When you’re busy between day-to-day life and work obligations, it’s easy to forget to carve out time for yourself to relax and unwind. Without putting this time aside for yourself, life can start to feel hectic, stressful, or even overwhelming. This is especially true if you work from a home office. Here are 7 tips for making your home a sanctuary.

Your home needs to be a private retreat that allows you to take sanctuary from outside stressors and obligations. If you have a work-from-home situation, try designating a specific space as your office area so that you physically separate your work life from your personal life, allowing yourself to compartmentalize.

Individuals without a home office setup deserve a private retreat of their own as well! You can transform your entire home—or even just a private space within it—to give yourself a place of refuge where you get that much-needed “me time”.

Reworking your space or elevating certain rooms with relaxing elements doesn’t have to break the bank or be a daunting, time-consuming project either! Play up what you already have by adding a fresh coat of paint or create warm, relaxing atmospheres with the addition of accent lighting. Use one or all of the following interior design tips to enhance or rework your home to create the perfect private retreat!

Home Sanctuary- Domus Table Lamp
Domus Table Lamp in Satin Nickel

1 | Invite natural elements

Maximize natural light. Not only does natural light offer a range of health benefits, it’s also an easy way to make your space feel more open. This is especially true for space-constrained environments. A well-placed mirror or two can create the illusion of an expanded space as the natural light bounces off the reflective surface, brightening your room by filling it with sunlight.

Find your green thumb. Never underestimate the power of greenery in your journey of achieving sanctuary-like comfort in your home. Add culinary herbs to the windowsill in your kitchen, place floor plants beside living room seating options and add decorative plant life to shelves or tabletops.
Incorporating plants in your living space breathes life into your home. Plants improve air quality by reducing airborne toxins and bringing the outdoors inside.


Play up natural elements. In addition to natural light, discover how incorporating naturally occurring elements helps boost the peaceful aesthetic of your private space. Create a connection within your home to the outdoors by choosing one or more elements that give you the most serenity.
Wood may resonate with certain individuals the most, while others may find the rugged, cool style of natural rock more appealing. Adding wooden features can be as major as furniture pieces or as subtle as finding a light fixture designed with a wooden base.

Stone is a beautiful choice when it comes to transforming your home into a place of sanctuary and refuge, but it isn’t just for flooring or outdoor pathways. It can add gorgeous texture to the interior of a home simply by filling a vase or decorative bowl with varying shades of pebbles.

Moonlight Table Lamp
Moonlight Table Lamp in Sage

2 | Add some texture

Textiles add an element of interest and human touch to living environments! Set the tone of your refuge by including textured pieces that add visual interest as well as comfort.

Adding texture to your home or sanctuary space is as easy as draping a soft blanket across the sofa or a club chair for that lounge-like feel or including a linen-shaded lamp to your end table. You can keep going by tying in a throw rug for some added depth or incorporating throw pillows to add visual weight

3 | Utilize Dimmer Switches & Accent Lighting

Make your home a haven by incorporating well-placed, ambient light fixtures. You can use lighting to create a sanctuary at home by selecting light fixtures with dimmer switches and warm LED lighting effects. This feature allows you to set the tone of a space by adjusting the light to fit the mood. Depending on what kind of function you need, you can choose from a variety of dimmable light fixtures to give you that cozy warmth.

Including accent lighting is another great way to add a relaxing element to your chosen environment. Fixtures that include Edison light bulbs are a great choice for accent lighting because these vintage-inspired LEDs give off a warm, cozy glow. This makes them the ideal choice when it comes to adding relaxing moments to a space. As a bonus, visually they add a unique focal point!

Domus Floor Lamp
Domus Floor Lamp in Brushed Brass

4 | Create a reading nook

Instead of reworking your entire home, creating a private space out of a spare bedroom may be what interests you the most. For this, consider creating a reading nook as your place of sanctuary!

If you don’t have an extra room to spare, then all you need is a cozy corner, a comfy chair, and some good lighting to create a space all your own

Reading nook
Image via Unsplash

5 | Say goodbye to clutter

Removing clutter from your space is a vital step in creating a private retreat because there’s nothing more unrelaxing than a messy home. If it does not contribute to the serenity of your space and give you that feeling of refuge, then it might be time to find a proper home for it. Give Marie Kondo’s approach to simplifying and organizing a try!

File away important papers and/or documents, neatly arrange books, and display accessory items sparingly. The items that you choose to incorporate into your private space should be functional and enriching, elevating your feeling of sanctuary and a sense of calm

Surfrider Accent lamp
Surfrider Accent Lamp Collection

6 | Add soothing colors

This is different for every individual. While cool colors and earth tones are the most popular choices when it comes to serene hues, you must find the colors that draw you in. It’s a very personal endeavor so begin by thinking about the places outside of your home that give the greatest sense of peace or calm.

Where does your mind go? On a trip along the Californian Coast? Or maybe you’re thinking about that bucket list vacation you took to the Greek islands. Decide on the spot that draws you in and calms you the most. Then, recreate that color palette within your private retreat by giving your walls a fresh coat of paint and incorporating complementary colors by adding a relaxing light fixture, textiles, or enriching décor.

Home Sanctuary 01
Image via Unsplash

7 | Find your scent

Whether you choose diffusers, misters, or candles to distribute soothing aromas, focus your efforts on choosing one specific scent that gives you the strongest sense of calm. Mixing too many scents can create a hectic environment because your olfactory senses are reacting to too many fragrances.

Just like the above-mentioned design tips related to natural elements, stick to choosing from naturally occurring scents as well. Candles will also bring the fire element into your home—just make sure you’re using them safely and responsibly or use small accent lamps to set a similar vibe.