Decorative Tips for a Soothing and Stress Free Home

Decorating your home a little, not only uplifts your mood for most of the day, but you will also realise that you experience less stress and better sleep. You can redo your entire décor and furniture or you can simply add a few things here and there. Follow these simple low cost redecorating tips for a better and a stress free home.
At the Entrance

• Create a ‘feel-good’ point of attraction at the entrance –The first thing you see as you enter your home should be something you really love. It can be a piece of art or a vase of flowers or a special painting or something like that.The author of Fast Feng-Shui – 9 Simple Principles for Transforming Your Life by Energizing Your Home, Stephanie Roberts says that a beautiful first impression helps you relax from the get-go.
• Organize your daily debris –Piles of stuff at the very entrance of your home creates an impression that there is more mess and chaos inside and over the time, thisbecomes a key factor in ruining your mood as soon as you enter the home. Every item inside or outside of the house should have a designated place. You can place a couple of chic containers near the entrance, one for incoming items and one for outgoing.

In the Living Room

• Create Space –Anxiety tends to grow in smaller spaces or if there’s too much stuff around. Therefore in order to reduce the clutter and to make the room feel larger, you need to get rid of all the unnecessary end tables or picture frames or anything else which is adding to the chaos. You can paint a table or a bookshelf in the same colour as of the wall it’s up against, so it can disappear into it without making a statement. Use lighter colours like white or lighter shades of blue in the living room, so that it can appearto be more spacious.
• Light Up Particular Locations –According to Dr Katherine Grace Morris, who is a psychologist in Maryland and specialises in making over people’s home and work environment, bright overhead light does not help you unwind after a tiring day at work. For example, analyse the kind of lighting you find in casinos or in lounge style restaurants and bars. Lighting only a few areas of the living room creates a soothing environment which helps in relaxation. Light up the area just near your sofa where you read and put overhead lights on dimmers. Also, you can consider replacing your standard bulbs to full spectrum bulbs, they mimic natural light and thus are considered a better option to create a more soothing and natural atmosphere.

Create a Safe and Simple Environment

• Create walking-friendly passageways – If you bang your leg against the furniture every time you cross the living room or the hall, there is something wrong with your arrangement. Make sure that the path from sofa to the door is not cramped up. Robert says that not being able to safely and conveniently move inside the house produces anxiety and also it usually results in a trip and a sore toe.
• Opt for a simplified colour scheme –Do not go for loud colours and bold patterns. If you want to mix patterns, keep their colour schemes similar and if you like to add lots of colours, keep patterns to a minimum. Dr. Morris says that if you have too many bright colours or high contrast patterns in a room, your eyes are going to be drawn everywhere which makes it difficult to relax. Thereforego for simpler designs and colours. This ‘less is more’ rule applies to shelves and tabletops as well. Don’t fill them just because they’re kept there. Instead, flaunt only a few pieces which are meaningful.
• Bring the Outdoors In –A study at the Rochester University found that being surrounded by natural elements encourages friendlier interactions with others. For a more relaxing environment bring in a couple of houseplants or hang a mirror across from your largest window in order to maximize outdoor vantage points. If your view includes more buildings than greenery, hang landscape paintings or photographs on the walls.

In the Bedroom

• Soothing Hues –Usually cooler shades of blue and green and neutral earth tones are considered to be relaxing since they remind you of nature. If you do not want to repaint the walls, you can add a few accessories like throw pillows, a quilt or lamp shades in your bedroom, all in soothing colours.
• Switch Off Electronics –To give yourself a more calming experience while relaxing, remove all the electronics like television and computer from your bedroom. The light rays emitted by these electronics instruct the brain to stay awake. Therefore they can interfere with your good night’s sleep or a power nap. This results in leaving you with elevated levels of stress hormones in the morning.
• Bring your Fantasy to Life –Imagine how paradise is like. If it’s a tropical island to you, add sand and sea shades. You can add tropical accessories such as wicker side tables or a sea grass rug in your bedroom. If you prefer a mountain cabin or the country side, then add colours and textures or accessories that remind you of those settings. Design is highly individual, so when you flip through a design magazine, identify what elements appeal to you and add them in your bedroom for creating a relaxing atmosphere.