Photo courtesy of lampsplus.com.
It’s that wonderful, wood-burning, cozy time of year when we’re doing more inside and enjoying the environment that we created with our home interiors. But beyond the basics of furnishing a home and enabling its efficiency for every-day living, there’s a sweet spot to home decorating. And appointments that help create spaces that warm the heart and mind, also encourage a sense of comfort and closeness.
Just saying the word “nest” conjures feelings of being encircled and surrounded, much like the sensation one gets when being hugged. Whether you have a new home and feel it’s not “there yet” in terms of nesting, or if your established address seems stale and unromantic, there are some sense-ible approaches you can take to inspire romance.
Photo courtesy of BenjaminMoore.com.
The Visual
Conjuring an environment that inspires romance is a cerebral experience that employs the use of our senses. Visually the room should look comforting enough that you feel you can relax there. Trends in home décor and even in the types of rooms and spaces we create are reflecting that staid rooms, such as rarely-used dining rooms and formal, status living rooms are no longer practical and probably were never that inspiring.
Mindful homeowners that have already converted or designed these rooms to be more communal are ahead of the game when it comes to creating a relaxing visual appeal. Adding in decorative elements of art that speak to you and personal treasures, can take a space to the next level visually. We connect and feel comfortable with what is attractive and familiar to us.
One visual aspect some homeowners overlook is that of lighting. When layered in thoughtfully, your communal, living, and sleeping spaces should be convertible and easily switched from task lighting to mood lighting via dimmer switches, and/or programmable lighting that can be accessed remotely. Let’s face it, walking into a room with stark, overhead lighting can be a mood deflater, so having the option to tone it down with a flip of a switch or swipe of a screen prompt, is highly recommended for a warm sensory experience. Beyond the technology, simple accent lamps and pillar candles, whether they are wicked or battery-operated add that welcoming glow. And the battery-operated varieties provide you with a set-it-and-forget option.
When it comes to larger furnishings, some looks, like today’s more modern rounded corners on sofas, chairs, and tables, lend themselves more toward that relaxing, visual aesthetic than the still very popular minimalistic approach. That said, because minimalism embraces the concept of creating more meaning with less actual goods, these spaces lend a special significance to their owners creating that sense of warmth. So, rule of thumb, go for pieces that not only appeal to you visually, but ones that envelop you practically.
After all, having the latest trend is meaningless if no one feels inspired to dwell within the vibe that is created.
Color and tone choices are certainly visual elements that will set the mood for a room. While there are a variety of standard color palettes (think mid-tone purples and pinks) that seem like the perfect facilitators of romance, they may not be colors you will want to look at in your common areas over an extended period of time. For these spaces, experts like timeless, neutrals. Colors like Benjamin Moore’s Gray Cashmere conjure romance even in a dining area.
More obvious romantic colors can be layered in with accent pieces and soft goods that add dimension and visual interest.
Photo courtesy of Frontgate.com
The Tactile
What touches the skin inspires from within, so think carefully about your upholstery choices in common spaces. Never underestimate the effect texture can have on your aesthetic. Because with furnishings this is a larger investment, you will want to factor carefully between want and need.
Should you not have small children and pets to consider, plusher fabrics like today’s micro velvets or a rich velour are yummy, comfy options. These fabrics, which tend to wear over time much like a patina does to metal, can make them even more enduring with everyday use.
If you have small children and pets, there are combo performance fabrics, like Crypton, that blend style with touch-ability.
Fortunately, it’s not all about the bigger furnishings when it comes to texture. With texture you can introduce many soft goods, such a drapery, textile wall hangings and papers, and throws and pillows to create comfy moods that inspire romance. These items are also easily interchangeable with the seasons so the mood is not only inspiring, it can also be fresh and new.
Photo courtesy of sonos.com
The Sound
Texture and good design architecture also play a role in a home’s pleasing sound quality. A space that is well-appointed with soft goods like plush area rugs, carpeting, drapery, and even wall tapestries, can help absorb harsh sound. The judicial choosing of hard goods at the point of design, like triple-pane glass windows, will keep unwanted sounds from coming in to distract your mood, as well.
And technology, again, can deal a hand that’s all hearts for a night of romance with an in-home wireless home sound system that you can cue from your phone just prior to stepping in your front door from dinner. Just load in your most passionate playlist and leave the rest to the ambiance of your nest.
Photo courtesy of grandinroad.com
The Scent
This could be considered the “secret sauce” in our recipe for mood-enhancing interiors. Besides coming home to a crockpot filled with a mouth-watering entrée, the home goods space is chock full of options including the aforementioned candles that rouse the senses in positive ways. Again, set-it-and-forget options, like room atomizers are always there to ensure a stray pair of basketball sneakers won’t ruin the mood. Plug-in units, scented wax warmers, and even Bluetooth scent machines that allow you to program your scent profile from your phone, are great options and you’ll never need worry your home smells like teen spirit.
