Glamorous homes in movies and glossy magazines are impressive, but are they relaxing? Reaching for a Hollywood ideal, we may create a very different kind of home than the one we really need. For worry-free living, consider taking a simpler, more realistic approach to home design. Follow these easy design ideas for building, remodeling, and decorating a home where you can kick off your shoes, enjoy a few laughs, and truly relax.
1. Make Easy Changes
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No matter what life brings, you have the power to fill your home with soul-pleasing details. For a relaxing home design, begin with small, simple actions.
2. Move Slowly
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Changing the appearance or layout of your home is, in itself, potentially stressful. Remodeling and redecorating should not be rushed.
3. Follow Your Instincts
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Things we cannot explain or even name influence how we feel. Listen to your instincts when you design your home.
4. Involve the Entire Family
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Designing relaxing spaces will call for friendly negotiations and carefully considered compromises. Involve the entire family in the home design process.
5. Plan for Comfort and Convenience
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Designing a relaxing home may mean rethinking the placement of rooms and furnishings. Arrange rooms for a smooth flow of traffic through the home.
6. Choose Calming Shapes and Lines
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Our sense of unity, proportion, and balance will often determine whether a room feels "right." For relaxing rooms, choose calming shapes and lines.
7. Feed Your Senses
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Sensual details add richness and texture. Relaxing homes feed the senses with light, color, aroma, and sound.
8. Love Nature
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When you connect with nature, you're also connecting with your spiritual self. Homes designed for peaceful living often blur the boundaries between indoors and out.
Ideas in this article are adapted from The Stress-Free Home, a home design book by Jackie Craven, Rockport Publishers
