8th February 2016

Creating a Quiet Space to Escape Our Noisy World

By Darlings Of Chelsea

The world is a pretty hectic place these days. With some much demanding our attention, visually and audibly, it can all get a bit overwhelming and we all need a little quiet space. Using this thought when we design our homes can help to create a space where we can get away from all the bombardments of the modern world and decompress. As New York-based hospitality designer and entrepreneur Stacy Garcia explained to Interior Design.net ‘the growing emphasis on this need to always be connected has created a movement to find quiet simplicity amongst the noise.’ So, here are a few tips for turning your home into a quiet, relaxing refuge:

Calming Colours

Taupe living room

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Bring the energy and feel of a room right down to calm level with simple tones and hues. Look at whites, warm stoney types of colours and any mid-tones with a muted feel, as these will help to counteract your busy life and make your home more restful and relaxing, so you can really unwind and recharge for the next day.

White living room

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

In order to disconnect from our ‘always plugged in’ lifestyles, the best thing to do is literally disconnect. There’s a new trend for making spaces in the home that are tech-free, to help your family come offline and spend more quality time together. Whether it be your main living room or a separate area of the home, make that designated space comfortable and relaxing, take out the tv, computers, games consoles and anything else digital/wifi-connected, and ask everyone to leave their phones outside, so you can come in and just enjoy uninterrupted time for a little while.

Relaxing Furniture

Clara green chaise sofa

Having furniture to stretch out on and get real comfortable is ideal for this kind of space. Look at sofas with plump, inviting cushions and, if you have space, a nice chaise seat so you can put your feet up and really relax. Our Clara Chaise Sofa is a great choice, providing your cosy, quiet space extra comfort and style.

Textiles to create a quiet space

woven carpet with cushions - quiet space

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Keeping the space as quiet as possible is key, so you’ll want to cut down on both internal and external, extraneous noise as much as possible. Use carpet and rugs to absorb excess sounds from the room itself, whilst heavy curtains can help to block out unwanted noise from outside. You can increase this effect with additional cushions, throws and blankets as this all help to dampen superfluous sounds.

Soothing Lighting

Blue sofa against wooden wall

Getting the lighting right is another important thing to think about. You want to levels to be reasonably low so your tired eyes aren’t strained further with a harsh, bright glare, but you want it light enough to allow you to see and perhaps read comfortably. Smoked glass light shades and lights (like some of those in our Pendant Light range) with a soft, moderate glow are perfect for making the room more relaxing and help to achieve the right balance between brightness and dimness.

Post written by Julie Fisher