10 Basic Steps for a Great Zen Interior Design

To be Zen is a state of mind and body, a peace with yourself, an intense feeling, with all your heart, with no reserves. In order to live like this, you must ignore all the stress and problems you have. And how could you possibly ignore them other way than relaxing into your own place, a house which you could call ‘’home’’! This is the reason why Zen principles applied in interior design have increased in popularity and become a trend of modern days.

The Zen interior design means meditation and equilibrium, relaxation and harmony. Zen is often associated with minimalism, simplicity and purity of lines. It is rather a way of arranging your home and creating an atmosphere that offsets the stress.

If you want to have a beautiful Zen home you should respect some basic rules, as follows:

1. Transcendence – Zen is a principle of harmony between body and soul and you may obtain harmony through large windows. This is a basic and vital element to enjoy light inside your house. Floor to ceiling windows, to allow nature penetrate your inner space and soul, if you live in a house with a large and green garden, if you are in a chalet or in a small cottage. But an apartment must enjoy the same large and wide windows, streams of natural light flood the interior and your soul will immediately gain peace. Spot lights for night would be a plus, creating a floating, cozy and dissipated air, changing colors and your mood in a benefic way.

2. Peace and calm – they are states of soul and mind which could be gained together with the joy of life within the walls of your home. Turn your bedroom into your ultimate escape. It doesn’t take a lot of work or a lot of money, and yes, it’ll be worth it. Take a fluffy blanket for cold winter nights, place a flower in your window, surround yourself with some personal objects you care and dream! As for the living space, you need to have a fireplace, some comfortable furniture, a small library with a nice collection of good books; a CD player with your favorite music and the Zen atmosphere is installed.

3. Simplicity – is a main Zen principle you should respect to obtain a good mood within your home. You shouldn’t crowd the interior space with many décor elements or a multitude of furniture. The purity of mind and soul can be obtained only through a pure and simple interior design. Simplicity provides elegance and enriches your interior feelings. Simple furniture, cozy sofas with decorative pillows, walls painted in white, simple décor elements will cheer you up and will clean your inner mood.

4. Bring nature inside - bringing in elements of nature is the next step in decorating your Zen home, especially when it comes to bedroom. Look for simple, unusual pieces of glass or pottery, woven baskets and storage pieces. Fill the glass and pottery with seashells or pretty stones. Store your junk in bamboo or woven boxes, baskets or chests. Create unusual wall hangings from twigs.

5. Use calming and natural colors – is a principle derived from that above. Think about the colors of nature - the blue of the sky and the green of the water, the warm gold of the sand and the sun. Use crisp white or light-colored bedding, as simple as possible when it comes to patterns or textures. You should respect the natural feeling; your house should borrow from nature the lack of falsity, the true vital force.

6. Freedom of mind – a feeling you can obtain as concerning the interior design only by getting rid of all unimportant small décor details, release the space eliminating any unnecessary detail such as pictures, photos, objects you don’t need, shocking décor elements. You must keep only the things you really use and maintain order inside the rooms. Zen arrangement is not about living within an empty space, but about the means to create a nice mood for body and soul.

7. Plants will make your home look like heaven - blooming indoor plants bring the beauty and vibrancy of an outdoor garden into your home. Whether you like lavender, jasmine, indoor plants can make your space more inviting, clean the air and even improve your mental health. But you have to respect an important rule: make your plants as comfortable in your home as they would be in their natural habitat, treat them like living creatures and they will reward you with joy and happiness.

8. Candles – are the perfect way to add a warm feeling to your home. After a hard-working day, what could be more relaxing than lighting up some candles, drink a glass of good wine and listen to a discrete, relaxation music? Candles can create a friendly feeling in the living room, add sparkle to a dinner table and promote romance in the bedroom (plus, everyone looks better by candlelight!).Your heart will be filled with warmth and light.

9. Enhance your room with natural scents – speaking about candles, you may use odorous candles and obtain discrete light, intimacy, calm and nice sweet incense that will clear away your negative state of mind. A homemade linen spray, soy or beeswax candles, and essential oils are all natural ways to enhance your room with fresh scents, which can not only be calming when it’s time to sleep, but also invigorating when it’s time to wake.

10. Remove electronic disturbances - Electronic devices are most often a source of distraction and therefore do not integrate in a fully Zen decor. However, if you need to have your TV set in the bedroom for instance, make sure you place it in a discrete area or hide it in a specially designed cupboard. As well, make sure you hide all wires and cables that could distort the serene atmosphere of the entire setting.

As a conclusion, when you think about Zen in interior designs you think about a space of calm and peace. We all need such a place because of our chaotic way of living. So, if your home is simple and clean, painted in natural and even plain colors, simple shapes, minimal furniture and décor elements, your house is Zen. We have talked about bedroom and living room, but Zen can be applied for the kitchen and for the bathroom, too and even for your office. Following these rules, you’ll turn your home into a sanctuary, a serene space for your body and soul.