If you want to feel calmer and more inspired in your home, then taking a zenful approach to your decor style makes for an excellent option. Styled on the pared-down decoration found in ancient Japan, today's modern zen styles combine the best of both worlds that is, a calming atmosphere with modern functionality. Creating zen in your home is easier than you think; and here are some of my best practices…

Choose Soft Tones

To benefit from a calmer mindset and create a state of equilibrium within the home, it's best to start with the basics; the colour tones in your rooms. According to interior design experts, particular colour tones have a big impact on our sense of wellbeing, so I recommend avoiding stressful colours when trying to create a space of relaxation and instead opt for softer colour tones like beige, white, and grey. It's also important to create chromatic harmony between the walls and the furniture, so consider how your chosen colour scheme works with furniture items such as sofas, cushions, and rugs, as well as broader details such as curtains, decorative features and your Richard Haworth table linen sets of course.

Floors and Rugs

If you walked into a temple in Japan, you would not be wearing any shoes; bare feet are mandatory in most zenful spaces. Still, there is no soft carpet underfoot; instead, there is a bare wooden floor that is flat and perfectly clean. But your home doesn't have to live up to these standards.

In a western home that is zen in style, it's common to have a little more comfort whilst maintaining the overall feel of a pared-down space. An excellent way to do this is to add a rug to a wooden floor. Where carpet is the choice of floor covering, you can opt for those softer in tone and material to fit with the overall brief of the space.

Increase Natural Light

The zen aesthetic originated in Japan thousands of years ago before the invention of electricity or powered appliances, so if you want an authentic zen sanctuary for your home, it's time to go back to basics when it comes to lighting. This is also beneficial because harsh fluorescent lights can have some pretty detrimental effects on our health.

Try to include as much natural light as possible in your home by choosing versatile blinds and lighting candles instead of switching on electrical lighting. Natural light is not only less expensive, but it's also better for your circadian rhythms and your body's levels of vitamin D.

Light & Natural Fabrics

Ok, so when it comes to fabrics it's best to keep them light, natural, and plain. In general, the fabrics in your home follow the same rules as the natural light; think about history of the most tranquil, zenful interior spaces and try to adapt them for the modern home.

Some of the best fabrics to use for your new zenful space include linen and hemp as these fulfill all the criteria in relation to both colour and texture, and are also high-quality materials that don't need to be regularly replaced. Again, look for chromatic harmony between fabrics, walls, and furniture.

Pared Down Furniture

Traditional zen spaces don't have much furniture in them, and if they do, the furniture is basic, yet functional. However, since the zen styles migrated west, it saw furniture being created with clean lines and a distinct lack of ornamentation; which is exactly what you need to enhance a zenful interior,

The key to making this desired space work is to focus on the space between objects instead of how many objects you can fit into the room. Choose a few simple and functional items for the room but pay more attention to the space, the light, the colours, and the lack of ornamentation in style.

Reduce Decorations

One of the key tenets of zen is meaning; there is nothing in the space that doesn't have some significance which is a good rule of thumb when thinking about what decoration to have in your home. Avoid hanging pictures and artwork for the sake of it; instead, reflect on their meaning.

Always remember that on this occasion, less is more; what you find is that removing your wall hangings and artwork contributes to the harmony of the space and calms your mind. If you are going to hang something on the wall, try to ensure that it's plain and chimes with the rest of the decor.

Natural Scents

Of course, you don't need scents to create the perfect zen space, but it helps. There's no reason you can create a zen home simply by minimizing the furniture and changing the wall colors; this leads to a more calm and reflective state of mind - but natural scents can make a difference too!

Avoid artificial scents at all costs, even if they sound zen in nam. Artificial scents are made from chemicals that can aggravate your lungs, causing stress and breathing difficulties. Instead, opt for essential oils, linen spray, and beeswax candles to bring a zenful essence to your home.

Reduce Electronics

Needless to say, electronic devices like phones, televisions, computers, and smartphones are all very anti-zen; these devices intrude on your zen space, causing stress and agitation. That said, these devices are necessary to modern life, so it leaves you with something of a home decoration dilemma.

Luckily, there are some solutions to the issues; there are ways you can still enjoy your modern conveniences without sacrificing your atmosphere. Start by putting your television and computer inside units that seal off and make sure there are no wires visible in your calm setting.

Introduce Green Plants

A big part of being zen is all about getting closer to nature and the way things are, which is why green plants are often used in zen inspired homes. Green plants are soothing for the mind and help to aerate the rooms; however, try to avoid plants with flowers as these can change the scent and atmosphere of rooms.

Eliminate Clutter

Naturally, you’ll want to minimise or eliminate clutter for your new zenful space, and clutter is the antithesis of this because it is the opposite of what you want to achieve. Consider selling your unused things online or taking them to thrift stores.

Now that you’ve got the basics down I’d love to see how you create your own zenful sanctuaries. Share your pictures with me below for a chance to be featured in one of my future blog posts.

How to Make Your Home More Zen