Interior design tips for making your space more peaceful
AI Assisted Design
It’s amazing how the atmosphere of your space affects your mood and how you feel. Are you seeking more of a sense of presence and calm in the spaces you live in? Would you like to have a feeling of balance and harmony when you get home? Would you like to return to a sanctuary after a long work day? If so, this blog is for you. I’ve put together 6 principals of design that I work with when helping clients bring more of a sense of presence and peace into their spaces. My hope is that something in this blog inspires you!
1) Simplicity
Have you lived where you currently are for more than a year? Have you accumulated lots of stuff and your space feels a bit cluttered? Do you have things lying around that you never use or touch but they take up space? When you move, you naturally clean out a lot of the clutter and unused stuff that you accumulate. So if you’ve lived in your place for a while, try pretending that you’re moving. Marie Kondo your space until everything in it is either functional in your current life or brings you joy. Do you have clothes in your closet that you haven’t worn in 2 years? Time to clear out what you don’t currently wear and give it away to a second hand shop. Everything you keep in your space should either serve a specific function in your current life or bring you joy. When we get rid of old stuff we don’t use, we increase our ability to be in the present moment. Instead of holding onto stuff from your past or that you may want in the future, think about your current life and what’s needed in the now. This doesn’t mean that you have to adopt a minimalistic style, but that everything you own is considered and serves a clear purpose in your life.
2) Greenery
Adding plants to your space, brings to it an aliveness that is also calming. Plants have a presence that you can connect to and they also help to relax your mind. Plants are living creatures and they have a soothing effect. They also add visual interest with their texture and color. You can get creative with selecting the pots that they go in. For example, selecting modern pots that are sleek or going for more natural texture like a terra cotta are my favorites.
You can also bring greenery into your space through your artwork selection. Incorporating landscapes and natural scenery is a great way to bring more natural life to your space. Consider prints of dried flowers or plants, landscape photography or paintings or nature photography from a favorite local artist.
3) Comfort
When it comes to bringing more presence to your own spaces, one of the best things to think about is creating a sense of comfort. Most meditation practices have an element of relaxation to them. So I like to advise people to make choices that create a sense of relaxation and comfort. Often what achieves this goal is an individual choice. But you can consider deep cushions, soft fabrics and soft textures that add interest while also providing tactile comfort. The main goal with this principal is that your space turns into a place of relaxation. When you come home from a busy work day, you want spaces that you can cozy up into, take your shoes off and let your guard down for a while. Adding pillows and blankets can help to achieve this goal. But really this is a personal decision, that only you can know what furniture and finishes bring you a sense of ease.
4) Natural materials
Biophillic design is the practice of bringing more natural materials into interior environments. This creates a sense of wellbeing and peace of mind. Surrounding yourself with natural materials like wood, stone and ceramics is very grounding. They connect you with the natural world and help to bring you out of the man made world. They often add interesting textures and can be feature pieces in your overall design. Bring a bit of nature into your home. When setting up a space to meditate, it’s especially important to bring natural materials into that environment. It helps to connect you to the natural world which relaxes the mind. Lighting is also important. Consider adding multiple layers of lighting such as daylighting, floor lamps, table lamps and overhead lighting. Consider also adding dimmer switches which allow you to control the light and to create the atmosphere that you want.
5) Personal touches
Nothing makes your space feel like home, more than personal touches. When you add personal touches to your space it brings yourself into the environment. You can add various elements like artwork, photos of friends and family and loved ones and nicknacks that remind you of events or travels. These personal touches bring an otherwise serene environment to life. They give your signature to the space and help you to feel at home. It’s important to choose the specific pieces you want to display rather than putting everything in the space. What has meaning to you? What reminds you of a specific event or memory? What can you add that you made yourself? These personal touches bring life to your space and help to connect you back to yourself. Maybe they inspire you, or maybe they give you a sense of nostalgia.
6) Harmony
Of of the best ways to create a sense of presence in your space is to consider the overall effect of the design. Is it cohesive? Does it have a certain style? Try to create balance with the different elements you put in the space. A large kitchen island is balanced by a large piece of artwork over the counter. Or a set of three or four lounge chairs are balanced by multiple pieces of artwork or photos over the lounge area. Asymmetry is fine, as long as it’s balanced. I personally really like clusters of three. A smaller piece of artwork is balanced by a larger piece and a medium piece on the side. Using 3’s of something helps to create balance when working with asymmetry. You can also consider the harmony aspect of how movement flows through your space. Is there a blockage of flow? Can you reorganize the space to create better pathways of movement? Lastly, consider the negative space in your environment. The areas where there isn’t something taking up space, empty space is important. It helps with movement flow and gives your mind a rest. So stop filling up ever nook and cranny with stuff and create pockets of negative space to increase the overall harmony of your space.
Summary:
Overall creating a sense of peace in your space is a mix of decluttering, adding personal touches and natural materials and greenery. One of my favorite design styles is Japani which includes a mix of Japanese design aesthetic with Scandinavian design. It has a peacefulness to it, with grounded elements and modern touches that I just adore. I also appreciate wabi sabi which is a Japanese philosophy of design that includes imperfections into the designs.
If you’d like help creating a space that feels more soothing and peaceful, or you have questions, I’m happy to work one on one with you through online consultations. Just email me to book a discovery call and we’ll move the conversation on from there.