That calming effect

Your home is the only place which can become a relaxing getaway for you on a daily basis. So, investing in an appropriately designed home is the right investment. Having a calm and beautiful ambience at home is a must to alleviate your depression and stress.
Though it is important to have the entire home designed and decorated in such a way that you should be able to relax, you could figure out a particular room that suits your relaxation needs best. You could even think about creating your own home spa.
Television watchers could focus on the TV room. Readers should add a book nook to one of their rooms. Aspiring writers should think about creating writing space. Think about what you would enjoy doing most if you had a couple of hours of free time and use that as your inspiration. After all, it is your home. Many of us tend to ignore things we wish we had in our homes. It is important to have at least one corner of the house exclusively for yourself.

Once you’ve determined what part of your home will serve as your corner and what its purpose will be, it’s time to think about the furniture pieces you’ll need or the ones you already have. Consider comfort and function. You would definitely want something that is functional, but in this situation you’re really going for comfort so keep that at the top of your list.

Have a colour theme
Colour contrasts can be jarring to the eye and not relaxing at all. So, make sure that most items in your room are of a similar colour theme.
If you are considering a spa at home, a bath should have all the bubble bath and candles you want. Get yourself a special, fluffy towel just for those relaxing moments you can steal away. If you have a sound system fitted so the speakers are in the bathroom, when you go into the bathroom you could play soothing music. Just the icing on cake to start a perfect day. Reading rooms should have proper lighting, not too harsh or too dim, and a handful of those books you’ve been meaning to read but never got around to doing it.

Declutter. Reorganising to create a minimalist look is the starting point to creating a calm space.

Loud colours can be stylish, but won’t create the calm atmosphere that you want.
Pick up some plants to decorate your corner. Fresh flowers and indoor plants add calm to a space. Invest in a small water fountain, as we all know they can create a really calm atmosphere. A desktop fountain is large enough to suit your needs. Make your calm space near a window (if you have greenery outside). A window view can increase feelings of tranquility.

Wall paper murals
Wall paper murals too can create dramatically soothing effects. Whether it’s beautiful scenery or a calming piece of artwork, the mural transports you to another environment. Turn to nature. Natural elements are stress-relieving. For lighting, opt for as much sunlight as possible (or soft light at night that mimics candlelight). For accessories, plants add a soothing touch of green and also boost the oxygen level in a room. Textures and tones that make us feel closer to nature help relieve stress. Natural elements make us feel at one with nature. We escape civilisation through these elements. There is no greater tonic for soothing our spirits than spending time outdoors in nature.

Cool colours
Choose your favourite place in nature, be it beach, woods, mountains, garden or a meadow. What are the colours you see in nature? Cool colours, the blues, greens etc which relax your mind.

Green is a healing colour, blue represents energy of water and sky, which gives a calming effect, brown typifies home and health- colour of living wood and the earth-which is rich yet subtle-extraordinarily restful to look upon. Browns are known to be grounding and help make us feel safe, creating a feeling of stability, orderliness and a connection with the earth. Yellow, the colour of sunshine, stimulates hope, optimism, creativity and the intellect. Orange is an anti-depressant that promotes sociability, while red rooms stimulate passion. 

One of the keys to creating a really relaxing environment is keeping the colours rather neutral and homogeneous. Neutral isn’t a hard and fast rule, a black meditation room may be just the ticket for you, but in most cases something soothing and cool coloured is best.

People who meditate often need to dedicate a room, space area in the home for their daily meditation practice. This room should not only create a tranquil and calm environment but also reflect who we are. Factors like location, lighting, ambience and personal comforts, should be considered while designing this room.
This area should be in a quiet, uncluttered place with minimal furnishings, with enough space for a chair or for you to sit on the floor. The paint colours should be light and relaxing light green is one possibility. Right lighting effect is important to create a calm meditation room, placed with a few scented or unscented candles or incense.
Fresh flowers in a vase can be placed on the table.

Quartz crystals and certain plants like bamboo palm are powerful air cleansers that restore the balance between positive and negative ions.
If you have the space, then a corner in your garden or terrace is the best place to create a natural environment for you to meditate.
Our moods are affected by our immediate environment, and we can change how we feel by changing our interiors. Often, just by changing a design element in a room, you can trigger a calming response.

Focus your stress – reliving efforts on rooms where you spend a lot of time, like the kitchen, bath or bedroom. 

Thing that reflect nature and water, like plants, flowers and stones can beautify the space and alleviate stress. The atmosphere of a room is more than the sum of its décor.
 Things we cannot explain or even name can exert subtle influence on your emotional state. Tackle your room accessories with the same intent, get what you need and then indulge in the little luxuries that make life sweet.
To create space where you will feel at peace, listen closely to your instincts and choose details that resonate for you.

(The author is an interior designer, Modccon Interiors)