Your casa can elevate a great mood or enfold you into a mojo sucking whirlpool of doldrums. A little dramatic but my point is your home can be crucial to an inspired lifestyle. We have assembled a list of twenty ideas to get your abode feeling inspired and loved up.
1. Make your bed
As your bed is, so your head will be also. A messy-looking bed with crumpled up sheets and doona are not an inspiring sight to come home to. Even if it’s just pulling up the doona to disguise the disarray underneath, make your bedroom look like the calming sanctuary it’s meant to be.
2. Put your sentimental items out for all to see
One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories. You were inspired once to create these memories, use them to continue to inspire more!
3. Spend money on items that bring you joy
If you love dinner parties then invest in a dining table to host your crowd. If you love movies, then invest in an outdoor screen for the backyard for cinema under the stars suburban style. If you love exercise, then install a home gym. Invest in a home that inspires you to do the things that you love.
4. Green Clean and Happy
Houseplants help clean the air we breathe. Plus looking at them can make us just plain happier. More and more studies show that taking care of plants can be an efficient method to improve the physical and emotional general condition. Plants have a serene effect that can reduce stress and relax muscles and elevate the moods of those in their surroundings. A vase of flowers can be as effective as a potted plant.
Don’t forget a garden outside can further induce an inspired home. A space that grows things, can be a relaxing space. Gardening is a great stress reducing tool. Add to the fact that if you grow vegetables and more, you can eat right from your garden and nothing gets fresher than that.
5. Love it… I mean actively go love it
When it comes to having an inspired home space, sometimes it’s the big decisions that matter most — like learning to follow your extravagant heart. But sometimes it’s the little things — like putting new soap in your bathroom, painting your front door or simply setting the table — that make the biggest difference. Pay attention to the small details, there is large amounts of inspiration to be found here.
6. Create a sacred space
Create a special place in your home for meditation, journaling, reading, and relaxation. A place where you can unwind and be comfortable. This could be a special reading nook, a day bed on the veranda, a big chair in the office.
7. Remove & Simplify
We all have too much stuff these days but rather than bringing us fulfilment, too many things can make us overwhelmed and crowded. Creating a clutter free home could well give you a sense of control, calmness and of course inspiration. Get rid of things that are unused and simply taking up space. Tackle that closet that is overflowing, reduce your kitchen utensils, give away or sell some shoes. De-clutter and relax in a larger more comfortable place.
8. Music
If you’ve ever noticed that certain songs bring a smile to your face, you’re not alone. As it turns out, science has taken note, too. Research shows that listening to music makes already positive emotions even more intense, and upbeat music in particular can do great things for your mind set.
Have a good stereo that does your tunes of choice justice. Invest time into your play list to cater for all moods and occasions – smooth relaxation and meditation music can be just as essential as the inspired rockin-out variety. Head for the stereo remote rather than the TV when you get home for that audio inspiration.
9. Smell
Light a scented candle or two to achieve the inspired environment needed.
Elevate your environment with rejuvenating scents of Eucalyptus Orange and Bergamot as you take time out to recharge.
Inhale the calming, aromatic scents of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Vanilla as you enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet.
10. Avoid the display home
Forget perfection. Sometimes looking at photos of beautiful houses can make you feel anxious about perceived shortcomings in your own home. Feeling like your house could never live up to your dream standard? Start with something small. Whipping that junk drawer into shape or diving into a home project can be very inspiring. A real home must be lived in (and that means getting a little messy sometimes) to be happy.
11. Temperature
Most studies recommend a comfortable home to have a temperature around 18.5ºC. If you have warm/cold spots, then install fans and/or an air conditioner. In the cooler months have throws around to snuggle into, rugs on floors and attend to any drafts that may sneak in through windows or doors. Be comfortable enough not to think about if you are hot or cold.
The Modern Bedroom – Sundeck on Sea view for vacation and summer
12. Clean or get a cleaner
You don’t have to be a neat freak but keeping your house in some sort of order can instil you with a sense of calm. Studies have shown that house in disarray can increase stress levels negatively impacting both mood and physical health
If you have neither time nor inclination, then invest in a cleaner to visit your home weekly or fortnightly to do it for you. This may be one of the best investments in your happiness that you make.
13. Natural Light
Bad lighting equals sadness, and that’s no exaggeration. That’s because the right light has a major impact on not only how your space looks, but also how it feels. Sometimes changing a fixture will work wonders in a drab room — other times it’s just about easy optical illusions that add instant brightness. Strategically place mirrors to create the illusion of more light in an enclosed space. Open the curtains, or use lighter fabrics to let light in. If you are building, consider designs that let in the most natural light.
14. Bake
Real estate agents have long since used the smell of freshly baked bread or cakes to lull people into feeling at home in a place. The smell of baking or even cooking certain things can create feelings of comfort in people, so as much as possible, fill your home with these smells that evoke warm inspired feelings.
15. Engage with your home first… remotes second.
Try an easy de-stresser. Leave work at the door when you come into your house. Before you pick up the remote, do something unplugged, such as tending to your houseplants. This calm time provides ways your home can engage your senses and help you decompress.
16. Welcome
When you arrive home the first view of your house (usually your front door) should inspire a warm welcome to a place you love. Paint your front door, have a favourite potted plant by the door, spend time cultivating a nice front garden and don’t forget a great welcome mat.
17. Get Arty
Beautiful artwork or photography can enliven your home with colour and emotion. Choose your art so it resonates with your personality and the theme of the house. Better yet pull out a fresh canvas and create your own.
18. Sleep Haven
Getting your bedroom right is crucial to creating an inspired comfortable home. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life and getting enough quality sleep can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.
Setting up your bedroom for sleep is easy. Avoid blue lights and bright lights from alarm clocks or electrical points. Have fresh linen regularly and a clean/clutter free room that is an inviting space to relax in. Don’t forget that the television is best left in the lounge room.
19. Compatibility
Your home should reflect you. It should inspire you! If you love to read, then bookshelves and reading lounges are a must. If you like meditation and yoga set up serene room to practice. If you love to cook, then your kitchen must cater for your culinary arts. The way you decorate and furnish your home should be an extension of your own personality.
20. Choose your Attitude
You can live in your greatest home and still be uninspired. Ultimately you make the choice to enjoy your surroundings and make the most of the home you have created.
Hoping we have inspired a little home love in this post. Please leave a comment below of how you have made your house more inspiring.
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