Create a More Relaxing Home

Our homes influence how we feel every day. One of the easiest ways to create a warm, welcoming, and relaxing space is by adding texture.

Texture invites us to relax because it engages our sense of touch, even before we physically touch it. Soft, textured materials naturally make a room feel more comfortable and inviting.

Examples of texture include:

• Knitted throws

• Woven fabrics on chairs and sofas

• Textured pillows

• Linen or woven draperies

• Braided or shag area rugs

• Natural baskets and woven accessories

Even adding just a few of these elements can make a room feel warmer and cozier.

In contrast, rooms filled primarily with smooth, hard surfaces often feel more formal, cooler, and less inviting. Materials such as glass, polished stone, tile, mirrors, and glossy finishes reflect light and create a crisp, clean appearance. While these surfaces are beautiful, using too many without balancing them with softer textures can make a room feel somewhat cold or impersonal.

The secret is balance. By combining soft textures with smooth surfaces, you create a home that feels both beautiful and comfortable, a place where family and friends naturally want to gather. Naturally want to gather.

Don't overlook your home's architectural materials. They also play an important role in how a room feels. The fireplace façade can lend a rugged appearance with stones having character or with light colored bricks placed in a way that allows for some to protrude and others to recess. This gives an ordinary flat red brick fireplace much more character and visual interest.  Don’t be afraid to paint out that red brick fireplace for an easy solution when replacing the brick would be too costly. 

The direction your windows face also affects how colors appear. North-facing windows provide the truest, most neutral light, making them ideal for artists. East-facing rooms tend to have cooler, greener morning light, while west-facing rooms are warmed by the golden afternoon sun. South-facing rooms usually receive the warmest light throughout the day. In addition, many newer windows have UV-protective coatings or tinted glass that can subtly alter the appearance of your wall colors.

How you feel in your home is just as important as how it looks. Rooms that are excessively bright can sometimes feel overstimulating, while rooms that are dark and lacking natural light may feel gloomy and can negatively affect your mood. As you work to keep your home cool during the summer months, avoid closing drapes and window coverings so much that your rooms become dim and uninviting. Whenever possible, allow natural daylight to brighten your living spaces while managing heat with appropriate window treatments.

Just as our surroundings influence the colors we see, our environments also influence how we feel. Thoughtful design can create spaces that support relaxation, joy, and well-being every day.

Be sure the furniture is in a tone or color similar to the floor or walls keeping a lighter tone such as soft blues, light yellows, beige, sage and/or whites for a feeling of relaxation. Avoid those contrasting bright colors! Colors vibrate at different speeds and can help reduce stress or increase anxiety.

Remember use only 3 colors in one room with one being your accent color to lead the eye around the room; example: White, beige, and sage. The color sage can be the color used for the pillow, artwork on the wall, and area rug. This way the entire room is pulled together by that one accent colors, with your walls and floors in the beige and white tones.

When I was completing my interior design education, one of my instructors shared a story that has stayed with me ever since. He had just completed a beautiful home in Malibu with crisp white walls throughout the living room. On move-in day, he received a frantic phone call from his client, who insisted that all of the white walls had turned pink overnight. The client was convinced the wrong paint had been used and was extremely upset.

The designer immediately drove to the home to investigate. As he looked around, he realized the paint had not changed at all. The large windows overlooked the property's natural red clay soil, and the sunlight reflecting off the earth was casting a soft pink glow throughout the room. The white walls were simply reflecting the color of the landscape outside.

Sometime later, the homeowner called again with another surprise. After a swimming pool had been installed, the walls no longer appeared pink, they now looked slightly blue. Once again, the white paint had not changed. The blue sky reflected in the pool water was bouncing light into the room, creating a cool blue cast on the walls.

Finally, after the landscaping was completed with lush green shrubs and trees surrounding the home, the appearance of the walls changed yet again. This time they reflected the soft green tones of the new plantings outside the windows.

That story has always reminded me that color is never seen in isolation. The direction of natural light, the landscape outside, nearby surfaces, and even the seasons can all influence how a paint color appears. Before making a final decision, always view paint samples in the room where they will be used and observe them at different times of the day. You may be surprised at how dramatically a color can change.

When you want to change the wall color in the room, purchase a 24 X 36” poster board and paint your sample color on that board. Then you can place it in the room and move it from wall to wall. Natural light changes throughout the day, so moving the painted board around the room allows you to see how the color will look under different lighting conditions. This way you can purchase several small cans of paint and see which color looks best with the light on your room. Have fun experimenting with paint colors because they can completely transform a room, and remember, paint is one of the easiest design elements to change.

Remember, every time you change colors your eye stops. That causes the flow of energy to stop and disrupts the flow of the entire room. Change colors only when you want something to stand out! Such as a favorite artwork on the wall, or an accent piece on the coffee table.

Easy Ways to Add Texture

If your room feels a little cold or uninviting, you don't need to redecorate. Simply add a soft throw over the sofa, exchange smooth pillows for woven or textured fabrics, place an area rug beneath your seating area, or introduce woven baskets and natural wood accessories. These small changes can dramatically transform how a room feels without spending a fortune.

Be sure when many textures are added to your room that clutter is kept to a minimum. Keeping papers and other essential items inside a cabinet with a door or drawer will make the room appear clean and helps to reduce stress. When we see paperwork or other items not used daily it can cause more stress and be a big distraction.

It is important if your goal is to create a calm, spacious room that the furniture is in a tone or color similar to the floor or walls keeping a lighter tone such as soft blues, light yellows, beige, sage and/or whites for a feeling of relaxation. Avoid those contrasting bright colors! Colors vibrate at different speeds and can help reduce stress or increase anxiety.

Take a moment to walk through your home to see things you may not have noticed before, I like to take a photo and study the snapshot. Dark wooden doors against a light wall, and windows with dark frames will stand out in your photo more easily than just standing in the room to observe the content and placement.

As you walk through your home, notice how each room makes you feel. If a space seems cold or uncomfortable, ask yourself whether it needs a little more texture. Often, a few thoughtful changes are all it takes to create a room that welcomes you in and invites you to relax.

Nature is filled with texture, from tree bark and stone to woven grasses and soft leaves. Bringing those same natural textures into our homes helps create a feeling of warmth, comfort, and connection.

Stay tuned for next month's Design Tip: Furniture Placement.

If you'd like help creating a home that feels more relaxing and supports your well-being, I offer two-hour in-home consultations as well as Zoom design consultations where you can simply walk me through your home room by room. I'd love to help you create a space you'll truly enjoy living in.

Remember, your home should be more than just beautiful, it should support your happiness, reduce stress, and become a place where you truly love spending time.