Looking To The Future: Zen Inspired Interior Design
By Ana Zuravliova
What is zen for interior design?
Our homes matter and for millennia – ever since we first painted rudimentary beasts on cave walls – we have relaxed and recuperated in them.
From that point, cultures around the world have tried to enhance that feeling of relaxation and oneness with the universe. Whether it’s the spirituality of the native American peoples, Nordic hygge or Sufi Islam, millions around the globe have sought peace and tranquillity.
The best-known practice is probably Zen, a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China, and in today’s parlance we use this word as an overarching mission to find peace and liberate ourselves from outside pressure. With a world battered by pandemic disease and the stresses and strains of 21st Century living, we need Zen in our homes now more than ever.
In this blog we will demonstrate how to introduce calming elements into your home to make it the perfect environment for both physical and mental relaxation and serenity.
The demand for a zen home
Prior to 2020, there was already a shift towards meditative oneness. Yoga classes were popular, and some companies even paid for regular Pilates sessions for staff to enjoy. People would dedicate time in gyms or parks, often with others, or alone. With the pandemic however, all that changed, and people had to transition to a life of exercising, living and working from home.
The good news is that by following a few easy steps you can introduce a yogic feeling of calm to your home. Here’s how…
Zen inspired interior design
One of the easiest ways to feel at one with the world is to introduce environmental elements into your home. You can achieve this by using responsibly sourced woods or natural tones such as creams, stone-greys and calming soft blues.
Managing light via items in a beautiful colour can also add to a calming effect within your space. A dusty-blue lampshade, or a textured linen roman blind will beautifully mute light and in turn, create a comforting energy.
Shape is also an import consideration for introducing Zen into your home. Clean lines and simple functionality should be your buzz words in this regard.
Therefore, consider using a wooden or day and night blind to bring definition into your space. The fluidly moving functionality of both these items reflect the movement associated with mediation, combing the benefits of function and form.
Inspiration
There are many trends from around the world that will help you manifest your Zen-inspired home. The main sources of inspiration for this theme must have nature at their core. Avoiding paint and heavy finishes on wooden items and incorporating colours found in the great outdoors are great places to start. Scandi design features a lot of natural tones and minimalism, so too do oriental schools of design.
Japanese style, for example, has Zen at its core. These interiors find harmony through nature by using sheer fabrics, beautiful woods with a fine grain, or bamboo. Using these materials throughout your space will reflect Japanese style. As a side note – if you are set on having curtains, choose light cream fabrics over heavier materials, and keep things simple in terms of tiebacks and accessories.
The clean, bright and crisp aspects of Scandi décor will also help create a mindful and calming atmosphere. We recently did a blog dedicated to the subject, you can find it here.
Zen inspired collection
2020 has been a tricky year and we all deserve a bit of space to relax and mediate through and beyond these difficult times. To further assist you, we’ve created a zen inspired collection of items which will help you achieve your objective and create your own Zen inspired interior design. You can find it here and a selection below:
Shop our zen:
Explore the high quality, made to measure homeware products available from Blinds Direct. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team – we’re always happy to help.
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