Creating a relaxing sanctuary within your home is one of the most impactful things you can do for your wellbeing at home. With work from home culture becoming more prevalent, the lines between work and home are often blurred, so it’s important to have a space you can retreat to at the end of the day that helps you disconnect and unwind.
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Primary bedrooms are often the last room in a home that my clients want finished. It makes sense to prioritize central living spaces; it’s where we entertain our family and friends and often where we spend the majority of our time at home.
But where do you go to escape all the noise from life?
At the end of a long, stressful day, does it feel ‘good’ to open the door to your primary bedroom, only to find more chaos? Of course not, and this is why I strongly advocate that all of my clients allocate at least a small amount of resources to defining their primary bedroom as a sanctuary.
It doesn’t take much to transform this space into a calming room. So, here are at a few steps that you can take to get the process started on your own.
Try these tips to create a calm sanctuary:
- Clear the clutter. Your bedroom may be host to a variety of things: sleeping, laundry, storage… Do your best to organize and relocate as much of the cutter as possible. It distracts you from decompressing, because it commands your attention. Remove it, or hide it and you’ll feel better.
- Hide the mess. Yes, hide it. Piles of laundry are so intimidating. Do you best to keep them out of this space. But if you cannot, try concealing it in large baskets or bins to keep it out of immediate sight. Using your bedroom for overflow storage? Tidy the space with smart and affordable organizing systems like the popular PAX wardrobes by IKEA.
- Simplify your nightstand. We get it, you have devices to charge, books to read, a glass of water close by, maybe a humidifier. It all adds up to a lot of clutter. Try to reserve the top of the nightstand for visually attractive and highly functional pieces. The rest of that stuff can be tucked away into a nightstand drawer or a pretty bin or basket. We love running cables into drawers for charging devices and using baskets to hide other items.
- Make your bed. There are thousands of psychological studies around this one, but the message is clear. A tidy bed starts your day off with purpose and welcomes your back at the end of the day like the warm cup of coffee you started your day off with. Here is a great article about wellness and bed making you might enjoy reading.
- Invest in quality linens. I know! They are expensive. But I can promise you that once you sleep on bamboo sheets, you’ll never regret the decision to buy them in the first place. If I had to choose between expensive decorative pillows vs. high quality sheets, I would pick the sheets every time and keep my bed styling simple. Bonus: ditching the expensive decorative pillows makes it easier to make your bed every day! Cariloha is my favorite brand of everything bamboo. They even offer 30% off when you join their email list!
- Pick a neutral pallet. If you love color, this might be hard for you. But I promise it is worth it. Loud colors are well, loud. That’s the opposite effect we are going for here. Think of a spa. What neutral colors and textures do you see? Soft linens, warm whites, muted grays, subtle color in the form of greens, blues of blushes are all great choices. Even pops of contrast are okay, but try to keep them to a minimum.
- Incorporate natural elements. Been for a walk or hike in a park lately? Think about the elements you saw. Water, soft stones, branches, trees, flowers… now bring them inside in small, subtle ways. Maybe put some fresh stems in a minimal vase, or add some river stones to a tray. Faux trees and stems are perfect too. Our favorites are olive, magnolia and eucalyptus.
- Unplug. Eeek. I know. I see you now reading this post in the dark on your phone or tablet in bed. But seriously, try to limit this habit to 30 minutes in bed, then pick up a physical book and read a few chapters before drifting off. Your mind will thank you and you’ll rest so much better by removing the blue light exposure right before closing your eyes.
Final Thoughts
SnoValley Studio would love to work with you, so if you try these eight tips and still feel like you could use some help pulling in all together, complete our consultation request form to request your free consultation, which will help us scope your project and provide you with options and a quote for services.
Also, to see more of my home projects, be sure to follow along on Instagram @seventeenth.avenue and @snovalleystudio
