How to design a less stressful space!

Filling your home with the latest fad and trends, willy nilly can seem like a great idea. But sooner or later the clutter will overtake you, and your perfect pad will become a nightmare. That is why it's important to think carefully about what you have in your space, as well as how to maintain it as well as possible.

Read on for some tips on how to do this.

The calm mindset

The idea of having a spacious and calm home is a wonderful one. But it isn't just important what your living space looks like, but also, how you have got it to be in that state. For example, it’s no good if you can't sit down and relax unless your entire home and garden are spotless and totally tidy. This is going to create a lot of stress in your life, and not help you cultivate a calm attitude in your home at all.  

That is why it is important to have the right mindset when approaching a job like this. Simplicity is important in design and maintenance. So don't over think things, or make them more complicated that they need to be.

Do one thing at a time and devote yourself to that, rather than trying to get everything done and wearing yourself out. For example, tidy up first and then clean. Don't try and do both things together as you’ll just get stressed and confused.

The aesthetic

So when you are trying to create a calm space, there are several elements that you want to bear in mind to get this aesthetic. For example, space is vital so clear counters, shelves and other spaces of all unnecessary clutter. If you haven't used it that day, then it doesn't need to be there. So find a space for it to be put away properly.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you can’t have some decorative features in a room. But choose them thoughtfully and carefully. Pick things that you love that fit in with your room's decor, and that enhance the look and feel of your space.

Choose wall decor that promotes calm, such as relaxing watercolour flowers, oceans or meadows, images of birds in flight, macrame wall art, or soft fabric wall hangings.

Also consider how much maintenance they will need to stay looking clean and attractive. A simple but striking light fitting or ornament can have more impact that a whole room full of items. While still keeping things looking and feeling calm, as well as being easy for you to maintain.

Also, consider the colour scheme that you use in your house and garden. Calmer space is usually associated with more muted or pastel colours. As well as bringing elements of nature inside.

The method

So creating a calm home isn't all about the content of your property, but also about how you look after and maintain it. For example, staying on top of seasonal jobs with a little and often attitude can help you get through them, without them building up.

The same goes for cleaning and tidying. If you are cleaning as you go, using products like eco-friendly biodegradable disposable wipes, then you will never have to psych yourself up to do a massive clean that takes a load of time and energy, because things will never get that bad. That is particularly valuable for maintaining the high use areas, like the bathroom and kitchen. These areas can become dirty and unhygienic if left for too long.

In terms of tidying it is amazing how much your standard of life can be raised just by putting things away where they belong when you are done using them. It is so simple it's almost ridiculous, but trust me it works both inside the home and in the garden, and can seriously help to contribute to a sense of peace and calm on your property.

Get a shed or a tool caddy for the garden and make sure that you have set places for all of your household items to live inside your home.

Of course, part of the calm method of maintaining your home means letting go of that sense of perfectionism that you might have. While it’s nice for our homes to look like they could easily be a double page spread in Homes And Gardens Magazines, we have to bear in mind that they are practical spaces in which we live, love, eat and sleep.

Therefore unless you have someone else coming in and doing your cleaning for you, they aren't going to look perfect all of the time.

In fact, it's more about accepting that good enough is good enough, and that doing one job towards improving the tidiness or cleanliness of your home and then stopping is OK!