How to create a calming home.
There are many ways of adding style and charm to your home without breaking the bank, but one of the most important aspects that you should always keep in mind is that it is a home first and a house, condo or apartment second. Your home needs to be an oasis of calm and sanctuary after the rigors of day to day life. You can get new curtains, new lamps and new lights that will help illuminate your home. If you choose to purchase custom neon signs you can make your home look just like you want. You can easily find any color or design you aim for on the internet nowadays. Purple neon sign gives your home a classic appearance.
Here are our top tips for adding peace and tranquility to your home, from the moment you step in through the front door.
A place for everything
Benjamin Franklin is possibly the most quoted American in history, and he is credited with coming up with “A place for everything and everything in its place.”
Whether you are naturally tidy or the world’s messiest person, a home that is cluttered with things lying around all over the place is never going to be a calm environment. Give yourself a chance of keeping order by making sure that there is a place for everything – then, you have a far greater likelihood of having everything in its place.
This doesn’t have to be complex or expensive, but it does require some logical thinking. Take a tour of your home and look for those junk danger zones. Piles of mail constantly accumulating? Get a rack, with sections for each member of the household. Magazines littered all over the coffee table? Something as simple as a wicker basket can deal with them at a stroke, and makes an attractive accessory for the living room.
Light and dark
Managing the lighting throughout your home is one of the most important aspects of retaining an atmosphere of calm. On the one hand, you need bright lighting in the kitchen, so you can see what you are doing and keep the room bright and cheerful. The rising popularity and energy efficiency of spots and LEDs makes this far easier to put in place than in previous years.
When it comes to the living room, the question is more complex. On a summer’s day, you want plenty of natural light streaming in through the windows. But on a winter’s afternoon, you might want to shut the world out and settle down in front of a good movie. Curtains are fine, but a great alternative is to check out the range of shutters that is now available. They provide a contemporary look, are easy to keep clean and act as an additional level of insulation against exterior elements.
Consider the artificial lighting in your living room, too. Traditional solutions, such as table and floor lamps, can do a good job, but there are also plenty of other options available these days. Floor level LEDs create an unusual, yet calming ambient light, and can be easily installed in skirting boards in the living room, corridors and hallways.
Colors
Do not underestimate the effect that the color scheme has on the overall atmosphere of a room. Fox News ran a piece on how the colors that surround you can have a major influence on stress levels.
Shades of purple and lavender are often considered the most relaxing colors, but pastel greens and shades of tan can also have a calming effect.
Textures and materials
A look and feeling of softness is essential to create a calm atmosphere. Cushions are always a great idea – you can never have too many. Arrange them any way you like for optimum comfort, and make sure you have plenty of spare sets of cushion covers. That way, you can alter the mood of the room with the changing seasons.
Throws and blankets are also a great addition at any time of year to give a sense of comfort, and while you are working on the soft furnishings, don’t forget the floor. Hardwood and laminate floors are all the rage these days, and while they bring plenty of benefits in terms of being hard wearing, attractive and easy to maintain, they can also look a little stark.
The simple addition of a couple of rugs in colors that coordinate with the rest of the room can make all the difference.
Make your house a home
Life moves faster than ever in the 21st century, and we all need to make the most of our down time. By taking a methodical approach and following the above tips, you, too, can create your own personal refuge from the outside world, with a calm and welcoming home that will refresh and reinvigorate the entire family.
