How To Integrate Mindfulness Into Your Home Décor
Mindfulness is much talked about for work, relationships, eating and even exercise, but there’s also a place for mindfulness in your home décor. If you’re looking to refresh your interiors, approaching it with a mindful methodology can result in the creation of a much happier, healthier and calming atmosphere.
Decorating mindfully involves foresight and consideration to combine practicality with comfort and style. Our Creative Lead Designer for KAI and Ashley Wilde, Gemma Drury, has shared her decoration insights so you can ensure your home is harmonious, mindful and chic.
See the bigger picture
To start, reconsider how you think of your home. Rather than a series of rooms that serve different functions, fundamentally it’s the backdrop to your life. As such when decorating your home you need to think of it as whole, so you can create a sense of accord between each space. Gemma says, “This can be done by using similar shades and types of fabric from room to room. You should be aiming to create a sense of balance and harmony with a complementary colour palette.” One versatile fabric is a brushed cotton mix like those in our Cole collection [insert link when live]collection that works beautifully for curtains in living spaces but also upholstery.
Think practical, think beautiful
When choosing a piece of furniture, a fabric for your curtains or even a vase or set of crockery, keep in mind whether it serves a practical purpose, and whether it brings you visual pleasure. If it does both of these things, you’re onto a winner.
Gemma says, “When designing fabrics for Ashley Wilde and KAI I always think about the type of mood each design creates. I’m mindful of the way fabrics like the rich velvets in the Alaska collection create a sense of glamour while others like the florals in our Elstow range add a more rustic charm. Choosing a décor style that’s practical but also pleasing to your personal taste can actually be harder than it sounds, which is why we have expert advisors who can help you select a fabric that’s mindful of your practical needs and reflective of your individual taste as well.”
Functionality matters
The key to decorating mindfully is to reflect on the way you will inhabit each space. If you’re likely to have multiple functions to a room, perhaps a living room that exists as a play space for the children during the day and an adult refuge in the evenings, select fabrics that are easy to clean and research clever toy storage solutions. This way when the children are in bed you can return the room to a state of calm. It may sound trivial but having a clear space with everything in its allotted place makes a huge difference to the visual impact of a room and the mood that it provokes.
Gemma says, “It is possible to create a décor that’s grownup chic while being family friendly too, you just have to think outside the box. The Plush collection range [insert link when live]has enduring charm because the velvets are developed with AquaClean technology and work wonderfully when combined with a range of colour palettes.”
Reduce, simplify, streamline
Reassess your possessions and which ones you need, which ones are superfluous and which can be stored out of sight. In the mindful home each item on display needs to earn its place. Clutter is a no-no. This doesn’t mean you have to embrace a minimalistic style, simply it requires you to consider whether you need so many things on display and whether you can find storage solutions in order for your home to become more organised. Gemma says, “Being organised, certainly in the home, reduces stress and can make you feel more in control and at peace. Make time for regular clear outs. I always feel renewed after a thorough de-clutter.”
Focus on the best bits
Nobody’s home is perfect, there’s bound to be things you’d change if you could, but in every home there are always things to be grateful for. Spend some time to notice the elements of your home that you appreciate the most. Perhaps it’s the way the sunlight floods the kitchen in the mornings, or the way your living room makes you feel warm and protected.
Reflecting on these positive elements and finding ways to enjoy these moments more mean you can harness a mindful approach to the way you live in your home. Gemma says, “By decorating mindfully you can create more opportunities to enjoy your home.” For example, investing in a cosy barrel chair made up in a statement fabric from our KAI Zenna collection means you can snuggle up and appreciate this cosy sensation even more.
