Calm your living space with these four design elements

Years of living in a pandemic has inspired interior designers and homeowners alike to make some changes inside their living spaces. Decorators are experimenting with how they can bring more calming atmosphere to their projects.

From decluttering high-traffic spaces to giving the walls a new coat of paint, these design trends are just what you need to make your home a little more peaceful.

Install a window seat

One of the best ways designers are turning homes into calming sanctuaries is by bring the outside in. Specifically, installing a window seat in your home can give you a place of warmth, light and rest when life gets stressful.

“Window seats elicit a feeling of rest and quiet time for oneself,” West Hollywood-based interior designer Katie Hodges told Living Etc. “They are a little pocket of a special moment, and add a quaint coziness to any space.

“Any window or room is fair game for a window seat. Just be sure that the window is large enough or at the right height to be able to see out of, and that the window seat depth is substantial enough to actually sit down.”

Candles, candles, candles

A great way to make the home a more soothing place is to light candles. It’s an aromatic answer to a multisensory problem. However, interior designers are taking advantage of it all the same.

“In the morning, I like to light candles in the kitchen and living room and let them burn until evening,” Co-founder, principal designer and chief creative officer of Metal + Petal, Jade Joyner, told Better Homes & Gardens. “It creates a soothing ambience while adding a little luxe to my day.”

Declutter the mess

While it may not be as fun as decorating your new favorite room, decluttering the more visually overwhelming areas of a home can do wonders for mental health.

“Few things create mental unrest like clutter,” Houston-based designer Marie Flanigan told Veranda. “Spend time cleaning out unused items for donation, and invest in appealing organizational tools like woven baskets, oversize clear jars, and drawer inserts.”

Muted and bright colored walls

Environmental psychology has shown that the color of a home’s walls can have a significant impact on personal comfort. For a calmer environment, consider using bright yet muted colors.

“Research suggests that we feel cooler in cooler-toned rooms and warmer in warmer-toned rooms, regardless of the actual temperature, so this is one way to steer a space to your comfort zone,” environmental psychologist Toby Israel told the Washington Post.

“The colors that are relaxing to look at are not very saturated and relatively bright,” expert Sally Augustin added.