Create a more mindful home
the hot interiors trend is not about shopping the latest look, but tweaking your home to make it a space that is truly feelgood
for interiors stylist and trends writer Joanna Thornhill, the idea of the mindful home had been percolating for months – then the pandemic hit. ‘Covid accelerated the question of what impact the home has on us,’ she says. ‘People started asking not just how can it look better, but how can I make it serve my needs and emotions better?’
Her new book, The New Mindful Home, examines exactly this. ‘Creating a mindful home is about paying attention to what we surround ourselves with, and questioning whether it actively supports us in being able to de-stress,’ explains Joanna.
Another new book, High Grade Living, argues that the starting point for creating a mindful home is taking stock of what’s in your home and deciding whether what you have is empowering or unnecessary. ‘There is no right or wrong kind of home,’ says author Jacqui Lewis, who, with her partner Arran Russell, created The Broad Place, a school of conscious living in Australia. ‘This is about understanding your own sense of beauty, what you desire and love, as opposed to trends. Does what is around you feel like an expression of who you are?’
According to Joanna, ‘Literally getting
our house in order can give us a sense of control, help us feel grounded in a fractious world and even go some way towards helping us be better people.’ Here are eight ways to bring mindfulness into your home.
‘The New Mindful Home’ by Joanna Thornhill (£14.99, Laurence King) and ‘High Grade Living: A Guide To Creativity, Clarity And Mindfulness’ by Jacqui Lewis and Arran Russell (£24.95,
Thames & Hudson)
BE NATURAL
Using wood in interiors reduces stress and can even lower the heart rate, a recent study found. Other natural materials, such as wool, coir and sisal, can help neutralise contaminants in the air. ‘Texture from bare brick, stone and clay add tactility that is soothing,’ says Joanna.
INJECT POSITIVITY
‘Train your brain to make positive associations with objects around you,’ says Joanna. ‘To set the intention that every time you see a particular object you want to feel centred, pick it up when you’re calm, take deep breaths and tune into that feeling. In time, your brain should make the connection that this object symbolises calmness; focus on it in times of stress and it should calm you.’ Introduce positive words too. ‘Every day, look at it and think about the meaning behind the words.’
SEEK BALANCE
‘The Japanese concept of kyo-jitsu explains that when something is too full, something has to empty,’ says Jacqui. ‘Wonderful examples can be found in temples and their use of negative space. One area might be very detailed and full, and an opposing area spacious and serene.’
Look at your home. Are there rooms you can empty out for a more streamlined, calmer feel? Conversely, are there other spaces that could do with a bit of energising with furniture and accessories?
CREATE A COCOON
We feel safer in spaces that give us a place to hide away. ‘Place key furniture, such as sofas and beds, against walls, and opt for high-seat or wingback armchairs to create a cocooning effect,’ says Joanna.
BE CALMED BY A CURVE
Nature’s rounded and softer shapes, rather than humanmade straight lines, are better at creating a sense of calm. Habitat reports sales of upholstered furniture in organic, curvy shapes are rapidly increasing. ‘And research has also found that looking at images with a high fractal content – repetitive shapes and structures of patterns found in nature – increases the brain’s production of feelgood alpha brainwaves,’ says Joanna. Opt for pressed leaves in a frame, shell and pine-cone-shaped objects and animal print.
Some furniture is made for the here and now. Some is built to stand the test of time. At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both. Because good design never grows old.
ADD INSPIRATION
A space that is visually inspiring is also important. ‘You don’t need to have a lot of – or even any – expensive art to display to make a creative space,’ says Jacqui. ‘Photos with friends, paintings by family members or the odd postcard from your travels. Even a collection of images you love can be taped to a wall and refreshed and replaced every few months to inspire your work and living space.’
GET HANDS-ON
A number of studies have shown that using our hands and getting creative can help us feel empowered and valued. ‘It’s satisfying to surround ourselves with other makers’ works of art and craft, too,’ says Joanna. ‘Creativity, whether partaking in it or being surrounded by it, helps block out anxiety. Engaging with handmade, crafted pieces taps into our primal need for connection to another human. These are all essentially derived from the earth, so it can be easier to feel connected to them than manmade material.’
BRING OUTSIDE IN
The therapeutic effects of bringing the outside in are well known. Jacqui suggests going through each room to see what you can add – and it doesn’t have to be green. ‘If you don’t feel confident with plants, use branches or twigs – anything to bring nature into each space,’ she says.