Need that extra oomph to turn your house into a home? These five inspirational pieces of decor, from plants to art to scents, are something to smile about.
Our home should be a happy place, but sometimes it takes a little bit of strategic decorating to get it there. Barebones furnishing and blank walls leave us feeling empty sometimes. And blah colors don’t help boost our moods!
When something’s not quite right, and you don’t feel at peace or happy in your home, you might be missing a little touch of inspiration. To make your living space an area you enjoy coming home to, try adding one (or all) of these inspirational pieces of decor!
1. Artwork with Curves
Psychological studies have shown that shapes have different effects on our minds. Certain aesthetic qualities classify as more “pleasing” to look at than others. This is like how loud colors tend to make us more alert, while pastels and soft hues are calming.
So what kind of shapes can you use in your home decor to make you happier? It depends partly on what you prefer, and partly on science.
Gentle curves are soothing to the brain, but so are your favorite shapes. Try to integrate soft curves mixed in with your preferred patterns when you can.
It’s best to avoid sharp angles and harsh geometric patterns, no matter how much you love the piece, if you’re looking for a happy environment. Too many of these lines wake up your brain and signal it to be aware of potential danger.
2. Fresh Plants
There isn’t much that boosts a mood better than walking outside in nature. You can bring this idea into your home by using plants as your inspirational decor.
Plants are wonderful to keep in homes for their health benefits. Having even one plant in a room can improve air quality significantly. Even NASA has released a famous Clean Air Study that recommends certain plants to purify the air in your home!
Physical and mental benefits frequently link up together, like in the case of plants. Since they also have mood-boosting properties for reducing stress, you tend to sleep better in rooms with plants. This has a direct effect on your immune system, thereby reducing your chances of getting sick!
But even better, plants just have a way of making you feel peaceful when you look at them. Research shows people with mental health conditions report fewer symptoms around plants.
You don’t have to be born and blessed with a green thumb to enjoy this form of inspirational decor. Grab a plant that’s easy to care for inside and set a reminder on your phone to tend to it weekly!
3. Your Own (or Your Loved One’s) Creations
Knowing that you created something that you love, or that someone made it for you, is empowering. There’s something about unique artwork or a finished product that was hand-created. They make us happy on a deeper level than any expensive piece can generate.
When you remember what you can do or how many people care for you — it inspires happiness.
If you aren’t “crafty,” that’s okay! Find your favorite pictures and turn them into a scrapbook collage, either with online or physical accessories.
Join a painting class for an evening with your friends and loved ones. Even if your painting turns out less of a masterpiece than you’d hoped for, hang it anyway! When you see it, it’ll remind you of the fun time you had.
4. Your Favorite Pictures
Do you have any pictures of your favorite memories hanging in your home?
If you’re like most people today, the answer is probably no, or not many.
In today’s digital world, we tend to store them on our phones or social media. Because we take for granted how easy it is to pull up a picture on our phone, we forget the importance of having them in our hands.
What if you lose your phone before backing up your photos? And how often do you go through your thousands of pictures on social media, anyway?
Print copies of the pictures that perk up your mood and frame them. Then display the frames where you’ll see them every day. Now you don’t have to scroll through hundreds of memes, tagged photos, and uploads to find the one perfect memory you were looking for.
5. Fragrances That Make You Smile
There are smells that our brains automatically attribute to good or bad thoughts. Many scents trigger feelings of nostalgia as they transport us back in time to a specific memory.
There really is a science-based reason why some smells remind you of an event. Odors go through your olfactory tissues and connect with your sensory neurons in the brain.
Since it is their job to create these neural pathways, they have a lot less to remember than you do. So when a familiar scent comes through their tissues, it triggers the reminder, that “Hey! I know this smell!”
You can use this “scent-sation” to your advantage. Figure out which smells bring back good feelings and which ones you should avoid altogether.
Find your favorite fragrances that help you relax and feel peaceful. Use a diffuser, wall plug, or another method to turn your room into a spa for your sense of smell!
Conclusion
When we surround ourselves with people who inspire us, we feel better and are more productive. The same type of theory applies to the decor that we have in our homes.
Choose what you use to fill your rooms with carefully. It has an indirect result on your emotions. If you want to feel inspired and happier, try these five design trends for your decor.
[Author Bio]:
Janey Ha (Business Manager): Janey has over eight years of experience in property management with a strong background in hospitality. She has worked in many different types of communities and is local to the Koreatown/DTLA market.
