Embracing slow living in the home
The concept of slow living has been on our radar for many years, especially since tidying guru Marie Kondo first came onto our screens with her decluttering tips for the home and encouraging us to part with anything that didn’t spark joy into our lives. It promotes the need to organise your home to create calm both indoors and within your mind, and how we can all take more time to appreciate our living spaces and the things that bring us pleasure.
And while many of us were all forced to take a much slower approach to life in the past two years due to restrictions and lockdowns, many people have decided to embrace that pace of life for good and focus more on the things that are important and meaningful. This can mean saying ‘no’ more to events you don’t want to attend, setting aside extra time for your hobbies, or just completing your daily tasks at a leisurely pace. But there are many ways you can incorporate the simplicity and serenity of slow living into the four walls of your home too:
Create your own sanctuary
As well as decorating walls with calming palettes and using cosy furnishings to create a relaxing environment, keeping your living space tidy and clutter-free can help make the home (and your life) feel organised and peaceful.
Just simple things like sorting through your post as it arrives, immediately putting away clean laundry and hiding the kids' toys or your countless toiletries inside stylish storage boxes can avoid large piles of clutter and help create the illusion of your home being well put together even if you’re feeling anything but organised.
Even having a dedicated quiet area to read, meditate, or get creative can be the key to making your living space your haven and the perfect place to unwind.
Consume less
Slow living is all about anti-consumerism and striving for a more sustainable life - spending money on experiences and timeless or long-lasting products rather than making impulse purchases. So while you may fill your home with flowers and luxurious textiles to create warmth, or think you always need to have the latest gadgets, try being conscious of every purchase and thinking about the results and how much use you will get out of them.
Why not think about what you could make or grow yourself - from making your own cushions from old clothes, or growing your own herbs and vegetables - you can get a much greater satisfaction of seeing something you have made yourself in your home over something you have bought.
Display meaningful wall art
When it comes to wall hangings and artwork in the home, there is an element of styling involved but it should also brighten up your space and reflect your personality too.
You could include thoughtful art or photos to build up gallery walls or keep things simple with just one large piece of artwork, but choosing prints of things that mean something to you or choosing photographs that provoke a good memory, can make you feel relaxed and happy at home.
Essentially, the contents of a slow home should include items you love or are special to you in every room to make your space feel more purposeful and homely.
If you’ve got any tips or tricks on how to embrace slow living within the home, share them with us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels.