Transforming your home goes beyond the visual aesthetics but involves engaging all of the senses.
Our home should be a truly immersive and enjoyable environment, so it’s important to have a little reminder of how to appeal to all of the five senses when we’re relaxing in our home. From the sounds to the sights and everything in between, let’s show you how to revamp your home.
The Sight
We will start here, as, of course, for most of us, what we see will have a major impact on how we feel about the space.
While there are the benefits of incorporating Feng Shui into your home with regards to how you place furnishings, there are a few other things that you would benefit from to make your home more visually appealing to you personally:
Refreshing the Color Palette
This is one of the best places to begin. Look at the home and where you could benefit from energizing yourself in certain places and calming yourself in others. A color that is inherently you should be a key part of the space as well.
This is where something like gold can be energizing but also inspiring. You can see here as to the various types of gold wallpaper you can buy, but also think about where this would be best placed.
Visual interest is also critical here, and you can either add vibrant decor or something as simple as an accent wall. Accent walls are wonderful for many reasons; they can add dimension to create visual interest and a focal point, make small rooms appear larger, provide an opportunity to experiment with minimal risk, and allow homeowners to take control over their home’s style, adding depth and character.
Strategic Lighting
Upgrading your lighting fixtures will enhance functionality and ambiance with a mix of task lighting, ambient, and accent lighting to create layers and set moods. One great way to do this is to experiment with different bulb temperatures, and this can create a number of varying effects.
Personal Touches and Artwork
Displaying artwork that resonates with you can turn your walls into an opportunity for personal expression.
From unique finds and tweaks to family photos, you can instantly add a touch of warmth and nostalgia.
The Sound
Sound is so important to us because some people don’t want much sound, but others need that constant thrum of noise.
One of the big things we don’t have much control over is where we live, and while we may live in a built-up city area, which means constant traffic and external noises, there are things that we can do to elevate our auditory experience.
Triple Glazing Windows
Triple-glazed windows can be great for reducing noise in the home because of that additional layer of insulation compared to double-glazing.
It’s critical to remember that triple glazing may not reliably reduce noise and could potentially create new noise issues unless you have one layer of acoustic laminated glass, ensure the glazing is of different thickness, and you need to treat the window acoustically.
A Quality Sound System
A high-quality sound system can elevate your auditory experience, of course; it all depends on your personal relationship with noise.
For example, if your concentration is not great, then a plethora of background noise could be incredibly distracting. It can be easy for us to become distracted by outside noise, and this is why we should also focus on the quality of the sound that we have in the home. A great sound system can make all the difference here.
White Noise or Nature Sounds
Ambient sounds are also key to creating a serene background that will help you to relax and focus.
If you work at home or you need spaces where tranquility is an absolute must, you will benefit from adding white noise or nature sounds. There are a variety of resources available online, including myNoise, that provide a wealth of nature sounds from thunder to rain.
The Smells
The smell of our home is one of the big things that can affect our relationship with space.
This is why if you are looking at making the home smell better, it’s not just about adding certain things but also about tackling the root cause. Here are a few suggestions:
Make a Simmer Pot
This is an excellent way to potentially disguise certain smells that have become baked into the home over the years. You can easily make a simmer pot that smells like potpourri using citrus, herbs, various extracts, and essential oils that you like.
It is simple enough to make and will ensure that you don’t use artificial fragrances to cover up the smell.
Use Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent odor absorber and can deodorize so many different parts of the home.
You can turn it into a paste or sprinkle it on your carpet and clothes; the options are endless.
Eliminate Bad Odors
Many DIY approaches work here, for example, a carpet deodorizer with baking soda, corn starch, and essential oil.
You could also make your own reed diffuser, natural room spray using basil and lemon, and so much more.
Bringing Nature Indoors
Plants add visual appeal but also release natural fragrances that purify the air and reinvigorate the overall atmosphere.
Diffusers or Aromatic Candles
Using scents within different areas of the home can bring about different results.
For example, you could use eucalyptus in your workspace to help you gain clarity, citrus in the kitchen for freshness, and lavender in the bedroom to help you relax.
The Taste
Taste is one of those senses that, like smell, can have an overwhelming impact on our ability to enjoy a space.
Taste is a little less straightforward, but when it comes to reinvigorating your home through taste, the solutions are surprisingly based on the food we consume.
Creating a Small Herb Garden
Enhancing your cooking experience should be a priority if you’re looking to create a more inviting home through taste. No doubt you have memories of pies or cookies being baked that instantly transport you to your childhood.
If you’ve got young family members in tow, you can make changes to your cooking and eating experience by adding more herbs and spices, which will contribute to a culinary haven and change the overall kitchen ambiance.
Altering Your Dining Area
The experience of eating food is as much about where we eat it. It involves the sense of smell but also the sense of sight as well. Eating in a well-organized dining area can result in a far more uplifting eating experience.
The Touch
Finally, the sense of touch is an absolutely pivotal one. During cold winters, we want soft fabrics that envelop us, and during the summer, we want to feel comfortable and free in whatever we are wearing or sitting on. If you want to reinvigorate your home through this sense, you should consider these.
Natural Materials
Natural materials have long been considered an effective design tactic, but they can also be an amazing way to bring that sense of the outdoors inside.
Materials like stone, wood, or indeed wicker furniture can result in a far more tactile experience for guests and family members alike.
Incorporate Soft Fabrics
Softness is key to providing a sense of comfort. Soft fabrics that you can use for cushions, upholstery, and throws will create a cozy and inviting touch. However, it can be easy to go overboard with the soft items, so you can balance this out with other materials like linen or velvet to create a sense of diversity.
Comfortable Seating
Your home should not just look good but feel good too, so consider seating that instantly gives you permission to relax. Couches are pivotal to relaxation because it’s the one place we are constantly drawn to. This means you’ve got to think twice about picking a show-home couch that may look fantastic but doesn’t feel comfortable.
Textured Wall Covering
Grasscloth wallpaper or 3D panels can add depth to your walls, and this can make a massive difference in how your space feels.
Rugs and Carpets
Think about that underfoot sensation as well. Carpets aren’t always a good idea, especially for those with allergies and asthma, so rugs can straddle the balance here. Additionally, underfloor heating can be wonderful in the winter when you’ve got to step into a very cold bathroom!
When it comes to revamping your home, it can be easy to think purely on a visual level, but there’s always more than meets the eye. If you want a space that doesn’t just look good but feels, sounds, smells, and even tastes good, incorporating some or all of these multi-sensory elements in your home will instantly elevate the space.
Ultimately, we have to consider all of our unique preferences and lifestyles of those who dwell within, but engaging with the senses more doesn’t just help us to enjoy our home, but can contribute to our well-being in subtle but extremely effective ways.