Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week on 15th–21st May 2023, home experts at Tapi have teamed up with an interior designer to share budget-friendly tips on how to make your home a sanctuary.
The interiors you choose for your home and how you work with your space can all impact your mood and happiness. It’s been known that room organisation is a major factor in creating a peaceful and soothing home.
With this in mind, experts at Tapi have teamed up with Ryan McDonough, interior design expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk, to share budget-friendly tips on how to make your home a sanctuary, which can be beneficial towards your mental health.
1. Give your walls a fresh lick of paint
The colours we use around our home can be a factor in creating a sanctuary that helps to give us a calm and positive vibe in our space. Interiors that feel dark and oppressive can lower your mood, while light, colourful and airy interiors can be a great mood booster.
With the spring months coming up, try giving your walls a fresh lick of paint, or if you’re in rented accommodation and painting the walls is a no-go, opt for removable wallpaper. Ryan recommends trying colours like lemon yellow, pastel blue and fresh green as they can have a positive impact on the way in which we feel when in our homes. He also says blues and greens are calming colours, so can have a soothing effect.
It is recommended for red colours to be used to add small, invigorating pops of colour, otherwise in larger doses it can make you feel hot and angry!
2. Avoid common interior mistakes
There are some common interior mistakes that can make our home feel like less of an inviting space and have a positive impact on our happiness. For example, Ryan said: “It can be a mistake to drench your home in one single colour, even a positive one. It can be too overwhelming or may make rooms feel a bit flat.” However, that isn’t to say that you can’t focus on one colour palette. For example, you can use different variations of neutrals to create consistency and harmony throughout the home.
Furthermore, another common mistake is not making sure we have enough storage in our homes as this can lead to clutter which prevents us from being able to relax properly. It can often leave us feeling uncomfortable and irritated, says Ryan.
3. Utilise the space you have to create a cosy space
With studies showing that spaces that are easy to navigate can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious, it’s important to ensure that we use the space we have accordingly to create the ultimate sanctuary at home. If you have a large room that feels bright and airy, it can usually make us feel more positive in our space, however, if it feels too bare and empty then it can have the opposite effect on us.
On the other hand, small rooms can be cosy, making us feel relaxed. However, if you overfill them with furniture, you’ll soon feel claustrophobic. It is more what you do with a room, rather than the size of it, that counts.
4. Add personal touches, plants, and art
Weaving in personal touches such as photographs, paintings, and sculptures, makes your home special to you. Any room can easily be improved with plants as they have a calming, softening effect and brings us closer to nature.
Artwork can be just as mood-boosting, the best thing about hanging art is you can swap it around to give yourself the mood boost you need – whether it’s a jolt of energy or something more soothing. Changing up the art in your home can be an easy, budget-free way to make your home feel like more of a sanctuary, you can pick up art for reasonable prices on the likes of Etsy or even in charity shops.
5. Remove clutter and furnishings that you’re not fond of
If you have piles of paper stacked around the house, or wardrobes bursting with clothes, it creates visual reminders of disorganisation. Ryan advises: “Clutter doesn’t necessarily need removing completely but it’s better hidden away.” Also, if there are certain furnishings, you’re not fond of, replace them or look to upcycle them to provide a fresh burst of energy in your room.
6. Layer with rugs
For a budget-friendly revival of your flooring, consider adding rugs to your home. If you have smooth flooring, rugs are a perfect way to create layers between yourself and the floor, creating a cosy ambience.
There are many options, from pet-friendly, indoor/outdoor, and vintage rugs, you can find one to create the desired ambience for your room. Even if you have carpet, you can use rugs on top by picking a colour scheme that works well. Additionally, Tapi offers a carpet whipping service. This is a cost-effective and eco-friendly process that uses off-cuts to make bespoke rugs or stair runners.
7. Focus on your lighting
Lighting can impact our mood. Avoid harsh overhead lights but instead opt for natural light, if you can, as sunlight is a natural mood lifter. Stick with warmer hues and have the option to dim lighting with side lamps for a light and cosy ambience. Candles and fairy lights are also great low-cost option to have in bathrooms and bedrooms.
Johanna Constantinou, Brand Communications Director at Tapi explained: “Making your home your haven is especially important for a happy mindset. It’s vital to take a step back and identify the areas of your home that could be negatively impacting your mood. Take the time out to declutter, repaint a room and buy new plants. These budget-friendly tips can be achieved by anyone looking for a fresh look in their home.”
