Design for the Times- Creating Calm

When we are bombarded daily with instability and lack of trust in the very establishments that we are supposed to rely on, we crave the escape to a calm and peaceful environment. Have you ever spent time in a Japanese garden? It is simple, beautiful, has lot's of open space. It involves your sense of sight, smell (subtly) hearing (with water features) and touch. And taste, if there is a Japanese tea house involved.

If you want to create a sense of calm in your own personal environment there are some easy inexpensive ways to accomplish this.

Get back to nature. Water or fire features. Nature scenes via pictures, paintings and murals. Colors from nature. Remember that in nature, the colors are dark on the floor and get lighter as you go higher. Dark ground, light sky. Add fresh flowers, real plants!

Paint. Paint your walls with soft, calm, & peaceful colors. Shades of biege, or sand are very calming. So is pale aqua, or pale pink, or soft yellow.

Remove the clutter. Clutter stifles the flow of energy. Take all the accessories out of the room then add in only a few personal items such as pictures, art, or sculpture. Personalize it but dont put every personal item in the room. Collections of similar items in threes spread around the room creates interest and a sense of balance.

Balance. Creating symmetry in a space is calming. Divide the space in half and whatever is happing on one side of the room in terms of heights, line, proportion should be happening on the other side of the room as well. For example, when you have a fireplace with a mantel and you put a tall candle on one side of the mantel put a tall candle on the other side as well to create equal balance. When you have a tall entertainment center or flat screen tv on one wall, offset on the other side of the room with a picture of the same scale hung at the same height. Asymmetrical design, where things are not equal, creates excitement and high energy - not calm.

Line. Creating horizontal lines in the room is calming. Zigzag lines create action, energy, movement and are not considered calm. Vertical lines create height but not calm. I love painting wide, horizontal bands on the walls. Even horizontal lines on pillows will work. I love horizontal lines in a room. I have taken molding strips and attached them horizontally to the wall.

Scent. I think we all know by now that Vanilla is a scent that speaks to our soul. I personnaly am tired of that scent and prefer other calming scents. I really like the Ralph Lauren Spa scent. I love lavender! People always comment on how wonderful my house smells because I have Glade plug-ins in the lavendar scent scattered throughout my house. Visit a candle and atomizer specialty shop to find the scent that speaks to you personnaly.

Sound. Home fountains come in all styles and prices. The sound of flowing water is soothing. Water features in general connect us with nature. Also, if you have a lot of hard surfaces the sound is bouncing around the room. Buffer these sounds by adding area rugs, and drapery panels to absorb the sound. Turn off the tv. Turn on soft, soothing music.

Lighting. I love dimmer switches! You can set the level of lighting according to your mood and what you need to accomplish. Task lighting or general lighting is overhead, well lit lighting in the room. Add a dimmer switch and you can lower the level of light output. How about turning off all the lights and just lighting candles?! Or turning off the overhead lights and turn on low wattage lamps. Lighting is a key element to creating a calm environment.

Taste. Mmmmm! Comfort foods. Soup, starch, scones! Wine!

So, if you need a calm, personal environment to escape to just implement some of the ideas above and RELAX!! If you look around you probably have many of the items mentioned and may not even have to spend any money!