Personal home time is sacred for most adults. It is potentially the only time of the day you can be completely at ease, reading your favorite book on the veranda or baking your special banana bread in the kitchen. Whatever your relaxation method of choice, you may find that your home isn’t exactly equipped to accommodate time specifically destined for your self-care.
Instead, you might force functional spaces into hosting these sacred activities of yours, at the cost of the quality of your experience. There’s no point reading in the living room with the TV blaring or doing your meditation on the terrace where you might be distracted by prying eyes. Instead, you should revamp whatever empty room you have into your very own leisure room. Here’s how to go about it.
Get Equipped To Set The Mood
You will need to fill your leisure room with objects that match your “personal time” interest. Often, this can mean the tools you use in your hobbies, such as craftwork stationery or a yoga mat or meditation chair. Anything you enjoy doing in your free time can do.
You can set up your own beauty bar complete with a collection of manicuring tools, or your personal gaming station. For chairs and other furniture, you don’t necessarily have to invest in the expensive stuff; thrift store and even junkyard buys can be just as charming, and evocative of your inspirations.
Find Engaging, Theme-consistent Pictures Or Art
Most people are stimulated by clear, concise visual messages. When entering your leisure room, you will want to see pictures matching the purpose of the room.
If you wish to use the room mainly for “glam and beauty,” your favorite pictures of yourself, or your beauty inspirations all glammed up belong on the walls. A meditation room can have posters of your favorite yogi masters, or abstract art, which stimulates or relaxes your mind.
Get Adequate Lighting
Lighting is highly influential in your self-care experience. For a reading room, you will want semi-bright, evenly spread lights, with warmer hues to prevent restlessness. Avoid blue (cold) lights, which are likely to hinder your sleep. For a beauty room, the brighter the lights, the better.
You’ll want to set the lights around or over your mirrors to ensure they fall onto your face while you look at your reflection. Funky lights (LED, Lava Lamps, Decoration lights) are ideal for game rooms because of their youthful edge and can create a cool, dynamic decor for space.
Put Inspirational Messages On The Wall
Research has shown that positive affirmations can work, particularly when you are pursuing a passion or skill with a known reward at its end. Your leisure time likely targets a specific goal; whether it is relaxation, unwinding, meditation, temporary isolation, self-gratification, or reading time, messages of encouragement will help you get in the mood.
They will also reinforce your confidence that you can indeed learn to paint, or finish a whole book in a day, or craft the perfect lamp, or clear your mind from outside worries. These inspirational messages need to be fun, quirky and memorable, and can either be painted directly on the wall or printed onto posters.
Tell A Story With The Wallpaper
Wallpaper is such a versatile way to dress up any room because it offers a variety of creative options. Virtually any image of your choosing can be printed onto wallpaper, or designed into a bespoke wall mural.
Your wall mural (available on sites like https://www.photowall.com/ or wallpaper can tell the story of your room in a gorgeous, immersive way, and can be peeled off without damaging the wall beneath. Remember that the “busier” and more colorful your wallpaper, the more of your attention it will demand; therefore, simple designs may be best suited for relaxation spaces.
Add Accessories For Comfort
No matter what you use your leisure room for, you’ll want a few accessories to reward yourself after finishing an activity, or enhance your relaxation experience. For instance, investing in at least one comfortable reclining chair will allow you to rest your mind and muscles after a long day.
If you wish to use the room for an activity such as yoga, you can have a small corner fridge filled with your favorite refreshments or “plush” corner with thick cushions and candles.
