Your home has a big impact on how you feel. If your living space is cramped or cluttered, you could feel weighed down make you fall out of love with your home. How do you cultivate an environment that fills everyone who comes in with positive energy? The New York Times recently shared some tips from Justina Blakeney, author of The New Bohemians Handbook: Come Home to Good Vibes, on how to create a home that boosts productivity, relaxation, and your overall well-being.
Clear the arteries
Notice how annoyed or frustrated you feel when you walk past your front door and see the piles of shoes, backpacks, or other gear? Or how you keep running into the corner of your coffee table? These are signs that your current setup isn’t flowing with your home. “Doors should swing freely, passageways should be cleared and zones should be created that support your daily routines and activities,” says Blakeney.
Instead of staying with the status quo, look for ways to adjust the items in those high-traffic spaces. Bring order to the front door by placing a shoe rack a few feet away from the door, giving everyone who enters some room so they don’t have to trip over shoes. If you keep running into your coffee table, swap it for a more unobtrusive design (i.e. a rounded table instead of the traditional square/rectangular design).
Embrace the two-foot rule
Keep from banging into that pesky coffee table by sticking to the “two-foot rule.” What’s the “Two-Foot Rule”? This is the minimum amount of space between furnishings to make it easier to move around your home. This will help to create the visual space needed to make your room look and feel bigger.
Do a deep clean
This is more than just scrubbing your home, it’s also about clearing out items that carry negative memories or feelings: “It’s not just sort of the physical action of cleaning. It’s an emotional letting go.” We maintain emotional ties to the items we choose to keep but if you find yourself feeling more burdened than happy, consider letting it go and replacing it with something that makes your feel hope or cheer instead.
Set an intention for the space
It’s a simple premise: let the room’s purpose dictate your design choices. If you want your bedroom to feel like a romantic retreat, gather inspiration from your favorite boutique hotel: make your bed with luxurious looking bedding, choose a soothing color scheme, make sure there’s plenty of storage space so nothing’s hanging out and remove furniture pieces that take your attention away from your partner, like the television or workout equipment.
Let more light flow in
Blakely says the best tool to making a home fee good is natural light. Natural light improves our moods and productivity (think about how grumpy you are when you get off work and it’s dark during the winter!). Take advantage of windows and open them during the day to soak in the sun’s rays. If you have a room with a few windows? Strategically place mirrors around the room to reflect whatever natural light is available.
Add plants
Bring the outside in by filing your home with plants. “Living energy in your home is positive energy,” claims Blakely. Houseplants do more than just look nice; they also decrease stress, clean the air, and make it easier to breathe, among other benefits.
You should feel your best in your home and these tips will help you create a comfortable and peaceful environment that everyone will appreciate.
