With lifestyles turning increasingly stressful, a peaceful home atmosphere is today most sought after. What better way to achieve this than Zen home decor?
Let’s accomplish that Zen makeover for your living space. Perhaps, you would like to experiment in a small space first, say, the living room, to determine your comfort level?
Zen decor isn’t about Spartan rooms and denial of material comforts. True, ornate furniture, flashy colours and garish accessories find no place here. But, it’s rather about choosing such decor elements that’ll encourage a relaxed state of mind. Plus, to create Zen havens, meticulous imitation of Japanese decor isn’t essential.
Simplicity, openness and clean and clear spaces are basic strategies. Begin with that most vital process – de-cluttering! Whether it’s your living room, bedroom, bathroom or meditation room, get rid of all things you rarely use and those superfluous decorative items. Stow away oft-used things in ottomans or cane baskets lined on shelves. If there are too many things you are emotionally attached to, store them out of sight in the garage/basement, for starters.
Clear the bedroom and meditation room of electronic gadgets/devices like the radio alarm clock, TV and computer since their electromagnetic emissions disrupt melatonin release that’s mandatory for a sound sleep. Besides, blinking/glaring lights alert your system into wakefulness. Retain only the most indispensable objects on your bedside-table – a book, pen and a glass of water. Rid the room of noise by soundproofing or lining the walls with book-shelves.
Want a meditation corner in the bedroom itself? A Shoji-screen with translucent rice-paper panels can serve as a room-divider. In fact, Zen decor believes in unifying spaces rather than separation through solid walls. So, room-dividers made of paper, latticework or sheer fabrics allowing free light flow while partially blocking from view the objects beyond, are used to lend that open and airy look to the house. Place cushions/meditation-mats before a platform/low table. Add a mini Zen garden and aromatherapy candles.
Let lots of natural light enter your rooms by means of large windows and sheer window treatments. Unify the outdoors with the indoors as much as possible. Say, a floor-to-ceiling glass window that’ll give a sense of staying outdoors in the garden beyond. Accessories should help you bond with nature, while not being too elaborate. Bamboo, teak, sisal, paper, stone, marble, earthenware and rattan are the preferred materials.
Candles, bamboo...get the picture?
Candles, tea lights, paper lanterns, a seashell-filled cup, a single lotus in a bowl, a bamboo plant in a simple planter, silk pillows and cushions, table-top fountain, bamboo in a floor pot, mini Zen garden and pictures of flowers, waterfalls or seascapes are some ideas. But, employing too many will constitute clutter! Use simple furniture with clean, minimalist lines.
Go for wooden, cane or rattan pieces for that natural feel. Avoid gaudy colours for walls, carpets, window treatments and other elements. Sober hues of blue, green and brown besides white are ideal. You can select a monochromatic scheme. The floor should be easy to clean, with a comfy feel for the feet. Wooden/bamboo flooring qualifies excellently. Natural pebble tiles are recommended for the bathroom.
If you’re spreading a carpet, ensure it’s sober and gels with the overall colour-scheme. A few throw-rugs of muted colours could dot the floor. Lighting should be calming. Paper/silk lanterns offer ambient lighting.
Bring the Zen theme outdoors too. Minimalist architecture lines and wood/natural materials will bolster the Zen feel outside too. Create a Zen garden. Clear some space in the garden and place a wooden form filled with sand at least two inches deep, over a black, plastic sheet spread over the area to discourage weed growth. It symbolises the empty mind.
The rocks in odd numbers that you’ll bury in the sand indicate the world’s permanence as against the mind’s flexibility. Now, begin raking the sand in long, circular strokes to simulate ripples.