Fill your home with positivity
As things like meditation and mindfulness become more popular, and with mental health steadily in focus, designers are now looking to see how best to harness the power of positivity and implement that into our homes through interior design. The good news is that there are actually many ways in which we can all do this, and the easiest is with positivity statement prints and feel-good artwork.
Whether you live on your own, with friends or with your family, a positive home is a happy home. By adding this theme to certain rooms of your house or apartment you can improve your state of happiness and add a modern, stylish design feature that everyone can enjoy. Today's post is all about adding that feel good factor back into our homes!
Social media and the demise of mental health
Two words: Mental health. We cannot ignore the message that is currently emerging from social media overuse.
A lot of us are feeling overwhelmed by the continuous projection of the perfect body, the fully stocked designer wardrobes, the always clean and tidy homes that show up on our feeds. Even Facebook admitted in this post that spending too much time on the platform may be bad for our emotional well being.
Oh the stress that comes when it's 9.15am and God forbid you haven't yet posted your Instagram photo and now you've missed your window of opportunity until it's 1pm again. However, I raise my hand here and say I am as guilty as the next Insta account for trying to maintain a clean and polished picture on my feed.
But life happens in our home too, you know, and it's not always clean and tidy. I thought my mountain of ironing will not appeal to many, even though that's my reality on Tuesdays and Sundays.
So if you want to see more of our family reality, tune in on my Instagram Stories, there's plenty of it there. Like this time when Bella, the black lab, rolled in a muddy puddle and she had the guiltiest look afterwards when I gave her a bath.
What to do about it?
So where does one start if the goal is to feel less anxious and depressed? In the first instance, if you are feeling this intensely, always talk to your GP and to friends. Don't keep it inside. Sharing emotions is really good and cathartic and you will find that others feel like you do too.
Reduce your time online. Turn off your phone during a walk out (or don't take your phone with you in the first place). Don't use it 30 minutes before you go to bed. Or try the Miracle Morning routine that Victoria Jackson recommends in this post.
Another way to infuse positivity in your home (and by extension, to yourself) is below! and of course it is interiors related.
Adding positivity around your home
Any easy way to start feeling happy is with a positivity wall - an accent wall with positive colours or prints. It could be a wall in your room or a wall in a common room - dining rooms are great for this. Different rooms can have different impacts on our mood after all.
Do you have children? If you do, no matter what their age, I’m sure you want to fill them with confidence and happiness everyday, an easy way to do this is by adding in a positivity statement to their rooms.
Once you know where you want to add a little corner of happiness it’s time to look into how. As mentioned earlier, there are many ways to do this so I thought I would share with you some of my personal favourites...
Framed Prints
Framed prints come in such a vast array of colours, styles and designs, so with this option you really are spoiled for choice. However, if you do decide to go with a framed print there are a few useful tips that ensure your wall is stylish and elegant.
Minimal – the minimalist design theme has gone from strength to strength recently and lends itself perfectly to this design style. You want the words to be the feature, not the pattern or the colours so ensure your print has a minimalist style to give power and presence to the quote.
Inhale - exhale print (Etsy)
You can also have a go at one of these cinema style boards where you can create your own message and change it often depending on your mood.
Collage of frames –
Having a wall of frames can provide a home with a wonderfully modern design feature. The great thing about this is that you can be as bold or as simple as you like with the design!
Keep it classic with symmetry or go funky with a messy pattern, either way it will bring the wall to life and is guaranteed to add a fun, exciting and trendy element to your home.
Don’t forget about furnishings –
A framed picture on the wall will always look good, however, by adding complimentary furnishings around it is how you get it to look great. Pairing this up with some simple plants or a large floor lamp will help to add something extra to the space. Think of the colour of your frame, the colour of the wall and the colour of the furnishings to ensure they all flow together seamlessly, creating a relaxing but motivational environment.
Feel-Good Artwork
If you would prefer to stay away from motivational quotes but still like the idea of including a positivity statement wall then feel-good artwork is perfect for you. With this option you can afford to go much larger than you would with a positive quote.
Art is very personal and individual so which ever piece you decide on just make sure it evokes happiness, warmth and a feeling of well-being. There are some beautifully bespoke pieces on Etsy that you won’t find anywhere else, ideal for finding the perfect piece that speaks to you.
If you do decide to go with some feel-good artwork then check the lighting in the room of where you want it, will the sun cause a glaze? Is it a little dark in there? For quick tips on how to light artwork at home check out this great guide on the Architectural Digest.
Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash
Colour
Adding a positivity wall can be as easy as simply painting it the right colour. Colours are powerful tools, they have the unique ability to bring back memories, stir up emotion and improve moods. There are many articles you can find online that go deep into the psychological properties of colours, but here is a quick summary:
Red – Associated with energy, strength, power, love and is actually proven to enhance human metabolism, increase respiration rate, and raise blood pressure
Yellow – Associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy whilst also producing a warming effect, arousing cheerfulness and stimulating mental activity.
Green – Associated with nature, growth, harmony, freshness and is considered to be beneficial to the mind and body.
Blue – Associated with the sky, sea and stability. Blue also has the amazing ability to slow human metabolism and produce a calming effect.
Purple – It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition whilst conveying wealth and extravagance.
White – Signifies safety, purity, and cleanliness whilst also representing a successful beginning.
Adding a positive feature wall to your home is something that can inspire, relax and update any room. The perfect combination of style and fun, this design feature is one that will only increase in popularity as the world talks more about happiness and positivity. Try something new, try something exciting and feel better for it every day.
