8 Home Decor Ideas To Make Your Home Calm and Serene

We live in a world today where stress has become a norm and it has become important more than ever to take care of our wellbeing. The spaces that we live in can play an important role in reducing or adding to the stress of our daily lives. Below are some of the ideas mentioned that you can apply if you seek to make your home a calm and peaceful sanctuary where you can relax, unwind and rejuvenate.

1. Choose the right color palette

Color is the easiest way to create a mood of your choice. White, neutral and muted colors instantly make the space more calm and serene. On the other hand bright colors are energizing and they stimulate the brain. Avoid red, orange and bright yellows at all costs. If done tastefully, certain hues of blue and green can also have a calming effect too because they replicate the hues of nature.

2. Lighting

Bring in more natural light into your home. The more the better. Use a diffused natural light source from either north or east to brighten your space. Natural light has a quality that makes the space more serene. For artificial lighting, use the mood lighting during the night time like lamps, sconces and dimmers with a warm temperature. This creates a soft and relaxing environment which calms your nerves after a stressful day at work.

3. Bring in the plants

Just like going in a forest or mountains brings us peace, indoor plants make us feel the same way by bringing the nature inside our home. Snake plants, Chinese evergreen and Aloe Vera are so low maintenance that even an amateur can keep them. Snake plant is known for converting the carbon dioxide into oxygen at night. This quality makes it ideal for keeping a healthy airflow in the house. Apart from good air quality, the visual effect of green plants is soothing for the eyes and helps make the space calmer.

4. Add Water Bodies

To listen to the water cascading down the rocks or view a pond of lilies is soothing for the senses and relaxing for the mind. The sound of gentle running water inside the house not only cancels out the noise pollution but it also adds to the tranquility by engaging the senses.

5. Remove the clutter

It is a no-brainer that clutter creates psychological agitation whether you are a fan of KonMari method or you are a maximalist. According to the research clutter increases mental and physical stress in the body releasing the cortisol hormone.

Sort out the things in your house that don’t have a “home” yet. These things can be your keys, your socks or that one jacket that’s always lying on your sofa. Take some time to figure out and make a place for these things. Organize your stuff and try to keep them behind doors so that there is less visual distraction.

6. The power of scent

A budget friendly way to indulge your senses is to light up a scented candle or use a diffuser. There’s a reason why aromatherapy exists. There are certain scents that help us unwind and de-stress like rosemary, lemon, lavender, peppermint, sweet basil, vetiver, sweet marjoram, cinnamon, clary sage, jasmine and vanilla. You can also add an arrangement of fresh fragrant flowers in your space which not only adds to the visual appeal but also creates the desired ambience.

7. Embrace Nature

Adding natural materials and finishes in your house can help in bringing the warmth and intimacy necessary to make you feel at peace whether it is a raw live-edge walnut coffee table, jute rug, silk and wool furnishing, woven baskets, wooden ceiling beams or a raw stone flooring. Don’t ignore the power of good organic textiles either. A good crisp linen with a pure virgin wool blanket can help you sleep better without perspiring or becoming irritated.

8. Strike a balance

Try not to make everything too perfect. When you over-design a space, it loses its essence and feels less ‘homey’. There needs to be a balance between overdone and underdone which is what the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, meaning “perfect imperfection” entails.