Mindful Home

How does your home make you feel? Perhaps you feel anxious about the mountain of chores you’ve got to do? Frustrated that there just isn’t enough storage? Or annoyed by the lack of space? However you feel about your home, we’d put money on the fact that it doesn’t make you feel calm or content most of the time. And that’s because we put more demands on ourselves, and our homes, than ever before. Whether we’re rushing to fold the washing at the same time as cooking dinner, or we’re checking our emails while watching TV, we’ve become experts at multitasking in every aspect of our lives. In fact, so many of us now use our phones while we’re watching TV that channels are racing to develop interactive apps that…

STEP 1: GET COMFY Find a quiet spot in your house where you won’t be disturbed. Leave your phone in another room and make sure you’re dressed in comfy clothes – no skinny jeans for this one! STEP 2: FIND YOUR POSE There’s no right or wrong way to get in the zone. You might like sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, upright in a chair or lying down. Try out a few positions and see what works best for you. STEP 3: BREATHE MORE DEEPLY Close your eyes and take ten deep breaths in through your nose and then out through your mouth. Concentrate on taking your breath all the way down into your abdomen. STEP 4: FOCUS ON YOUR SENSES As you continue to breathe deeply,…

When you think of a mindful, healthy home, what is it you picture? For us, it’s a home free of clutter, decorated simply but tastefully, and filled with things we love. We’re well aware that a clean, bright home where everything has its place makes us feel better, and thanks to the rise of minimalism and decluttering – made popular by Marie Kondo – we’re more mindful than ever in the West about how our homes make us feel. Some of the biggest trends of modern times are inspired by Eastern countries like China and Japan. You’ve probably heard of wabi sabi, the Japanese idea of embracing imperfection. It’s commonly associated with kintsugi, the practice of mending broken pottery with gold. In our homes, it’s the mismatched living room furniture…

invoking the elements Emphasise wood elements through furniture, bamboo, wooden accessories and houseplants. Represent water with water features like small water fountains, blue vases, and mirrors – but not in your bedroom or behind your desk. Draw out the earth element with rock crystals, salt lamps and clay or terracotta accessories. Use metal accents in vases, picture frames, light fixtures and tasteful accessories. Highlight the fire element with red shades, fireplaces, or candles – but be careful not to go overboard with scents, as this can hinder good energy.…

PLANTS Plants are well-known for their health-giving properties. As well as filtering toxins in the air, they’re a great way to balance the energy of your home. Not so green-fingered? Opt for easy-to-care-for varieties like cacti, succulents, spider plants and devil’s ivy. Add plants to every room, including bathrooms and kitchens to spread the energy. PERSONAL TREASURES Feng shui isn’t about creating a minimalist haven – you should be filling your home with things you love and give you positive feelings. Hang bright, cheerful prints or your favourite photographs on your wall, and proudly display trinkets you love to look at. These invoke happy, warm memories that help create a happy home environment. FRAGRANCE Incense and essential oils like lavender, ylang ylang and rosemary have purifying properties and can evoke…

The Western world has a rich tradition of trends in the home. Even now, people in the UK still live with the remnants of Victorian home life, like keeping separate front rooms despite the growing popularity of open-plan living. We’ve also clung to other trends from that period: bold prints seen in floral wallpaper, and beautiful Victorian patterned floor tiles are back in people’s homes as we decorate with maximalism in mind, and the recent move towards dark interiors also draws parallels from the era. It’s not just 19th-century Britain we draw on in our home lives, though. More prominently, we’re looking to the likes of the United States and its love of open-plan living to create social spaces that allow us to better host at home. And while low-cost,…