by Pete Alman

When you walk into the door of your home, you want an area that is calming. Your home should be a place to relax and unwind at the end of the day.

A great way to make your home calming is to make it zen-ready. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can quickly turn your home into a place of zen to help you find peace when you walk in the door.

Declutter

First thing’s first: you need to declutter. Having a house full of mess isn’t conducive to zen. So, you need to take the time to clean up.

While you clean, though, don’t just focus on where things go. Instead, consider if you want or need each item. If you find yourself not needing or wanting an item, instead of putting it away, set it aside. Once you gather everything that you aren’t keeping, you can get rid of them via selling them or throwing them away if the items are a little too worn for more use.

Make Sure There’s a Place for Everything

Once you declutter, it’s important to keep your space decluttered. The best way to do this is to make sure everything has a place to go. As such, don’t be afraid to invest in some shelving for storage or end tables to hold drinks while you’re curled up on the couch.

For those that are DIY-ers, this is a great chance to personalize your home by making some of your own accents and furniture. If you need to find new tools, you can look at reviews such as ones for wood lathes at http://www.thetoolsy.com/best-wood-lathes-reviews.

Choose Comfort

When you are getting your home zen-ready, make sure you are making a comfortable space for yourself. For instance, throw a few soft throw pillows on the couch, a long lumbar cushion on the bed, or place your favorite throw blanket over the back of your favorite chair.

If you want, you can look deeper in your home to add comfort. The addition of an area rug in your living room, for instance, can add a sense of warmth to the room as well as give you a soft texture beneath your feet.

Bring Some Plants Into the Mix

Having plants around is a great way to bring a calming element into your home. In addition, bringing some plants in to your home can breathe some life into it.

For those of you who don’t have a green thumb, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on this aspect. There are plenty of low-maintenance plants that can be kept around the house even for those that struggle to keep a plant alive. A popular choice currently are succulents.

Play with Cool Colors

It’s been shown that cool colors like blue are calming. So, if you want zen-like relaxation, you might want to consider these cool colors.

You don’t have to go overboard and paint the whole room blue either. Adding touches of cool colors such as a few accents or a rug can go a long way.

It is important to point out that you want calm colors and pastels. While blue is great, you don’t want to use bright primary colors as they aren’t as calming. Breaking these bright colors up with colors such as black can give the design a more modern feeling.

Earthy Colors are Another Option

Alternatively to cool colors, you can look into earthy colors as well. Tans, browns, and even deep greens can create an inviting atmosphere. A great way to get started on this is to look around for simple items such as bedspreads or furniture made with unfinished wood.

Consider Lighting

Your house can have the most calming colors and comfortable decor but if you are surrounded by harsh, bright lights, you won’t be able to relax.

Instead of depending on a single, bright overhead light, try playing around with having plenty of different lights around the room. Task lamps such as table lamps and floor lamps are a great choice.

When it comes to lights, halogen bulbs put off a more soothing light but they aren’t as eco-friendly. For those that are worried about the environment, you aren’t stuck with harsh LED brightness. To bring this brightness down to a calmer level, give a linen or even burlap shade a try on the lamps.

When it’s possible, it’s also important to take advantage of natural light. There isn’t a light that’s more calming than natural light. In fact, a lack of natural light can be linked to problems such as seasonal depression!

Add Some Scents to Your Home

A huge aspect that of having a zen-ready home that doesn’t always come to mind right away is the way your home smells. This doesn’t just mean that you should only think about making your house “not smell”. Instead, you want to use scents to your advantage.

There are certain scents that help set a calm tone in your home. Lavender, as an example, is supposed to help reduce anxiety.

The way you achieve these smells is up to you. Some popular choices are candles or aromatherapy oils. Incense is another option if you want a slightly stronger smell. If you can’t burn candles in your home, a candle warmer is a convenient alternative.

Hi there, I'm Woodworking Pete Alman. I'm a former carpenter turned writer, and proud resident of Nashville, Tennessee. When not working on a project in my shed, I'm lifting weights or hanging out with my three dogs (Dobermans).