After a hectic day at work, it’s great to come home to a calm, relaxing abode. Maybe you daydream about your home becoming this soothing spa-like retreat where you unwind and relax for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, reality hits and you are greeted with a cluttered, cramped home, making you feel unable to be at rest. What’s a stressed out homeowner to do?
We’ve come up with 6 tips to help you turn your messy home into a peaceful sanctuary! Read all about them below!
Organize and Reduce Clutter – It’s a fact – we humans don’t really do too well in cramped, cluttered spaces. Our anxiety levels skyrocket when there’s too much stuff haphazardly lying around the room. Take the first step in achieving a relaxing home by clearing out the clutter and coming up with clever storage solutions. Ask yourself if you really need all of those end tables, picture frames, or other nonessential objects. “Out of sight, out of mind” can really work well when it comes to your home!
Make Furniture Flow – If you’re having a hard time getting into a chair or the couch without banging your leg on a coffee table, you might need to rearrange your furniture to make it flow more easily. Arrange your furniture so that it makes logical sense and also creates a calming balance. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t get your furniture exactly how you want it. A lot of the time, furniture rearrangement is trial-and-error. You might even need to cut back on how much furniture is in your home as well.
Choose Calming Colors – You might really enjoy loud, crazy colors and eclectic patterns, but it’s best to keep all of these to a minimum when you want to create a relaxing home. Simple designs and colors are soothing and will help you be able to unwind more quickly. Choose cool tones of blue and green to help you feel more at peace, or use cozier, warm colors or muted earth tones to make a larger space feel more inviting.
Bring the Outdoors Inside – Interestingly enough, a study from the University of Rochester found that being surrounded by natural elements cultivates peace and encourages friendlier interactions with others. For a more soothing, peaceful place, bring home a few houseplants – they will soften the edges of your home and provide you with fresh oxygen to breathe! Try, also, to hang a large mirror across from your largest window to maximize outdoor vantage points. Live in the city and surrounded by buildings? Try hanging photos and posters of your favorite landscapes on your walls!
Surround Yourself With Soothing Smells and Sounds – Certain scents and sounds are perfect in promoting relaxation (and even giving your mood a nice boost!). Choose calming scents such as lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood to help you wind down and sleep more peacefully at night. Give your TV a break and try playing some of your classical music or even your favorite tunes. You’ll feel at ease in no time!
Use Lighting Wisely – Those bright overhead lights are great for lighting up your rooms, but they work against you when you want to relax. Instead of using those overhead lights to light up the entire room, use spot lighting for areas in which you need brightness. A lamp next to the couch is a great example. Additionally, install dimmers, if you can, and choose full-spectrum bulbs as they mimic natural light better than standard ones do.
Sometimes having your home in a certain setting can help put your mind at ease. Do you dream of living in the country or close to the woods? How about by a lake or in a friendly neighborhood? Whichever setting appeals to you the most, we can help! Call the Massey Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Elite Properties at (618) 791-5024 or (618) 791-9298 or check out our listings online at www.dianamasseyhomes.com!
The Massey Team 