living a slower, more intentional and happier life.
There are endless ways of weaving hygge into our daily lives. Though hygge means different things to different people, overall there are some fundamental elements that can be attributed to a hygge lifestyle. Some hygge elements to adopt include:
using light as an integral part of your design. This could mean natural light, candle light, a flickering fireplace, a reading lamp for your book corner, etc.
comfort food/drinks (think a warm cup of tea or hot cocoa on a cold day)
adopting a mindset of simplicity/minimalism (or at the very least, acknowledging that hygge is about atmosphere and not material things)
Adopting a hygge mentality has shifted the way my family approaches life at home. We are aware of the things that truly matter and I am often filled with gratitude at the understanding that true happiness can be so easily achieved with so little.
Image: Remodelista
3. Appeal To The Five Senses
I love the idea of creating an experience for my guests and family members when they enter my home. The easiest way to do this is to appeal to all five senses. It is not enough to simply have a house that is aesthetically pleasing. In order to make people feel welcomed and comfortable and happy, it is important to play off of all the ways in which humans take in the world and make each of those senses come to life. Here are some ways to do just that:
Sight: a clean and organized home instantly calms anxiety. Clutter is the enemy of tranquility so aim for a clean and tidy home whenever possible.
Smell: what could be better than the smell of freshly baked cookies as you walk into your home? If cookies aren’t your thing, try a scent diffuser with an elevated fragrance. The Pura diffusers are all the rage because of the luxurious options but a similar effect can be achieved with a Glade Plug In.
Sound: ambient music creates such an elevated experience in any setting. I personally love listening to Bosa Nova as I cook, smooth jazz while I clean and I always try to have a playlist in the background when my guests come over. It creates the perfect buffer for in between conversations.
Taste: It is no secret that food makes everyone happier. Try keeping a variety of quality ingredients at home to make meal and snack times feel more special. For instance, swap out a bowl of chips for a few slices of smoked cheddar cheese on your favorite cracker topped off with hot pepper bacon jam.
Touch: an often overlooked part of life is our sense of touch, especially when it comes to our homes. We often strive for things that look good and forget the importance of how something feels. In a vulnerable moment, a soft knitted blanket can feel like a warm hug. After a long, tiring day, silk pajamas can melt away stress. Thick, fluffy towels can create a luxurious bathing experience. Don’t undervalue the importance of incorporating textures throughout your home in order to cultivate relaxation and contentment.
Image: The White Company
4. All In The Details
The difference between an ideal space and your ideal space can be found in all the small details that make a house a home. This varies from person to person. In order to feel a sense of relaxation in your own space you must ensure that the things that make you truly happy are always in sight or within reach. This can be anything from a collection you’ve been working on for years to an original piece of art work you acquired on your travels. For some people it is a favorite candle or freshly baked cookies on the counter. For me, it is having fresh cut flowers every week. Discover those details that spark joy within you and place them in abundance throughout your home.
Image: Blue Gray Gal