Design
8 ways to use mindful design to enlighten your home
Photography: Michael Graydon | Story: Charming and Sophisticated Victorian Rowhouse
Design
8 ways to use mindful design to enlighten your home
Tune in to your emotions and make your home your happy place with these simple design updates.
“A room is more than something to look at it. It needs to feel good, too,” says Shirley Meisels, principal of MHouse, Inc. in Toronto. “Because when your home feels good, you feel good.” So, how do you do that? One way is to take a mindful approach to design. The key is to tap into your senses as you decorate to create a deeper sense of calm.
Want to give it a try? Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Display your happy.
Scan your mind for moments that make you grin, then adorn a space with what moves you. Maybe that’s a gallery wall of funny family pictures. Or, a large-scale painting that speaks to your love of nature.
2. Engage the senses.
Photography: Tracey Ayton | Story: Traditional and Charming Family Home
As Shirley notes, seeing a room isn’t the same as experiencing it. So, decorate with more than a good eye. Listen deeply. A wool rug might make your bedroom quieter. Inhale. A bouquet of aromatic herbs or fresh blooms might infuse some joy. And consider texture. Whether it’s a jute rug, a bowl of pine-cones, or even your firewood, natural elements and varied surfaces awaken the sensations and make us feel more alive.
3. Honour places of passage.
Photography: Tracey Ayton | Story: How to create a functional entryway that makes a serious statement
Often overlooked, entryways and hallways have an everyday impact on how we feel, especially when we first arrive home. To invite a sense of calm, consider abstract art for the walls or tranquil objects that have special meaning to you. To make it easy for you (and guests) to remove your shoes, provide a bench. And to make coming and going easier for you, install hooks reserved for your most-used toppers.
4. Hide, don’t seek.
Photography: Valerie Wilcox | Story: A Toronto Home With an Expert Pairing of Art and Mid-Century Modern Accents
In the digital age, clusters of cords and scads of screens have become a given. Tucking these away, or keeping them from view can revive the heart of your home and imbue your rooms with a sense of gentle order, which can contribute to a quieter mind.
5. Create a wellness station.
Photography: Ashley Capp | Story: A Family Bathroom With Elegant Touches You'd Find in a Chic Boutique Hotel
With the go-go-go of everyday life, taking care of yourself can take a back seat. So, create a space in your home wholly devoted to wellness. This could mean a bathtub with your favourite soothing products in arm's reach or a meditation pillow in the bedroom placed next to a speaker for listening to a meditation app.
6. To sigh, choose to unify.
Photography: Janis Nicolay | Story: Two Sisters Combine Their Styles for a Chic, Contemporary Dream Home
Take your tips for colour from nature. Stand at the window and take in the season’s palette, or the colours of your terrain. Then, invite the soft greens of spring indoors, a snow-white woollen throw in winter, or nautical wovens if you’re fortunate enough to have a water view.
7. Play with moody hues.
Photography: Janis Nicolay | Story: A-Trendy-Meets-Traditional Family Home Designed for Everyday Life
Many traditions associate colour with states of mind. Play with this a little. Some claim that reds offer a sense of confidence. Yellows are often associated with joy and social connection. Greens inspire love and compassion. Blues offer clarity and insight. Purples and mauves are associated with bliss.
8. Make a place for awe and wonder.
Photography: Michael Graydon | Story: Charming and Sophisticated Victorian Rowhouse
Whether you meditate, daydream or pray, setting aside space in your home for daily quiet time can bring tranquillity to both your home and your heart. Choose a small corner near a window in your living room, a nook upstairs, or even better, a spot in your garden. Then, breathe.
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