Tips for Making Your Home a Personal Oasis

Everyone deserves to feel a sense of calm when they come home after a long day. We all yearn to feel like we’re “home sweet home” when we walk through the front door. The need for a calm oasis has increased exponentially with the rising demands and pressures of our fast-paced lives. Through the recent pandemic, and with the rise of remote working scenarios, home has also become a place we spend much more time than we used to.

Looking at pictures of design magazine or other people’s dreamlike homes may make the prospect of transforming your home into a personal oasis seem daunting. But the good news is that creating a home that feels like a comfortable retreat doesn’t have to be overcomplicated or break the bank. In fact, there are practical, affordable steps you can take to make your home a place where you feel at peace in body and spirit.

Here are just a few…

Tips for Creating Your Own Personal Oasis

Declutter!

Without a doubt, the number one way to create a greater sense of calm and comfort in your home is to clear away the clutter. Clutter doesn’t just make it difficult to find the things you need in your home. It tends to negatively affect our mood, decrease productivity and increase anxiety. According to Catherine Roster, a professor of management at the University of New Mexico, “[Decluttering] gives people a renewed sense of control over their environment…When people go through the process of decluttering, they feel a sense of freedom and liberation. It’s a reclaiming of a sense of mastery and control. They feel more competent and efficient.”

In addition to being good for our mental health, decluttering is actually good for our physical health as well. It can prevent pests and reduce dust, mildew and mold, which can trigger asthma and allergies. Most people find it easier to sleep in a neat and tidy room and prepare healthy meals in a clean, organized kitchen.

One method of decluttering is to establish a goal for what you want a particular living space to look like, move the clutter into another room, sort through the contents and separate the items into two piles – keep and don’t keep. The items you wish to keep can be returned to the room and organized using appropriate storage where appropriate. You can then decide what you want to do with the items you no longer want in need – give them away, discard of them, sell them or put them into storage.

Reorganize Your Space

Another great way to infuse a room with new energy is to rearrange the furniture and generally reorganize the space. Simple changes can change the energy in the room, such as moving the position of the bed or sofa. If you have items you use frequently which are difficult to access, like the blender you use to make your morning shake, consider leaving it permanently on the kitchen counter. Similarly, if there are items you scarcely use that are taking up prime real estate, find a place to store them out of sight. Finally, you can create a renewed sense of calm and breathe life into you space by swapping out some of your décor. Replace artwork that doesn’t bring you joy with family photos or pictures from your favorite vacations. Sprinkle your home with vibrant bursts of color, such as area rugs or throw pillows, that add vibrancy and visual appeal.

Put Sentimental Items on Display

When sentimental, “feel good” items are on display, it affects the energy in your home and your mood. Instead of keeping prized family and travel photos in an album, have them framed and hung up throughout your home. Rather than keeping travel mementos and sentimental keepsakes tucked away in a drawer or in a box in the attic, put them on display over the fireplace or on the coffee table. Putting beloved items and photos of friends, loved ones and special moments on display in your home will not only add warmth to your space, but also serve as a daily reminder of the times and people you are grateful for.

Add Greenery to Your Space

Bringing plans into your living space quite literally adds life to your home. The presence of plants in the home have been shown to decrease stress and boost people’s moods. Adding greenery to your space is one of the easiest ways to welcome a calm energy to your living space. Swing by your local Trader Joe’s, grocer or neighborhood flower shop and pick up a plant or your favorite cut flowers. Depending on the season, you can also plant easy-to-grow succulents.

Create Space to Do What You Love

When your home is set up in a way that empowers you to do the hobbies and activities you love, it naturally becomes a personal oasis. Reflect on what activities you love to do at home, and then organize enjoyable spaces in your home where you can do those activities. For instance, if you love to read, create a calming reading nook with a comfortable chair, a cozy throw blanket, a floor lamp or natural lighting, and somewhere to set down a drink or snack while you read. Do you practice yoga? Love to bake? Enjoy DIY projects, painting or crafting? Create a well thought out, inviting space in your home where everything you need to do that activity is easily accessible. In short, make it as easy and comfortable as possible to do the things you love at home, and home will quickly become a place you love to be.

Appeal to All Your Sense

A home becomes a personal oasis when it appeals to all of your five senses. Of course, you want your home to have visual appeal, with hues you find calming and artwork and décor that bring you joy. But don’t neglect your other senses. Make your home smell inviting by lighting your favorite scented candles or getting an aromatherapy diffuser with some calming essential oils. Add relaxing sounds to your home by playing music you love, or even adding a small fountain or wind chime. Add soothing textures to your home, such as soft blankets, cozy area rugs, and silky throw pillows, to appeal to your sense of touch.

Create Hotel Vibes

A home begins to feel like a personal sanctuary when it features certain hotel-like luxuries. Everyone enjoys feeling pampered, and getting that pampered feeling when you come home is wonderful. While we aren’t advocating that you invest in an expensive redesign, there are some smaller investments you can make that will give your home “hotel vibes”. Invest in an espresso maker or French press coffee machine; fancy hand soaps, lotions and shampoos; a set of luxurious, high-thread count cotton sheets; or black-out blinds for some well-earned shut eye. These small touches can go a long way!

Create an Outdoor Oasis

Part of making your home feel like a spiritual sanctuary is creating an oasis in your outdoor living spaces. Your front and backyard should feel like an extension of your home. Invest in comfortable outdoor seating so you can actually enjoy these spaces – and get some fresh air! Make sure your lawn is maintained regularly (there is nothing calming about weeds or overgrown grass!). Consider adding other elements to your outdoor space to make it more relaxing, such as a garden, fire pit, or water fountain. Simple touches such as a bird feeder or even a string of lights can offer a feeling of calm and make your home’s an exterior a place you enjoy spending time with friends, family and yourself!

Use Calming Colors

Choosing the right hues can help create a sense of calm and well-being in the home. For instance, you may consider adding soft, neutral blue shades to your home. Blue is considered a peaceful, calming color that can help reduce anxiety and even lower your blood pressure and heart rate! Because it symbolizes nature, green – especially beige green and pale-yellow green – is also viewed as a calming, harmonious color that can encourage feelings of calm and help decrease anxiety. Not a fan of blue or green? No matter – shades of rose, taupe, peach and mocha are also thought to be colors that create soothing living spaces.

Choose Solids & Subtle Designs

Many designers will tell you that in addition to considering color when trying to transform your home into a personal oasis, it’s equally important consider designs and patterns. While bold, busy patterns can create flare in a living space and make it more dynamic, if you’re trying to create a calm oasis in your home, opt for solid fabrics. That doesn’t mean you have to steer clear of patterns entirely. Rather, choose subtle patterns such as tiny dots, herringbone, or tone-on-tone stripes which help create textural interest without drawing too much attention.

You can also add natural elements to bring a calming energy to your home, from woven baskets and unvarnished wood to natural collections of any kind, such as art featuring pressed leaves and flowers or a basket of seashells.

Embrace Natural Lighting

Using the right kind of lighting can help make a living space more inviting and relaxing. As a general rule, natural lighting is always preferable to artificial lighting. During daylight hours, try to keep your window treatments open and ensure furniture isn’t blocking your natural light. Soft lighting, such as lamps, candles and string lights, are more relaxing than bright overhead lighting, so when you’re trying to wind down, choose these forms of lighting or get a dimmer for spotlights. This will help ease your transition to a good night sleep.

Natural light is always preferable to artificial, so during daylight hours keep window treatments open — or, if an unattractive view is an issue, opt for sheer curtains that let the light in. As the light begins to fade, reach for the soft glow of string lights, candles, lanterns and lamps rather than the glare of overhead lighting. Especially at bedtime when you’re beginning to wind down, keeping the lights low will help ease you into a restful sleep.

Choose Closed Storage Solutions

Decreasing the appearance of clutter in your living space will help create a sense of calm. You can minimize the appearance of clutter by using closed cupboards, drawers and closets to hide most of your belongings. With clutter out of sight, you can begin consciously choosing what you want to be on display that will invoke a feeling of wellbeing, such as fresh flowers, your favorite artwork, framed sentimental photos or your favorite travel mementos.

Keep Tech Out of Sight

Technology is a reminder of the pressures, demands and fast-paced speed of our daily lives. If you want your home to feel like a sanctuary, keep reminders of tech, such as tangles of cords, out of sight. Have a designated storage spot for your smart devices, and challenge yourself to power-down for at least a portion of your day, especially as bedtime approaches. Whenever possible, opt for smaller, wireless devices that are less in-your-face, even when they are left on display. Choose a drawer where you can store chargers, tech devices and power cords when they aren’t in use (just be sure to label them first!).

The First Step: Make Your Move a Success

Transforming your home into your very own calming oasis is a wonderful goal for the New Year. While everyone can take practical steps to make their home tranquil and inviting, regardless of how long they have been living there, the easiest time to make changes is when you’re moving into a new home. The first step to creating calm in your new home is ensuring your move is a seamless, stress-free success. A chaotic, disorganized move creates stress and bad energy – which is exactly what you don’t want in your new home!

All Jersey Moving and Storage is dedicated to taking the hassle out of moving. We’re here to take care of all your moving needs from start to finish. While packing up an entire home and relocating might seem overwhelming, partnering with the right moving company can make that process simple, stress-free and very manageable. As New Jersey’s top movers and as the recipients of numerous awards in the moving industry, All Jersey Moving & Storage is your number one choice for the job.

(All Jersey Moving & Storage also offers short and long term containerized storage for those who are redecorating their living space to make home a place they truly want to be!)

With decades of experience with all kinds of moves, All Jersey Moving & Storage will handle your local, long-distance, residential or commercial move from A to Z.

Some of our professional moving and storage services include: 

• Short- and long-term storage
• Packing and unpacking 
• Senior moving
• Office moving and commercial moving
• Antique moving
• Piano moving
• Gun safe moving
• And last-minute moving.

All Jersey Moving & Storage is truly your one stop shop for all your moving needs. Not only do we offer every service you will need for a smooth and efficient move, we do it all with expertise, professionalism and courtesy. Just listen to what our numerous satisfied customers have to say about us and when you’re ready, give us a call for your complimentary, no-obligation consultation! We’re here to make sure that buying or selling your home was the hard part; moving with us will be easy, simple and stress-free - guaranteed!