With much of the nation still working from home, the chaos of our day-to-day lives has seemingly enveloped the solace of our homes – so how do we reclaim the calming space in our homes and nurture an interior which encourages a meditative state?
Interior expert Stelrad has teamed up with colour psychologist Lee Chambers to guide you through how to reclaim the calm of your homes through simple interior-focused tips and tricks.
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Cool Colour Tones
Cool-toned colours are the best visual stimulus to calm your mind and reduce stress as an environmental psychologist and well-being consultant Lee Chambers told us: “Cooler colours such as blues, greens and browns, that are prevalent in nature, are destimulating and grounding, and can promote a sense of serenity and feeling of safety. These colours can be regenerative to our well-being and they are soothing to be surrounded by, and they can even trigger our relaxation response. In addition, they can reduce our stress levels and promote calm confidence to explore in a mindful way.”
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Ensure Everything Has A Place
Walking into a chaotic and jumbled room will make your brain feel scatty and often overwhelmed. Lee agreed, stating “as we look to create a relaxing space, colour only plays one part. If space is cluttered, it increases our cognitive load, making it harder to relax.”
If you’re looking to create space in your mind for meditation, you need to be in an ordered and calming environment. This doesn’t necessarily mean stripping the room and having a stark space, but rather ensuring everything in the room feels placed with purpose. This applies to big features of the room, such as placing an armchair in its perfect spot and also to smaller aspects, such as always placing mail in the same spot. By having a place for everything, you will quickly regain order and serenity in a room.
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Evoke A Calm State With Scent
Tap into your aromas to help uplift the room and transport your mind to happy memories linked to the scent. Our environmental psychologist affirmed, “our olfactory system is deeply linked to the emotive elements of our brain, and finding a scent that makes you feel at ease is a great addition.”
When settling down to meditate or unwind from the day, centring your body through all the senses is a fantastic technique to help relieve stress, so embracing smell, sight and touch in your interior space is crucial. For an extra calming boost, why not try lavender or rose scents to help unwind the body and mind?
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Embrace Natural Light
“Lighting and ventilation also have a role,” Lee told us, “having a space that has some natural light and airflow promotes a more positive reflective state.” Letting the light into your room will help uplift the space and create a brighter, happier space to relax in. A top design tip to maximise the light in your space is to place a mirror opposite your window to help the light travel around the room. Natural light will help draw your body away from the artificial lights of screens which often distract those looking to embrace a meditative state. Any painter and decorator worth their salt will seek to maximize natural light and its flow around your room, so make sure you communicate this priority, as all other decisions can blossom from there.
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Soft Textures
If you’re looking to encourage your mind to settle, you need a range of soft textures and tones to help the eye to settle and the mind relax. Plus, rooting your body into the texture of a blanket or throw will help draw your mind away from the hustle and bustle of your day, and instead, give your mind something simple and comforting to focus on as you enter a more calming and meditative state.
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