Cozy bedding, soft lighting, and luxury accessories: With budget-friendly additions, homeowners can transform their homes into spa-like sanctuaries, infusing a sense of safety, tranquillity, and well-being into their living spaces.
The at-home wellness trend, which originated during the pandemic and extended into 2022, shows no signs of waning, according to experts in interior design and real estate. This means that even minor enhancements, such as new accessories, or more substantial changes like installing a sauna or jetted tub, have the potential not only to enhance your immediate living experience but also to add value when you decide to sell. For instance, features like heated bathroom floors and in-shower speaker systems are affordable design elements that can elevate your bathroom into a meditative retreat, as noted by Wayne Turett, the principal and founder of The Turett Collaborative, an architectural and interior design firm based in New York.
“Everything is interconnected, and details matter,” Turett emphasizes. “While the bathroom may not seem an obvious choice for promoting mental health, the shower or bath often serves as a place of meditation.”
Ready to rejuvenate your home and create a sanctuary? Here are some quick and intelligent strategies for crafting a spa-like atmosphere in your dwelling:
- Designate a Wellness Room: If you have the space, consider dedicating an entire room to physical and mental well-being. This secluded area, free from distractions, can serve as a sanctuary for meditation and mindfulness, offering a haven from life’s stressors.
- Engage All Five Senses: To create a true retreat, think about what you see, touch, and feel. Incorporate a variety of textures in your bedroom, such as a soft and inviting rug, a throw blanket, and soothing scents through candles or incense.
- Bringing the Outdoors In: Enhance your well-being by incorporating elements of nature, like plants and natural lighting, which provide a connection to the outdoors and promote health and serenity.
- Invest in a Sauna: If your budget allows, consider a full-fledged sauna within your bathroom or in your outdoor space. Alternatively, opt for a cost-effective solution with an infrared sauna that still offers relaxation benefits.
- Infuse Little Luxuries: Simple additions like faux fur blankets, organic cotton sheets, plush towels, bathrobes, bath bombs, and essential oils can instantly transform your home into a retreat.
- Embrace Earthy Colors: Earth tones like muted tans, greens, and browns echo the natural world and enhance the calming ambience of your home. Woven wood and bamboo roller shades also contribute an eco-friendly touch while managing glare and UV rays.
- Upgrade to a Wet Room: Transform your bathroom into a spa-like setting by creating a wet room with a freestanding tub and seamless tile floor, fostering a sense of luxury and spaciousness.
- Enhance Your Backyard: Landscaping can turn your backyard into a staycation-worthy haven with features like outdoor bathtubs, sunken fire pits, and heated plunge pools, allowing you to enjoy wellness year-round.
- Set Up a Home Gym: Create a dedicated space for exercise, complete with equipment, weights, yoga gear, and floor mats, providing not only a place to stay active but also an area to unwind and disconnect from the outside world.
- Optimize Your Lighting: Avoid harsh overhead lighting and instead incorporate soft lighting elements like dimmers, crystal lamps, string lights, and aquarium lights. The right lighting can set the tone and positively impact your mood, with blue lighting being particularly effective for relaxation after a stressful day, as suggested by Ginger McLean, director of Rock Spa at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.