From a real-life stylist and mom.
Relaxing is an ART! Where I live, "quiet" is not a thing and "relaxation" is a practically a myth. Here is a little clip of what is happening at my house on any given day:
“Is your homework done?”
“We ran out of water-softener pellets.”
“Mom, I’m hungry.”
“Has anyone seen the dog?”
“Why is this floor sticky?”
“I told you to clean the garage!!”
“Turn that down!”
“Mom, I’m still hungry”
"DON'T STEAL MY SOCKS!"
“oh NO!! We forgot it’s GARBAGE DAY!”
“Will you sign and initial my reading log for that last 19 weeks?”
“Can I have 35 friends over?”
"STOP LOOKING AT MY CEREAL!"
“Where are my shoes?”
And my personal favorite… “I just remembered, I have a 10,000 point oral report on the country of Belize due in the morning.”
Stretching your back after a long day of work on James Mid-Century Modern Sofa, is worth it.
Rhodes sofa plays a strong support role in numerous gaming victories and glories.
So as a stylist (set stylist, not hair… why does everyone think that?), I try my best to make our photos believable and relatable… and I try to tickle all of the senses, if possible. I’m about to spell out for you what I have learned… maybe you know all this stuff already, Smarty Pants. But maybe you don’t and you can learn something, too.
I began this task by asking myself what I do to relax. Nap. I nap. Napping is the answer. But not many people get to take naps… or want to! So I tried to think of OTHER ideas that might relax me. I thought (and still DO THINK) that throwing dishes off a roof sounds very relaxing and therapeutic. No, I haven’t DONE that… yet… but I think it would be insanely stress-relieving. Unfortunately, a bunch of broken dishes in a driveway is less relatable than the nap. (I mean, usually!)
I started asking around…. "what do you do to get relaxed?" I love the answers I got. Lots of book readers. Lots of exercisers. Lots of people going outside… to the mountains (I’m sure I’d have beach people if we had a beach nearby), to the park, or just on their patio. A couple journal-ers… a couple poets. Lots of hot tub/bathtub soakers. And lots of music listeners. I did get a “hide in the closet from my kids” which was my favorite. (Really? No one throws dishes??) Of course, I did a bunch of reading and research on the topic… and while I am NO expert on this, I DID get my hands on some interesting facts and some cool ideas on how to relax and how to make/style a Comfort Zone. So here we go… We’re stepping into our comfort zone today!
COMFORT ZONE
House plants, throws and pillows on Mid-Century Modern Rhodes sofa create your relaxation space.
Let’s DEFINE Comfort Zone… This is the place at home where Comfort and Relaxation are the only criteria. Do you have one of these spots? You should get one. I’m going to get one too. And pick a place that is off the beaten path… away from foot traffic. It doesn’t need to be an entire room… just pick a quiet corner…maybe by a window or fireplace. As a champion napper, I always go to my bed when I need quiet… but "the experts" say that’s not the best idea. Bed should be for nighttime sleep only. (who knew? and how does one become an "expert" on this subject??) Make sure the spot you pick (NOT your bed) has roomy seating where you can plop down and turn your brain off. Have a little table in reach for your crossword puzzles and herbal tea. Oh and make sure you can put your feet up! I looked up WHY people put their feet up for comfort and read something about helping with excess drainage and fluid build-up in your legs… GROSS! Just do it because its comfy, ok?
Found a spot? Sweet! Let’s style this mother with our 5 senses in mind!
SIGHT: For your eyeballs…
COLOR KNOWLEDGE... WHITE is the most soothing hue on the spectrum. (Cream, off-white and taupe… all those are lumped into “white”.) White is clean and comfortable and simple. I don’t mean that BLINDING bright white… we’re not styling a surgery room. I mean the warm white. Use Harsh/Bold colors sparingly in your comfy space… Blood Red and Devil Black might work for some spaces, but not in our comfort zone. Actually, did you know:
light and airy space match best with Aria sofa that makes you feel like you are floating on feathers.
- RED can speed up your heart rate? It’s an exciting color… literally!
- And while BLACKis luxurious, it can promote the feelings of mourning and/or fear. Wanna hear more?? (I love this stuff.)
- ORANGE makes people feel enthusiastic.
- YELLOW promotes cheer and laughter.
- GREEN is refreshing and can crate balance and comfort.
- BLUES are associated with relaxation and safety. Seeing blue actually causes the body to create calming chemicals.
- PURPLE promotes creativity and is associated with wealth.
- PINK makes you feel romantic and tender. (awww)
- BROWN can bring you back down to earth and it creates a sense of support and stability. SO INTERESTING, RIGHT?!!
- Go pastel… the lighter the color, the calmer the feeling… light blue has a pretty different feel than the bold, cold cobalt. Keep your color scheme soft, warm and only pick to 2 or 3 colors for optimum relaxation. Think of the colors at the circus and then DON'T do that.
LIGHT! LET THERE BE IT! Anytime you can use natural light, DO IT. (something about that therapeutic sunshine.) Open up those blinds and curtains and let the sun flow in! Use lamps, too. Warm, soft light is the goal here… and for the love, avoid those buzzing fluorescent overhead bulbs. Those are harsh and annoying and honestly, I don’t want you to see into the depths of my pores. Soften that lighting.
ITS GETTING PERSONAL...with personal decor. Artworks, vases, family photos, pottery, and houseplants will comfort you and help you feel relaxed at home. Put some books in there, too! Make a Vignette (which is just a fancy way of saying “good looking cluster of stuff” in the styling world ), and make it personal to YOU!
TOUCH: For your feelers…
Try mixing texture, for example, cotton weaved cushion with velour Rhodes sofa.
Make sure you couch, chair or beanbag is soft and comfortable! And use plenty of textures and textiles. I’m talking blankets, and pillows on the seating.. sheer wispy curtains on the windows… and rugs on the floor. Textiles always add warmth and comfort to a space. (AND BONUS… they dampen noise… might help muffle your son’s baritone practicing. MIGHT! )
SMELL: Getting nosey…
Ready for a little dip into your body’s biology? Smell has a direct route to your mood and your sense of calm. You (well, most of you… I don’t want to nose-assume anyone) have receptors in your nose that go right to that little part of your brain in charge of well-being and safety. Makes sense… when you smell something burning, your brain sends you instantly to ALERT mode. So, the opposite effect happens when you smell cleanliness and deliciousness…. it calms you down and puts you on to the Relaxation Highway. So, light up some sniffy candles, burn some incense… get your Febreze sprayed. Make that place smell good. (Vanilla Cupcake Yankee Candle….AMAZING!) As a (non-hair) Stylist I try to bring aroma into these photos by adding pretty perfume bottles, fresh flowers or candles onto our sets. I know people can’t ACTUALLY smell them, but just the sight of these things will trick your brain into THINKING it’s having a sensory experience… as I am sure a diaper pail would do, also.
HEARING: Do you hear that?
The natural flow of water is many people’s favorite calming sound to put their minds at ease. (I said “natural flow of water”… not the drumming drip of a leaky tap!) The waves on a beach or a babbling brook will soothe your nerves and help you quiet your mind. Get a little water fountain or bubbler! They make them for outdoors AND indoors. Or you could just play “nature sounds” on Spotify… it's less messy. Personally, I love the sound of flowing water, but it is somehow connected to my bladder….makes me have to use the bathroom. (Fabric Shops do it, too! Is that so WEIRD?? ) I’ve discussed this with other people and I know I’m not alone, so if you’re like me (wink wink), get a speaker and play some soft music. (Harp music is my fave.) No lyrics is a tad better… higher chance of your mind shutting off. BUT I don’t think a quiet “Coffee Shop” playlist would hurt too bad. (You can’t really understand the whiny lyrics anyway). OR there's always calmness in quiet. Sometimes silence really IS golden.
All in good TASTE
Believe it or not, there are foods out there that actually promote relaxing and calm. Here are a few: PUMPKIN SEEDS are full of Magnesium… an essential mineral our bodies can’t make. Healthy levels of magnesium decrease excitability in the brain… causing relaxation. Cool, right? CITRUS FOODS like lemons and oranges and grapefruit and kiwis reduce anxiety. MANGOS has a compound called Linalool (I swear I didn’t make that word up!) which is the main ingredient in Lavender… and we all know about the deliciously calming effects of lavender. So next time you’re letting your 15 year old (who has his permit, obviously) drive your car, just chew on some mango… it may help. Ladies! Here’s a good one for us… SALMON decreases anxiety AAAAAND it helps reduce PMS symptoms. (Good for EVERYONE, right?) Oysters, Rainbow Trout, Anchovies and Sardines do, too. HERBAL TEAS always put me on the road to calmness…. but I always thought it was because I didn’t want to spill it. Really, its because tea can calm our minds and even ease tension in our bodies. Especially PEPPERMINT TEA...the Menthol in Peppermint eases achy muscles. HONEY can relieve anxiety and will actually fight off depression! Put some honey in your hot tea… NOW we’re talking! This one is for the guys…WALNUTS can improve moods in men… but has no effect on women. (we need the hard stuff like salmon, I guess) I saved the best for last… DARK CHOCOLATE releases Dopamine into your “reward center”… causing a brain boost and a reduction in stress. Now, I don’t know what my “reward center” IS, but I know it definitely needs chocolate.
Now, to Style "tastefully"… I probably wouldn’t throw a plate of salmon into a picture of a comfy sofa… I mean MAYBE. But a little jar of Cadbury chocolates, or a glass of lemon water or a peeled clementine would do the trick and set the scene for a beautiful Comfort Zone photo.
THERE'S MORE...
Fresh air, swaying leaves, chirping birds and Cannes sofa are the best back yard relaxation combo.
JUST so you know… you don’t have to have only ONE place you go to relax! Have a few!! For SURE, style up your bathtub and turn it into a comfort zone! Essential oils, soft towels, beautiful plants, calming candles, and a fizzy bath bomb would make for a STELLAR Comfort Zone. Ooooh… I have always wanted to try those comfy looking bathtub pillows! Lock the door, light the candles, let the harp music play and turn the lights low. Perfect. You won’t even notice your teenager yelling at the Xbox downstairs.
Why stop there? Make an outside Comfort Zone, too! (weather permitting) You can splash a vignette on an outside coffee table... use some books, a plant or two (succulents are so IN right now!), maybe a lantern and a tray of lemonade and snacks. Blankets and pillows… even a rug will make it nicely cozy. Read a book in the sunshine… or just take a nap (I’m not on my bed, “expert”!) Doesn’t have to be during the daytime… especially if you have a fireable! It's ok if you don't, I’ve seen people use lamps outside! If you’re not feeling that, get some string lights. The only rule is to relax.
So now you and I BOTH know how to put together and style a Comfort Zone!
James Mid-Century Modern sofa invites you a nourishing nap after a long day.
TaDah!
I feel way less likely to yell at that jerk going 45 in the fast lane… don’t you? Hey, if you DO ever want to throw some dishes off a building or something, I hope you’d call me. If I don’t answer, I’m in my Comfort Zone, eating chocolate-covered salmon (kidding!), and will call you back later.
