CREATING CALM - 5 WAYS TO CREATE CALMING SPACE AT HOME

'Calming' must be one of the most requested words I receive when helping a client create their new home. It's not surprising, coming home often feels like a relief, you've finished a day of work, been out shopping, socialising, all of these sorts of things that use energy.

People also tend to want their friends and loved ones to feel welcome when they visit, so a calming space helps serve a welcoming feel.

Sounds good, so how does one create a calming space?

Here are 5 tips to achieving this experience in interior design.

CONTRAST

Low contrast or low impact contrast is calming.

The reason for this is because it's low stimulating. If the image below had a black vase holding those dried flowers it would catch your eye straight away, whereas the image allows you to gently look over each element and is more relaxing on the eye.

Low contrast example with natural tones

EARTH, WATER & SKY Earthly colours, greys, whites, blues and greens are saturated in nature.

We are used to being surrounded in these colours in mass volumes, bright colours in nature tend to be fleeting like sunsets and flowers and again are very stimulating. Replicating the colour scheme of the natural environment will ease your nervous system and is a prominent choice in biophilic design (the introduction of nature in architecture/interiors either directly or indirectly).

SOUND DOWN

Sound is stimulating and can be stressful. Keeping the sound down in your home is one of the most calming effects you can get. There are many ways to help sound pollution, including planting a hedge between your home and the road, the more foliage between your home and the world around the more muted those interfering sounds are. Introducing soft furnishings in the room will help absorb an echoey room like rugs, textured art, upholstery. I have another blog just about sound here SOUND CLUTTER AND FINDING QUIET

SOFTNESS Think soft, fabrics, volumeous curtains, curved edges, soft texture, gentle patterns.

In Feng Shui these elements fall under the category of 'yin' in the 'yinyang' cycle.

Because they encourage slow movement. This energy is perfect for spaces like the living room and bedroom, spaces where you want to stop and rest. However if you are a person that has more trouble with motivation and having enough energy, I would recommend less friction and a bit more of a dynamic space to help inspire you.

It is important to remember that we are all individuals that different forms of support depending on our strengths and weaknesses and your home is tailored to what you need.

COLOUR THOUGH

If you love colour you don't have to stick to landscape-esk colours to create a calming space. Purples like lilac and lavender are very calming as they are soft and feminine.

Light doesn't necessarily only mean calming, darker spaces are very calming too and a rich berry red on the walls with low light encourages you to stay and relax and whilst they are a more masculine feel and have more intensity they can still be low contrast and have a calming effect.

This relaxing space has low contrast, soft pattern, and natural elements with calming choices of colour.

I always encourage my clients to create some spatial variation in the home, this acknowledges that spaces are meant for different activities and a change of mood as you enter a room is a spice of life, even if its a subtle change, we are human and are meant to live in beautiful spaces and experience different things.

I invite you to have a think about how your home makes you feel and what could you do to help your home feel more calming? Hopefully these tips will help you feel more confident in creating a sanctuary for your family, friends and yourself.

Have a fabulous day designing your life x

Images from Pinterest