Have you ever been to a spa? Don’t you just want to bottle up the smell of the spa and take it home with you? Have you ever wondered how to make your own home smell and feel that way? The spa is where we go when we want to relax in the city. It’s a place where we can finally let go of all the stresses at work and home. We come back from spa weekends feeling refreshed and energized. It’s like we can take on that annoying co-worker again.
But, of course, wouldn’t it be better if you go home to a spa-like environment every day? Won’t you look forward to parking your car in your garage when you know what’s waiting for you when you open that front door? While a spa weekend is nice to have, how many times can you do this in a year? You surely wouldn’t spend all your vacation leave on spa weekends since you still have travel plans and anniversaries and birthdays to attend, right?
That’s why you may want to reinvent that spa-like feel in your home. From the lights to the furniture to the smell, you can easily convert your home into a spa-like environment with a few simple and cheap tricks. Here they are:
Focus on the Scents
Do you know that what you smell can instantly change your mood? Smelling your favorite food, for example, will make you feel hungry even if you don’t feel hungry a few seconds ago. Smelling fresh lavender will make you think of an English garden you’ve been to in one of your travels. It’s one of the most effective memory triggers.
It’s the same thing with your home. If you want to re-experience the spa in your own home, focus on the scents you’d like to smell. To achieve this, get some soy wax candles scented with essential oils or an essential oil diffuser. There are so many to choose from but always go for quality candles and oils.
The most popular essential oil blends are peppermint and lavender, geranium and clary sage, cedarwood, orange, and lavender, and lavender and ylang-ylang. You can diffuse them together or buy an already blended mix. Candles, however, are much better because the flickering lights recreate the spa-like ambiance more.
Change the Lights
If you have fluorescent bulbs in your home, you may want to switch those to something warmer. Spas are relaxing because the lights they use are not harsh unlike in typical offices and homes. You can maintain those fluorescent lights for parties and gatherings but invest in floor lamps and small penlights that will add a warm glow to your home.
Try not to open all the lights in your home when you want to relax. Dimmed lights are better suited for homes that want to achieve a spa ambiance. Have you ever seen a spa that uses blinding white lights? The aim of the spa center is to make you want to fall asleep and calm your nerves. The lights you choose to have in your house will play a big role in recreating that ambiance.
Switch Your Paint and Furniture
If you have the time and budget to upgrade your home into a spa-like feel, you can change the paint and the furniture. Spa facilities use earth and neutral tones. The use of the colors green and beige, for example, will provide a relaxing feeling to the occupants. Natural colors are front and center in designing your home like a spa. Whenever you feel confused about what colors to choose, go back to nature—what are the colors that remind you of a forest or a botanical garden?
Your furniture should also do the same. Choose wood over metal, glass, and steel. Wooden furniture has a natural feel, and they contribute to making your home feel, smell, and look like a spa.
Clean Your House Religiously
Essential oils and scented candles cannot cover up your home’s “natural” scent. If you’re leaving the garbage can open and spoiled food in your refrigerator, you cannot achieve that spa-like experience in your home. Dirty laundry can also negate that lavender scent you diffused. You may not see it, but molds in your bathroom lead to toxic fumes that smell bad. Make it a habit to clean your house religiously if you want to open your door to a spa-like home.
It’s natural for people to want to feel relaxed and comfortable at home. A spa-like home is the best kind of ambiance for anyone who struggles to relax after work. A few scented candles and lights will do the trick.
