Our homes and the way our furniture is laid out can positively or negatively influence our quality of life just by how we experience our spaces. If our rooms are filled with things we love, and if pieces are arranged in a way that is pleasing to us, our homes can bring us great joy. If our spaces are cluttered and ill-arranged, we can experience frustration and stress. I was very much feeling overwhelmed and stressed out this week and decided with my husband that we would rearrange our living rooms and move some of our pieces to different spaces for an intentional refresh.
FURNITURE & SPACE
To keep a space from feeling cluttered or cramped, which can bring moods down, I made the change to make the spaces I changed to feel like there is more room even when there is not. These subtle changes can enhance the positive energy felt in a room by creating the illusion of space. Have you ever heard the term feng shui? Finally, all furniture arrangements balance on what is called a focal point. A focal point is a piece that draws the eye and grounds space so the other pieces can be arranged around it. Fireplaces make for the perfect focal point in any room. Focal points create a feeling of timeless beauty, and beauty positively affects moods.
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CLUTTER
I have been watching Marie Kondo and I have been in love with her books: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up & Spark Joy. Marie suggests asking the question of what we want to own is actually the question of how we want to live our lives. Clutter in our living spaces can negatively impact our feelings at home, so it is best to eliminate as much of it as possible! If we don’t, we just end up rearranging it over and over, all the while continuing to experience the unease and stress. And “clutter” does not only imply the piles of papers on the dining room table or the dusty collections of knick-knacks. It is everything from furniture, art, houseplants, to books—any of these, when arranged poorly, can cause an unpleasant experience.
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Minimizing accessories down to only the items that spark joy and displaying those items on or in a few statement pieces of furniture will have a tremendous impact on setting the ambiance. I’m not an expert but I think it is wise to take into account the size of a room when downsizing or choosing furnishings. Pieces should be appropriately sized to the room. If space is large, small pieces look sparse and out-of-place. If space is small, but the pieces are large, it will feel cluttered even if there are only a few things around. This was the problem we were experiencing in the main living room where we had too much furniture in such a tiny space and not enough furniture in the downstairs living room.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
The design choices in our homes are another way to bring enjoyment to our time there. Our moods can be lightened by seeing smiling photos of ourselves and our loved ones prominently displayed around us. These subconsciously bring to mind good memories and ultimately spark joy. Speaking of being enlightened, lighting is a great design element to consider. Natural lighting is a great mood booster, so open up the curtains and let the light in! The best thing for us to see in our homes is light. Natural light in the day and warm, non-fluorescent light at night time are both wonderful for our moods. Windows should be kept clean and blinds or curtains should be chosen for how they enhance the desirable aspects of light, rather than for how they hide them.
Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash
Arguably the most important design element, however, is color. Colors have long been associated with moods. Colors in the home should be researched and chosen for the moods that you want to set. If you need help selecting paint colors, and sheens, this may help you out! We went with warm grays, white, and black with hints of greens and a lot of warm wood tones! It ultimately makes for a very neutral but welcoming home!
OUR SENSES
Sights, sounds, and smells in our homes can enhance or detract from our joy and experience that we want to intentionally pursue at home.
What we see—The best thing for us to see in our homes is light. But also our favorite items being displayed such as in a hutch or curio cabinets or even on a bookshelf. To see items that we love properly displayed in their proper place sparks so much joy, even after re-arranging.
Photo by Landis Brown on Unsplash
Sound & Smell
Unwanted noise in the home can be extremely stressful. Anything that we can do to remove unpleasant noises and enhance the ones that bring us joy will help in this area. We may need to move the TV in a different room, install a water feature, or lube a squeaky fan—but whatever it is, we should take action to minimize the disturbing noises and increase the pleasant ones. Tell Amazon Alexa to play your favorite at home playlist, that will instantly lift your mood. I promise.
There is a reason that real estate experts suggest putting a batch of cookies in to bake during an open house. Smells can very subtly affect our moods. If we are enjoying the smells in our homes, we are more likely to be experiencing positive moods as well. Candles, incense, and oils can all help in this area, as can blooming flowers in pots throughout the house. The smell of solid wood furnishings can also be a strong mood lifter. I recommend running the diffuser right up to when you get ready to leave your house and when you come back. It will automatically brighten up your day if your house is freshened up with a great smell.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
The quality, size, and arrangement of furniture in a home can greatly affect a person’s mood there. I came to an understanding today that our homes and the way our furniture is laid out can positively or negatively influence our quality of life just by how we experience our spaces. It is so important to refresh the spaces we live in to re-ignite the spark of joy that we get by living intentionally at home. By learning to recognize the five senses and seeing how re-arranging can affect you as an individual at home, aren’t you going to try refreshing too?
Love,
[…] and cards arriving by mail, more elaborate meals, or perhaps a tree, you’ll likely need to rearrange spaces and temporarily store unneeded furniture and items. I would recommend that you start by choosing a […]