We all live such busy lives and learning how to turn the world off and make your home your personal sanctuary can be difficult. For me that means creating a peaceful, calm and comfortable home, or what I’m calling a zen home. My days can get really busy and when I walk through my door at the end of the day, I can honestly say I truly love my home. It is a place that I can be truly authentic and feel comfortable no matter what has happened outside those walls.
So of course I want to help you create that for yourself and your family! But creating a peaceful and healthy environment can be a challenge. Clutter, mail, piles of laundry, dishes to do, dogs to walk and kids to love on are all things, good and bad, that keep the zen from our homes. Although some of those things can’t be fixed by design, there are a couple ways to bring in that peaceful feel and hopefully promote actions that match it.
Start with a soft relaxing paint color. It’s a great way to express peace and comfort. I love what I call white colors, and all paint companies have them. I personally love Sherwin Williams Rarified Air (sw6525), it’s a variation of a white, but comes across as soft blue to a pale gray depending on the light in the room. Truly amazing! Another is Intimate White, a super sheer blush (don’t cringe) color that looks like something out of a water color.
Next is touch. For example, what do your bath towels look and feel like? Your answer should be something wonderful. February is sale month for most home stores, so jump on those sales and give yourself the luxury of wonderful towels. The same goes for sheets. These should also be soft and comfortable. A 400 thread count is great and will not wrinkle as much when leaving the dryer. Also consider a soft pattern for your sheet. I love a geometric or a floral. Look at the mood board you may or may not have created with me in January and see what options you may have missed.
The last factor to a zen home in my opinion is scent. Explore a scent that really speaks to you. Candles, essential oils, salt rocks, there are so many options for new scents and how they can truly influence your feel. I have a friend who has really opened my eyes to essential oils and what they can do. Like peppermint is calming as well as lavender. Essential oils can also help with anxiety, headaches and colds. The list goes on and on. Grab a nice cup of herbal tea and your computer and do a little research on how to live a better life through the scent of things.
Look for ways to make yourself a zen home through sight, touch and smell. I promise this is just the beginning. Start with the small stuff and the changes are huge!