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7 Guaranteed Ways to Make Staying at Home the Ultimate Staycation
Self-imposed house arrest getting you down? Here are some surefire ways to bring the fun back into staying at home
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar
7 July 2020
Houzz India Contributor. Internationally published architecture, design and art journalist. www.mangomonk.com
Houzz India Contributor. Internationally published architecture, design and art journalist.... More
As social distancing and self-isolation become par for the course, our homes are taking on a veritable range of avatars – as workspaces, as entertainment zones, as makeshift gyms and more – to accommodate our newfound home-centred lifestyle. If sequestering yourself inside your home is proving to be no bed of roses, take heart. With these easy-breezy tips, you can make staying at home a fun and fulfilling experience.
Remember to click on the image to know about the design professional’s work.
Remember to click on the image to know about the design professional’s work.
1. Cocoon yourself in calming colours
Light, neutral hues can help you feel relaxed and envelop you in Zen vibes. If you’re feeling a sense of imprisonment in the same environment all day, everyday, consider swapping out your furnishings and accents with lighter tones. Your curtains, cushions, linens and rugs are some elements you could focus your attention on.
Cloaked in serene tones, this living room by ZERO9 shows us how it’s done. The dove-grey sofa and rug soothe the senses, while pops of green and orange, channelled through accent pillows, enliven the minimalist aesthetic.
Light, neutral hues can help you feel relaxed and envelop you in Zen vibes. If you’re feeling a sense of imprisonment in the same environment all day, everyday, consider swapping out your furnishings and accents with lighter tones. Your curtains, cushions, linens and rugs are some elements you could focus your attention on.
Cloaked in serene tones, this living room by ZERO9 shows us how it’s done. The dove-grey sofa and rug soothe the senses, while pops of green and orange, channelled through accent pillows, enliven the minimalist aesthetic.
Tip: If you’re inclined towards a classic neutral but worried about its starkness, go for off-white alternatives such as cream, ivory or even beige. These can give your room serenity without robbing it of personality. Alternatively, cheery accents, such as these buttercup-yellow chairs, can make for enlivening additions.
2. Keep a scent
There’s nothing more invigorating than a scent that carries you to a happy place. Karnataka sandalwood might remind you of a holiday in the South Indian woodlands, while rose might conjure a memory of your childhood garden. Place aromatic candles or diffusers at your workstation or by your bed, to whisk you away when you need it most!
Take inspiration from these candle and pine cone vignettes, curated by Essentia Environments, which conquer the visual and olfactory senses with equal elan.
There’s nothing more invigorating than a scent that carries you to a happy place. Karnataka sandalwood might remind you of a holiday in the South Indian woodlands, while rose might conjure a memory of your childhood garden. Place aromatic candles or diffusers at your workstation or by your bed, to whisk you away when you need it most!
Take inspiration from these candle and pine cone vignettes, curated by Essentia Environments, which conquer the visual and olfactory senses with equal elan.
3. Bring in some plants
What better way to feel like you’re outside, than by inviting some plants inside? You don’t need a dedicated garden to add plants to your life; the dining room windowsill, the bathroom window, or the corner by the front door can work just as well. There are several Indian plant varieties that thrive indoors, with and without sunlight. So, if you’ve been wanting to work your green thumb, there is no better time than now!
What better way to feel like you’re outside, than by inviting some plants inside? You don’t need a dedicated garden to add plants to your life; the dining room windowsill, the bathroom window, or the corner by the front door can work just as well. There are several Indian plant varieties that thrive indoors, with and without sunlight. So, if you’ve been wanting to work your green thumb, there is no better time than now!
This breakfast bar by Ariyona Interior gets a new lease of life with a simple arrangement of planters — one hanging from above, another just beneath it, and a third a short distance away.
Struggling to keep your plants alive? Here are some indoor varieties you just can’t kill
Struggling to keep your plants alive? Here are some indoor varieties you just can’t kill
4. Maximise natural and ambient light
If you’re spending the majority of your day at home, it’s worth levelling your lighting to suit your mood and time of day. Open your curtains to welcome natural light indoors; and if sunlight is in limited supply, place a mirror opposite the window to dial up the luminosity.
In this living room by Weespaces, floor-to-ceiling windows channel sunlight evenly across the room. Sconces provide focused illumination, while a gilded chandelier carpets the room in ambient light.
Tip: Invest in overhead fixtures, sconces and lamps to add multiple layers of light to your room. With a dimmer to boot, you can amp up or tone down your lighting to suit the setting.
Boost natural light in your home with these clever ideas
If you’re spending the majority of your day at home, it’s worth levelling your lighting to suit your mood and time of day. Open your curtains to welcome natural light indoors; and if sunlight is in limited supply, place a mirror opposite the window to dial up the luminosity.
In this living room by Weespaces, floor-to-ceiling windows channel sunlight evenly across the room. Sconces provide focused illumination, while a gilded chandelier carpets the room in ambient light.
Tip: Invest in overhead fixtures, sconces and lamps to add multiple layers of light to your room. With a dimmer to boot, you can amp up or tone down your lighting to suit the setting.
Boost natural light in your home with these clever ideas
5. Display your favourite things
Bring out tchotchkes and trinkets that you love! Seashells from the beach, souvenirs from holidays past and special photographs can make for a charming vignette on a spare table, or fitting additions to a display cabinet. By surrounding yourself with positive things, you’re bound to feel uplifted.
See how special photographs, accents and memorabilia enrich this Mumbai home, revealing glimmers of bygone days.
Here are some ways to create a beautiful vignette
Bring out tchotchkes and trinkets that you love! Seashells from the beach, souvenirs from holidays past and special photographs can make for a charming vignette on a spare table, or fitting additions to a display cabinet. By surrounding yourself with positive things, you’re bound to feel uplifted.
See how special photographs, accents and memorabilia enrich this Mumbai home, revealing glimmers of bygone days.
Here are some ways to create a beautiful vignette
6. Create a hyggekrog
A hyggekrog is a Danish concept pertaining to a cosy nook, a snug corner, or simply a comfortable seat reserved for relaxation. If you’re working from home, toggling between work and play might prove to be a challenge, and demarcating a knock-back zone can help you switch gears after a long day of work.
With a bijou library, old-world accents and an armchair, this little corner by The Lofte Designs has all the ingredients for an evening of unwinding.
A hyggekrog is a Danish concept pertaining to a cosy nook, a snug corner, or simply a comfortable seat reserved for relaxation. If you’re working from home, toggling between work and play might prove to be a challenge, and demarcating a knock-back zone can help you switch gears after a long day of work.
With a bijou library, old-world accents and an armchair, this little corner by The Lofte Designs has all the ingredients for an evening of unwinding.
Top off your hyggekrog with a charming tea or coffee station. This one, in a weekend home designed by Sanjyt Syngh, beckons its owners to wind down, log-cabin style, coffee firmly in hand.
7. Designate a work area
While it may seem like the most comfy option, working on your bed is a surefire way to induce self-inflicted drowsiness. Instead, set up a workstation that can help charge you for the day ahead. Natural light can be a wonderful pick-me-up, so consider an area by a window that receives plenty of sunlight. Add some task lighting to your setup with a spiffy table lamp.
This window-facing workstation, tucked into this little Mumbai living room, is a deliberate breakaway from the rest of the space, allowing for privacy when needed most. Note how the light floods in through the window, bathing the desk in natural light.
Intrigued? Take a peek inside this compact home, designed as a paradise for a celeb stylist and her cats
Need inspiration for your home office? Browse these stylish setups
Read more:
Home Cooling Tips: 12 Ways to Shade Your Home From the Sun
How to Have a Home That is Easy to Clean
Tell us:
What changes are you making to your home during self-isolation? Tell us in Comments below.
While it may seem like the most comfy option, working on your bed is a surefire way to induce self-inflicted drowsiness. Instead, set up a workstation that can help charge you for the day ahead. Natural light can be a wonderful pick-me-up, so consider an area by a window that receives plenty of sunlight. Add some task lighting to your setup with a spiffy table lamp.
This window-facing workstation, tucked into this little Mumbai living room, is a deliberate breakaway from the rest of the space, allowing for privacy when needed most. Note how the light floods in through the window, bathing the desk in natural light.
Intrigued? Take a peek inside this compact home, designed as a paradise for a celeb stylist and her cats
Need inspiration for your home office? Browse these stylish setups
Read more:
Home Cooling Tips: 12 Ways to Shade Your Home From the Sun
How to Have a Home That is Easy to Clean
Tell us:
What changes are you making to your home during self-isolation? Tell us in Comments below.
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