Create A Peaceful Place--Your Home * Spotlight My Health

The trick to creating a peaceful place in your home is bringing nature inside and also play to your senses. Involving your senses will help bring about an even deeper relaxation.

Comfort should come to mind also when you are creating a relaxing, calm space. You want to achieve a feeling where everyone is at ease and that your family wants to spend time. Sometimes you just want the world to melt away or friends to linger and have a cup of coffee and a good chat.

A peaceful place in your home can be achieved without spending a ton of money. It just takes a few intentional tweaks to your decorating and you, and your family will love the outcome.

And if you can’t work on your complete home right away, choose a room like your family room for a place the whole family can come to relax. Or your bedroom for you and your partner to make your relaxing, calm space. Everyone needs a space like this.

Decorating Philosophy

Feng Shui philosophy believes we should combine the following elements, organic materials and engage our senses to create a relaxing and peaceful home.

Bring in the elements and your senses for a peaceful room

How to Create A Peaceful Place

**Take a Good Look At the Room You Are Working On

Does the room invite you in to get comfy? Or does it make you feel uneasy and anxious? Is it cluttered with stuff you don’t use or need?

Then it’s time to get it cleaned up, decluttered and organized.

This is really important. If a space is cluttered on top of not being very clean, it won’t make anyone feel calm and relaxed.

Clutter is the enemy to calm. It adds to a feeling of restlessness because of the chaotic feel to the room. When I’m in a room full of clutter, I don’t know which way to turn, it’s almost like it throws me off balance. And then it feels like that in my mind, so I get nothing done.

Cleaning up the space and minimizing knick knacks will help bring back a feeling of peace. Take every piece of anything that is in the room and ask yourself two questions.

*Is this something that is necessary and

*Does it serve a purpose

If the answer is no to each question, then get rid of the item. Have a yard sale to get rid of things you are cleaning out of the space or donate them so that someone else will get some use out of the items.

Once the room is uncluttered and cleaned, then you can get a bit more organized. Take advantage of any type of storage you have. For instance, I have an ottoman that I can store a throw or two in.

Or get a decorative basket or box to be a hiding place for things that don’t really need to be out in the open but need to be handy, like remote controls. Little changes like this will contribute to creating a peaceful place in your home.

color palette to help create a peaceful room

**Does the Room Need Painted?

Color is a big deal when you want to change the feeling of a room. Wall color goes a long way in creating the feeling of calm and peace that you are looking for. These days, neutral does not just mean beiges and browns. Think Joanna Gaines’ colors in pale ivory, blues, greens such as, soft gray blues, grayish lilac, light pale green or barely there pink—colors that have proven to calm the mind.

Yes, I did say a barely there pink. Once we had a living room painted a barely there pink and surprisingly it was very calming. Especially in the evening. The color became very soft and you just wanted to relax while in the room.

Tip: Stay away from stimulating colors such as reds, oranges and yellows. These colors stimulate rather than create calm. For your peaceful place in your home, go for neutral colors.

crystals can bring peacefulness to a room

**Begin to Bring In The Natural Elements to Help Create A Peaceful Place

Wood and Metal

Wood—has a quality that grounds us, stands for stability and warmth. I love the look of wood with metal that can be found in so many décor pieces these days. Many furniture pieces give a look of sophistication, but also the feeling that you can be comfortable without worrying of scratching or breaking something—perfect for a family.

The wood element can also come from your flooring, especially if it is already there.

There are endless ways to incorporate these two elements into your home and still not break your budget. From wooden frames to lighting to furniture that has both wood and metal. A good place to find these types of things is Marketplace on Facebook. I look there all the time when I have something I’m looking for. Give it a try—it’ll be good for your wallet.

Earth

Stones/Crystals

These natural elements having calming effects on us and our space. Not to mention how pretty some are. I have several bowls of some of my favorite stones and crystals throughout my home.

Sand

Ever get a close up look at one of those sand gardens someone may have sitting on a side table in their office or living room. You can’t seem to stop looking at it, almost mesmerizing, but at the same time gives a feeling of tranquility.

Sand consistently moves but still gives the image of stability and calmness. Like an hourglass; something else it’s hard to stop looking at. And the minute the sand is at the bottom, you immediately turn it over to watch again.

Plants for Your Peaceful Place

Plants help bring nature into your home and help create that feeling of calmness and warmth. Plants add a lot to your décor. The look great but are also beneficial. They remove toxins from the air and help us emotionally and physically, by improving our feeling of wellbeing. See my post on easy to care for houseplants.

Natural Light/Lighting

Open those curtains and let in as much natural light as you can get. This helps create a feeling of openness as the natural light will improve your mood. You may want to consider sheers at your windows to get as much light in as possible.

Later in the day go for soft, warm light rather than bright, cool lighting which is what is used in many offices. It’s great for the workplace but can feel harsh by the end of the day. And that’s not what you want in your home when creating a peaceful place in your home.

Fire

If the room you are working on has a fireplace, get it going, weather permitting. It’s amazing how a nice cozy fire changes the feel of a room. And put several pieces of wood in a nice basket or container to sit near the fireplace to bring wood into your home to add to the homey feel.

**Add Some Elements for the Senses

Touch

This is where the textures you put in your room will make a difference. Remember the wood floors I mentioned earlier? Now imagine if you put a large, soft rug near your sofa or chairs, what it would feel like running your feet over that softness as you sit on the sofa. I can feel an “ahhhh” just thinking about it.

Then add a soft cable knit throw on the back of a chair that anyone can use to get comfy with while watching a favorite movie.

Think soft and cuddly with any accent pillows you scatter around the room.

Tip: Make these purchases in person. You need to feel the items before you buy them. They may look great, but not “feel” so great and that would spoil the feeling of calmness and “ahhhh” that you are going for. You can’t relax on something that doesn’t feel good.

calming wall art can help make a peaceful room

Smell

Candles for Aromatherapy

You can also use candles throughout your home to help create a feeling of calm and comfort. And if the candles are scented, even better. Scents like lavender and eucalyptus encourage calmness. It’s been proven that lavender calms the nervous system. These scents are also a great way to bring nature indoors.

You’ll add to the lighting ambience of your room and add to the aromatherapy by using a scented candle.

Or you can put some essential oil in a diffuser to get the same scent filled air, especially if you have little ones around and can’t have the candles sitting out.

Using essential oils has other advantages such as promoting our wellbeing and managing our stress and anxiety levels.

Some other good essential oil scents to use would be tea tree, orange, lemon, peppermint or rosemary.

Sight

Wall Art And Accessories

Your walls don’t have to be bare. Actually, when the right wall art is chosen, it can certainly add to the ambience that you are going for.

This is where you can really make your home yours. I think wall art and accessories can tell a story of the people living in a space. Do you like sleek for the sophistication, or farmhouse for the comfy feeling it exudes? Art and accessories can certainly change the feel of a room almost instantly.

In this case, we want calm, so choose pieces that don’t have big splashes of bright color, but rather cause a feeling of comfort. Don’t forget that you can also go the route of tranquil wall quotes that are so popular today.

Etsy is a good place to look for wall art without leaving your home.

Final Thoughts

When we are feeling constantly tense, overwhelmed and stressed, stop and take a look at the space around you. Is this environment encouraging your stress rather than peach and calm? Being in an environment that enables you to feel relaxed is much better for happiness and productivity.