A Balanced Lifestyle Starts at Home | Activia (UK)
A balanced lifestyle starts at home
Creating a positive and restful space in your home can be a wonderful contribution to general well-being. The run up to Christmas sees lights and decorations fill streets, shops and workplaces. Taking inspiration from the spirit and sparkle of the festive season can help transform your home into a warm and welcoming place to celebrate.
Using the art and science of interior décor, you can evoke different neurological responses in the different rooms of your home, applying a few simple principles and your own creativity to craft a retreat for relaxation and a space that is unique and special to you.
Three key elements can influence the way we feel at home; here we share how to experiment with these to elevate your environment and create soothing spaces. Keeping these ideas in mind if you know you’ll be hosting loved ones for the holidays can help create a home-from-home atmosphere so guests feel totally welcome and you can relax and enjoy spending time together.
Colour
Colour has the power to change the way a space appears. It can make a room feel bigger and brighter, or be used to create a bold statement and express personality.
Pastels
Because of their soothing appearance, light pastel shades are ideal for calming spaces. They’re commonly used in bedrooms to encourage restful sleeping.
Brights
Bright colours, such as buttercup yellow, energise and invigorate spaces. This can make them suited to the kitchen – providing a happy atmosphere in which to cook and unwind. Use more dramatic shades, like scarlet, sparingly, as these can be overstimulating and disrupt the positive mood.
Rich colours
Rich colours tend to be darker and bolder with the power to create warm and intimate atmospheres., Shades like plum are well-suited to relaxing shared spaces like the living room.
Lighting
Lighting can help define the ambience of different rooms within a home.. Replacing harsh light sources with softer, warmer lighting can generate a greater sense of calm.
As with colour, lighting can add character to a room. Accent lighting can create a sense of drama while ambient lighting is more mellow and removes harsh shadows. Think about both the design and purpose of the room – do you want to accentuate the drama of high ceilings in an open hallway, or give a tall but narrow room the impression of warmth and togetherness?
Space
Taking a minimalist approach can be a simple way to transform a busy, cluttered room into a soothing space. Accenting spaces with photos and objects of special personal significance can reinforce positive memories, and help inspire you through day-to-day life.
Placing decorative touches carefully can change the impression of a room – mirrors reflect space and can make a small room seem more capacious, and adding evergreen houseplants to light, airy rooms can stop them feeling too cold or impersonal.
Make the most of concealed storage solutions. In the kitchen, avoid cluttered worktops by using wire drawers within cupboards to maximize their capacity. In a lounge or bedroom, consider using ottomans to help find a beautiful balance between practical and peaceful. Clothes storage is often tricky, especially if you can’t rotate between summer and winter fashions.; If your wardrobe allows, consider fitting a second rod inside to instantly double available hanging space.
