Is your home bringing you down? As anyone who has lived in cramped, dark or tight quarters knows, your living space can have a big effect on your mood.
For ideas on how to bring positive energy — and style — into your home, here are some tips for creating a home that supports well-being.
CLEAR THE ARTERIES
Doors should swing freely, passageways should be cleared and zones should be created that support your daily routines and activities. This is especially important if you have young children in the house. The same attention should be paid to furniture you keep running into, like that odd-shaped coffee table or the corner of your bed.
All these tiny, little things on their own are not a big deal, but taken together, they can damage your mood. All of a sudden you’re annoyed, and you don’t even know why. It might be you need a round coffee table instead of a square one or a different landing pad for your stroller and jackets.
USE THE TWO-FOOT RULE
Establish passageways of at least 24 inches between furnishings. Why 24 inches? Even in small spaces, if you can leave two feet for passageways, you tend not to bonk as much and get as cluttered.
DO A DEEP CLEAN
Don’t just sweep away the cobwebs — remove items associated with bad memories and replace them with things that evoke hope, beauty or cheer.
Purging your apartment, even scrubbing down the exterior windows immediately lifts your spirits in sort of a magical way.
It’s not just sort of the physical action of cleaning, it’s an emotional letting go.
SET AN INTENTION FOR THE SPACE
It sounds a little woo-woo, but think about “what you want the room to bring to you.”
For example, if you want your master bedroom to feel “like a boutique hotel,” small changes in design elements will help you to achieve just that! she said: A part of the bedroom can be turned into a walk-in closet to hide clutter; glittering gold wallpaper with palm trees to line the walls; and antique French doors that open to let in light.
LET IN LIGHT
If there had to be one tool that makes a home feel good, it is natural light. Having big windows wherever there can be one is a huge game changer.
If adding a window is not an option, you can choose to hang mirrors in strategic places to reflect whatever natural light you have.
FIND YOUR HUE
Colours have emotional impact. Think about your best memories: What colors do you see? Do you gravitate towards solid, bright hues or warm, pastel shades?
The colors you associate with positive feelings can be used to create “an emotionally supportive environment.”
Don’t have a color in your memory bank? Look at colors that you already collect — in your closet, on your car, in your Pinterest feed. You may already be tapping into shades that evoke positive feelings, without even thinking about it.
ADD PLANTS
Anyone who spends a day hiking in the forest can attest that being in nature is good for the soul. Why not bring that feeling home?
Living energy in your home is positive energy. It’s people, pets and plants that make a home.
Source: www.nytimes.com
