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Is your home a place where you feel most calm and peaceful? As our lifestyle gets more and more stressful, it is essential to create a peaceful haven in the comfort of our own home – and what better style to enhance these feelings of serenity than a Zen-inspired space?
Many of our clients express the desire for an atmosphere that promotes tranquility and relaxation. This is why we go beyond the typical concept of thinking in terms of different styles: modern vs. traditional, English vs. French, elegant vs. industrial, and apply holistic principles from Zen, Feng Shui, and Color Theory into our interior designs to truly create Zen-inspired. The result is ‘soulful interiors’ that speak to our minds, bodies, and souls.
Have you ever entered a room and felt uncomfortable? You feel that there is something off but cannot define it. It may be too cluttered so your eyes can’t relax, or the proportions are off and you are overwhelmed. Contrarily, have you been in a building – maybe a museum or hotel – and you instantly felt a positive vibe? Your shoulders relax, and you don’t only feel good, you feel inspired. On a subtle level, we are aware of how our homes and offices can help us feel centered, energized, and content. This is where Zen comes into play.
But what does Zen actually mean? In Japanese, Zen refers to meditation. In interior design, it reflects balance, harmony, and relaxation. For me, a Zen-inspired, or as I like to say, ‘soulful interior,’ is a happy home where we are surrounded with peaceful energy and positive vibes. A place that feels open and secure. A place that is infused with sensuality, natural woods, stones, textures, and filled with light, beautiful artifacts, and meaningful accessories displayed in a harmonious way. In its feeling for the essence of things, Zen offers a welcome purification of design – a cleanse of clutter and unused objects.
“FOR ME, CREATING A HOME FOR MY CLIENTS IS A JOURNEY FILLED WITH PLEASURE AND PASSION FOR HARMONY AND BEAUTY.”
There are many ways to be true to Zen principles within the context of a Western lifestyle without a major remodel or makeover of our home. All it takes is to arrange things in a new way and change how we look at and care about our surroundings. A few strong pieces, a couple of basic design principles, or even a single evocative architectural detail may be all you need to invite more tranquility and contemplation into your home.
So how do we actually apply Zen principles? Some make their “do not interrupt” zones clear – a dedicated yoga room, reading room, workout space, or meditation retreat. But my philosophy is to take the serenity and simplicity of Zen and bring it alive in every room of the home and even into the garden. Continuity of design is necessary to achieve uninterrupted peacefulness and flow from space to space: fluidity is the hallmark of the contemporary Zen style. I suggest opening up walls wherever you can. Open living spaces, such as the living room, dining room, and kitchen, have many practical advantages, but also allow light to flow freely. By enlarging our interior spaces, we experience space in a new open way, enabling a free flow of energy. Area rugs and lighting will help distinguish unique spaces within a broader space.
By removing everything that clouds us, and bringing furnishings and objects in alignment with the entire feel of the space, we allow ourselves to focus, to embrace the essence of the moment, and to connect to our own rhythm of being. Avoid over-decoration and excessive nostalgia – both in your surroundings and in the way you use them. I believe that we should only be surrounded with objects that are meaningful to us, stimulating the feeling that we want to achieve. Choose decorative objects not only for their aesthetic value but also for their intrinsic value to you. Environments with too many gadgets, colors, or textures can either overstimulate or make us feel depressed. It’s like being in a rush-hour situation where too many impulses impair our vision and perception.
“WHEN YOU ENHANCE THE SENSUAL BEAUTY OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS, YOU WILL FEEL BEAUTIFUL ON THE INSIDE. I BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE CHANGE – IN OURSELVES AND IN THE WORLD – THROUGH BEAUTY.”
Or to say it more directly: Create interest through contrast. Yes, contrast. You might think, but this isn’t necessarily harmonious and relaxing. But as the yin-yang symbol of Daoism symbolizes a union of opposites, it also teaches us that there wound’t be light without darkness, the good without the bad – differences that if one is taken away, the balance shifts. What matters more is the whole composition and how contrasting elements and colors become part of a deeper unity of beauty. The effect of light and dark is quite striking when used in a bold interior treatment as you can see in our two design projects. The contrast provides a dramatic visual impact while the atmosphere is a peaceful invitation to surrender and relax. This three-part series will reveal 10 enlightening steps to turn your home into a soulful Zen haven. Stay tuned for steps 4-6 in Part II and steps 7-10 in Part III.