Interior Lessons: Creating a Peaceful Home Environment
Whenever I share photos of our home on social media, the most common comment I receive is "your home looks so peaceful.”
This, to me, is actually the greatest of any home compliments (better than those that actually comment on aesthetic itself, such as “your house is so boho chic” or “Nancy Myers-esque,” or whatever it may be).
To be frank, I have no interior design background beyond self-study and trial-and-error in my own home. That said, I’ve been drawn to interiors ever since I was a little girl, when I observed how my aunt—a respected interior designer—created a beautiful home with a neutral palette and clean lines. Her aesthetic had a calming effect; it made me feel at peace.
Now, when it comes to my own home-making decisions, that’s the question I ask myself: How do I want this space to make me feel?, as opposed to, How do I want this space to look?
I want to feel connected to my space. I want to feel natural in my space. I want to feel calm in my space, at peace in my space. Really, I want to feel as though I’m in a personal sanctuary.
We’ve owned our (first) home for almost four years, and really, within the last year or so, I feel I’ve really narrowed in on what helps create the most peaceful home environment—both with design and with simple practices.
Below I share some mistakes, some lessons, and daily practices that I use to create my little sanctuary.
FIRST, CLEAR CLUTTER.
Another question I often get: “how do you keep your space so tidy?”
Become a minimalist, and tidiness happens naturally.
Every season (at least), I go through our closets and drawers and simply sell or donate things that no longer serve our space. Over time, I’ve become a lot more ruthless with this process, even getting rid of the things I think I “might” want one day.
This practice has actually taught me to be less attached to belongings, which I could write an entire blog about. To put it simply, I’ve learned to let go of excess so that the focus is on the true prized pieces.
I am not afraid to sell items and replace them with pieces that mean more to me, too. For example, I recently sold a West Elm lamp we purchased when we first moved into our home. I replaced it with a handmade ceramic lamp that, to me, felt more organic and unique to our space. The old lamp found a happy home, and I am able to enjoy the beauty and freshness of a new piece.
EMPHASIZE NATURAL MATERIALS.
This may just be my preference, but I believe an emphasis on natural materials is key to adding simple beauty and calm to a home. My belief is when we add too many synthetic materials, we have less connection (i.e., we are more separated) from our space and our belongings.
Things like natural stone, wood floors, living finishes (such as brass that will patina over time), and handmade objects (such as a ceramic lamp) give your space a certain honesty, a unique character that cannot be replicated.
One of my greatest regrets (if I believed in regrets — always a learning opportunity!) is when we went with quartz over marble in our kitchen renovation. I worried about the wear of marble overtime (it is porous and stains easily), but realized that, ultimately, there is beauty in the character of wear on a natural substance.
Spoiler alert: we’re ripping the quartz and adding marble. Expensive lesson.
NEUTRAL PALLETTE.
Again, perhaps just preference, but I’ve found that light airy neutrals—like whites and ivories, flax and beiges, oaks and taupes—are the loveliest hues within a home. They bring lightness in a way that color tend to weigh down.
When we moved into our home, our walls were a deep gray color and the floors were a dark red oak. The first thing we did was painted all the walls and trim white (I love Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore) and we refinished the floors. It made a huge difference.
Another small regret: we bought a heavy black leather industrial ottoman—and I don’t hate it, but I’d like to replace it with a lighter oak coffee table so there’s less contrast against our light sofa. As I mentioned above, natural materials—such as a light oak, in this instance—create enough of an interest and contrast where I don’t have to go bold with color or style. Actually, I sometimes find intense contrasts a bit counter to my overall goal of calm (probably why I never joined the dark accent wall trend).
ENGAGE Sensations.
Beyond the design aspect, I find there are smaller, simpler ways to bring calming energy to a space.
For example, for sense of smell, I always have an uplifting scent in my home (my signature is Basil by Jenni Kayne). I also love to open our windows when the air gets warmer to allow the scent of nature and fresh oxygen into the space.
I also love ample plant life in my home—again, it adds a refreshing air quality, but also, I think humans are drawn to natural forms of beauty and so any plant (whether its a houseplant or a bouquet of flowers) brings a sense of calm, tranquil energy. Also adds a lively pop of interest to the eye.
As tactile creatures, I also love to include lovely down pillows and throws to places of comfort, sofas, chairs, beds, and built-in-benches. Yep, I’m all about the cozy hygge vibes.
For sound, I often play light piano music in the morning, and when it gets warmer, I open the windows and listen to the wind and birds.
I do these little things on a daily basis—not just special occasions—because every day, we deserve calm and peace. We deserve to surround ourselves in our very own personal sanctuary.
