Your home is supposed to be a place where you can relax and unwind. It’s not supposed to be a source of frustration. However, for many people, a stressful day doesn’t end when they come home from work.
If your home doesn’t make you feel comfortable and calm, customizing your décor can help. Here are some ideas to transform your home into a space where you feel peaceful and relaxed:
Repaint your interior walls
You can influence your mood by painting your walls. It sounds simple, but color has an impact on emotion. Some colors will make you feel good while others can be distressing. For example, yellow seems like a happy color but staring at it for too long can be irritating.
What color are your walls? Does the color seem irritating or soothing? If you’re not sold on the current color, hire a professional painter to create a new color scheme for your walls. You don’t have to paint all of your walls the same color. Sometimes it feels better to mix and match, as long as the colors maintain a sense of calm.
Inspirational décor
You can find inspirational imagery at any home furnishings store. Currently, the most popular inspirational décor items are chalkboard-style signs with positive messages like, “together is my favorite place to be” and “you are capable of amazing things.” Search for décor with messages that inspire you and imagery that makes you smile.
To bring inspiration to your office, find 12 inspirational images to create a calendar and have it printed online. You look at your calendar every single day. Don’t stare at a boring calendar you got for free from your local bank. Kittens are cute, but inspiration is better. Check out PrintingCenterUSA.com for a good deal on custom calendars.
Blankets with a photo of your pet(s)
There’s nothing more relaxing than snuggling with your pets. Having their photo printed on a warm, cozy blanket is the next best thing. Imagine coming home from a hard day at work to take a nap and climbing under a fleece blanket with your pet’s picture and then being joined by your pet a minute later.
Put family photos on the walls
You’ve probably purchased a few pieces of art or stock art over the years. No matter how amazing the art is, it doesn’t compare to family photos.
Hanging family photos on the wall will remind you that you’re loved and people care about you. Anytime you feel stressed, you can glance up at the walls and see the smiling faces of those you love.
Clocks with family photos
It may sound cheesy, but get a custom clock made where each number is represented by a family member or pet. If you’re stressed out, you can’t take life too seriously when you glance at the clock and see your dog eating a slice of birthday cake.
Curtain rods and brackets
You may not realize how much your curtains impact your mood. Do your curtains match? Did you settle for the first curtains you could find that were the right size that didn’t break the bank? If your curtains were a convenient or affordable choice, you’ve got some shopping to do.
While your curtains can affect your mood, so can the hardware. Did you intentionally select your curtain rods and brackets? Or did you just buy the cheapest curtain rods that came with basic brackets? There is an entire world of decorative curtain rods and brackets out there to explore. The right curtain style with the right hardware can make you feel more comfortable at home.
For the love of cohesion, make sure your décor matches
The best way to relieve stress is to make sure your décor matches. Sure, your giant blanket featuring an image of your pet is going to look casual, but you can still choose a color that matches your décor.
Sometimes feeling comfortable and relaxed in your home can be as simple as creating a cohesive design scheme in color, texture, and style.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks