We have put together some handy tips on helping you promote a more mindful happy home. Mindfulness is all about being in the moment and at ease, appreciating the little things in life and not dwelling on things outside of your control. It’s not always easy achieving this Zen-like mindset in day-to-day life but making small changes in your home is a great place to start.

Colour and Pattern

Colour and pattern are great at evoking feelings and emotion. They can help you to create spaces in your home that can be uplifting or to help you unwind. Having a familiar space where you can feel truly relaxed and yourself every day can help you quickly switch off from the stresses and strains of daily life.

Think about the look and feel that can help your personality become more balanced: if you are often worked up and have too much energy, perhaps soft or chalky colours can help settle your mood. They don’t have to wishy-washy or bland – think earthy sage greens, china blues, soft greys or stone colours that can be great for creating a sense of calm tranquillity.

Changing colour in different rooms of the home can also serve different purposes. If you often need an uplifting boost of energy while you sip coffee in the morning, you could choose a warm, bright yellow or orange wallpaper in your kitchen to inspire the day ahead.

Pattern also helps the mind to unwind; our designs are all originally drawn by hand using pencil, pen and paper so each element in a repeating block is unique. We feel that drawing by hand rather than computer-generated design is much closer to the organic forms found in nature. Non-perfect lines are things we love.

Texture and Materials

Introducing natural materials to your home like wood and stone can add a sense of calm by bringing nature into your home. Think about introducing some key features such as a washed wooden floor or a selection of stone and ceramic vases – these can create a relaxing influence from room to room.

Also consider the fabric you use – natural fibers are a good choice and a knitted wool throw or some textured woven rugs are a great way to provide extra comfort and a tactile quality to a home. When mixed with light airy curtains they can create a very calm and relaxing space. Modern interior design is currently embracing the use of natural materials.

Plants

Growing plants really do make people happy and can add life and vitality to a home. Certain species are even able to help purify the air you breathe and filter out the chemicals and toxins. Don’t think you have to create an urban jungle, you can start small and try introducing a few cacti or herbs to a window seal or your desk to see how they change your mood.

Artificial plants will not really help here – it’s more about the living organism subtly changing day-to-day and through the seasons. If you’re not particularly green-fingered you could choose low maintenance species such as Rubber Trees or Money Plants.

Light

Natural light is a wonderful thing and should definitely be embraced no matter what size your windows are. When we’re lucky enough to have clear skies, streaming sunrays can be an instant mood lifter. Light cotton curtains or layered voiles are a great way to keep a bright airy feeling and allow diffused light to enter when the sun is strong or to add some privacy. You can always add a blackout blind behind the curtains/voiles in bedrooms for a great night’s sleep.

Soft evening light is just as important – take the time to light some candles (never unattended of course) as their soft warm flickering glow adds a calming atmosphere to help rinse away the stresses of the day.