AN AMAZON SEARCH INTO BOOKS ON ‘HAPPY HOMES’ reveals a plethora of how-to titles, so are we missing something? One of the most used spaces in any home is the living or sitting area whether it be open-plan or otherwise. If happiness is about feeling relaxed, secure and able to recharge, then this where we should feel ‘happiest’.
One of the first questions we ask new clients when looking at a living/sitting room is what do you want this space for? Sounds like an obvious question, however so many people, working without the advice of an interior design team, end up making do in this zone of the home that is meant to be where we can relax and recharge.
So, what can you do to ensure that your comfort zone lives up to your expectations.
Do you need to spend?
The foundations of a sitting room are a good quality sofa; timeless, easy-to-care for flooring and well-planned signature lighting. Check? This is where to make an investment. Money can be saved on coffee tables, which can be dressed to look how you would wish; rugs, of which there are so many good, well-priced versions available now; artwork, which can be created from a variety of sources, and cushions and throws, which you can use as mood changers.
Don’t forget to express yourself
A survey of 4,000 Brits carried out by an architectural practice and entitled The Science of a Happy Home, identified that one of the keys to feeling relaxed and happy in your environment is to ensure that your home reflects who you are, rather than slavishly addressing current trends. Don’t be reluctant to express your personality, featuring something that you love. This could be an item of furniture with a history, a unique vintage find that adds a splash of colour or a collection of photos or items translated into artwork. We always encourage our clients to give us a list of their precious items to weave into our interior design.
Take a look around your sitting room with fresh eyes
How do you want this space to feel? Warm and cosy? Calm and relaxed or super stylish? What do you want more of? What do you want to change? Does this room address your family’s day-to-day needs and long-term objectives? If you have large or open-plan spaces, would the introduction of rugs, mirrors or shelving help to create zones better suited to your family’s requirements? Identify what doesn’t belong and relocate it to where it should be. Does everything that remains add value to your life?
Is your sitting room connected to the outside world?
The same survey identified that the respondents happiest with their homes pointed to views to the outside and a connection with nature and greenery as a major factor. If this works for you, think houseplants, whether real or fake, mirrors reflecting outside views, window boxes, outdoor planting, even doorways into small courtyards or balconies.
Call it a living room or a sitting room, it should be the room in which you can relax and pass easy time pursuing whatever makes your feel secure, at rest and able to recharge. So it makes sense to put focus and effort to achieving this result.
