After a 2021 full of anxiety and during the ongoing pandemic, many of us are looking for almost everything in our home: a place to work, study, sleep, eat, exercise. And don’t forget to disconnect.
Today, homes can offer tranquility and relaxation, according to designers. Whether that means an upgrade of the decor or some small additions, they suggest some easy ways to create a quieter home space for 2021.
Think big and small when evaluating your rooms, says John Eason, an interior designer in New York.
“The feeling of a relaxing room comes not only from the overall effect and aesthetics, but from key details,” she says.
THE NEW “COZY”
Don’t limit yourself to conventional ideas of what makes the space cozy, says Eason, “Metal and stone are as comforting for their solid reliability as wood for their flexibility and donation. The rich colors and deep can be as relaxing as they are cheerful and bright.
Sustainable production fabrics and eco-friendly paints with velvety finishes can provide a healthy and comfortable environment.
Look for apps that play quiet music and relaxing stories or YouTube videos of crisp chimneys or gushing water.
Aromatherapy candles and diffusers that offer scents of nature, or baked sweets, are easy to add, as are the soft cushions that will allow you to observe the binges.
In recent years, the Danish word “hygge” has come to describe the concept of comfort. The Welsh have their own proper term: “cwtch”. Pronounced as “kutch”, it strongly refers to cozy nooks and very warm hugs.
FOLLOW YOUR OWN TASTES
Create a simple living environment based on your own sense of balance, harmony and good energy, says Leigh Spicher, national design director for Atlanta-based home builder Ashton Woods. This is especially true now when guests are discouraged for security reasons.
“The best way to design a quiet, relaxing home is to do it about you and the people you live with,” he advises.
Choose the colors you like best, not necessarily what is fashionable. Frame travel pictures and personal photos.
UNLOCKED SPACES
We all need more screens if we work and spend more time at home, but you’ll also allow yourself to escape, Spicher says.
“Make sure there is a space in your home without technology, including the TV,” he says.
Real plants and a mixture of elements such as wood, stone and metal (perhaps even a water fountain, such as a table fountain) can create an authentic and relaxing living space.
DEFINITION OF SPACE
It can be stressful when you spend too much time in a space. Be creative with delimited spaces and their functions.
“As kids, I love creating a designated play area by superimposing a fun, patterned rug with woven poufs and storage ottomans,” says Amanda Amato, a designer in Caldwell, New Jersey, and style expert for HomeGoods. He also suggests creating a reading corner in a forgotten corner of a room and reducing clutter in a small bedroom with a multiple purpose like a bedside table.
SEE THINGS IN GOOD LIGHT
Chip Wade, a designer and architect in Cumming, Georgia, uses light to define different parts of a room and create a relaxed atmosphere.
“Lighting is a key component to customizing my space. Controlling all the settings of my lighting remotely on the phone makes it easy to broadcast and create scenes,” he says.
You can change the usual light bulbs to change the colors offered by mornings, evenings, and other mood-enhancing shades.
Eason likes to play with the way light works on various surfaces.
“An upholstered wall gives a room a quiet air for its sound-absorbing qualities, but also for how it affects the play of light,” he says. “Creating pools of light at various intensities, rather than a general brightness, and having that light emit from accessories that are focal points, can create a sense of focus and calm.”