Despite what the magazines say, you can have a wonderful personal space without spending a ton of money. The following will look at a few budget-friendly changes you can make to your room to help you cultivate a feeling of relaxation and comfort. The goal is to create a space that looks lovely but also feels lovely.
Table of Contents
Wash The Trim And Windows
Let’s start off this list with a step that could be completely free: washing the trim and windows in your room. These are two things that get dirty very slowly—so slowly that you often don’t realize how grimy they’ve become. Giving your trim a scrub can freshen up your whole space. Likewise, washing any windows you have will allow pristine, bright light from outside to shine into your room without the filter of filth dulling the effect.
You can further take advantage of the wonders of natural light by placing a mirror on the wall opposite your window or by hanging a sun catcher in the window. Bright natural light is incredibly good for your mental health and can quickly turn any space into your favorite room to spend time in. It also provides your body with Vitamin D, which is vital for a good mood and a strong immune system.
Clean The Air
One of the biggest improvements you can make to any indoor space is to secure an air filtration device. These come in all sizes and price ranges and require very little maintenance; you might need to change the filter once every few months or so. Humans are highly adaptive creatures, and we tend to get comfortable with our situation very quickly, accepting congestion, brain fog, exhaustion, or other terrible states of being as simply part of life. According to a recent Harvard study, indoor air is five times more polluted than outdoor air. Toxin-rich air puts your body under intense stress, and this can negatively impact your mood and energy levels regardless of how lovely your room is.
Beyond getting an air filter, you also want to reduce the addition of toxins into the air. This means you need to avoid using fragranced products, candles (only candles made from 100% beeswax are safe to burn inside your home; research this if you’re skeptical, as it will scare you), incense (incense releases five times the particulate matter that cigarette smoke does) and any unnatural cleaning products.
Finally, you can improve the cleanliness of the air in a room by vacuuming and wet dusting regularly and by not wearing your shoes inside (your shoes are covered in pesticides and other toxic particular matter like volatile organic compounds). Crystal lamps, activated charcoal packets, and some types of house plants can also help keep the air inside fresh. Opening the windows—even just for a few minutes each day—can also get the air circulating properly.
It’s important that you never ignore bad smells or cover them up with a fragranced product. A bad smell is your body’s way of telling you that something in the air isn’t good for you to be breathing in. If you cover the scent up, you’re still breathing in the toxin.
Change Your Lightbulbs
There’s a reason why even the grimiest movie sets look cool: lighting. Changing out your lightbulbs is incredibly inexpensive, but it can make a massive difference in the feel of your space. Lightbulbs come in different hues, and these hues change the mood of whatever they shine against. Warmer-toned lights tend to create cozy feelings but go too warm, and you’re likely to find the place dim or gloomy. Cold-toned lights create feelings of freshness and cleanliness but go too cool, and you’ll find your room feels clinical and scary. You most likely want lightbulbs that mimic daylight. While you’re at it, you can find energy-efficient bulbs, and these can help lower your utility bills; inflation is no joke.
Also read: The Best Way To Organize Your Entire Home: Metal Shelving Racks
Sort Out Storage
Your room isn’t going to be relaxing to spend time in if it’s impossible to keep clean. All too often, kids grow up being reprimanded for a messy room wherein there isn’t enough proper storage to make keeping it clean easy. Figure out what you need to keep your room clean with relatively little effort, be it metal shelving racks or closet organizers, and seek them out. Once you have enough storage for a given room, you can put things away neatly so they’re not going to clutter up the space and overwhelm you with the amount of work the room needs.
Comfortable Seating
Of course, you’re not simply going to look at a given room; you’re going to live in it. You need to be able to sit comfortably in each room of your house. Figure out how much seating you need and seek out options that feel good to use. Ideas include comfy sofa bean bag chairs, oversized chairs, and even a hammock. Pay attention not only to how given seating affects your posture but also to the materials it’s made of and whether those materials feel good on your skin or not.
While you’re focused on seating, be sure to include enough cushions and blankets or throws for the seating you’ve laid out. Be wary of too many cushions, as this can make it hard to sit comfortably. If your room tends to get cold, be sure to have thicker blankets available so you can enjoy the space at any time of day.
Also read: Choosing the Best Second hand Commercial Fridge For Sale
A Fresh Coat Of Paint
Color psychology is a pretty intense force that not enough people think about when they’re decorating. The colors you surround yourself with all have an impact on your mental state. This is why you sometimes see a room that is gorgeous, but you don’t enjoy being in it. Take the time to learn about color psychology and select your paint color, aware of the way your choice will influence you. Environmental psychology is an entire field of study devoted to how our spaces affect our moods and well-being. Color is a major part of this.
The above information should have given you a few simple ideas for how you can improve the feeling of your space. You don’t have to spend a lot to have a room that is welcoming and comforting.