Design Ideas That Will Help You Prioritize Self-Care (From Soothing Paint Colours to Plants)

Self-care isn’t selfish – in fact, it’s actually the opposite. By making time to purposefully rest, rejuvenate and put yourself first, you can unlock a greater capacity to meet your potential in all areas of your life. But what does self-care really mean, and how can we embrace it in our day-to-day lives?

It all starts at home. If you set up your living space with relaxation and self-care in mind, you can create a home base that’s designed to support balance and comfort – so that you can recharge each and every day. From mood-boosting plants to calming paint colours, we’ve rounded up 10 design ideas to help you prioritize self-care in the home.

1. Plant Power
A little green goes a long way towards boosting your mood, so adding a few indoor plants into each room can help make your home feel fresh and set you up for a better day. One tip? As much as a plant can bring cheer to a room, a wilting plant can be a real downer. If you’re new to the plant parenthood life, start with these easy-to-care-for indoor plants.

modern neutral coloured bedroom — Image courtesy of @my_norfolk_nest

2. Blissful Bedroom
Your bedroom should be a retreat for you to relax and recharge, so creating a cozy space makes a big impact on your home’s self-care setup. The simplest way to take your bedroom from drab to dreamy is with a fresh coat of paint in a soothing hue. Your best bet for the bedroom is a calming colour in a low contrast, pastel or muted tone. To make the painting process more convenient, you can shop from the comfort of your couch (or bed) at Canada’s first online paint store, Digby Paints. With a selection of curated, can’t-go-wrong colours, Digby delivers everything you need for your paint project right to your door – truly the modern way to shop for paint. Drift off with Digby’s Savasana, the perfect fresh white with the tiniest hint of warmth, which pairs beautifully with foliage and greenery.

3. Space to Work
While it may seem counterintuitive to your self-care goals to think about work, taking the time to create a dedicated home office space can actually have a positive impact on your work-life balance. Instead of having papers and tasks spilling into every area of your home, having a set place to focus on work means that your kitchen, bedroom and other living spaces can be exclusively for living.

4. Work it Out
Whether you prefer to lift weights or do yoga, moving your body is a great way to take care of yourself – and creating space in your home for fitness makes it that much easier to honour your body. If you have a spare room, you can go all out with a home gym or yoga space (as Brian McCourt and Sarah Keenleyside did with this Backyard Builds reno), but something as simple as creating a nook to store your fitness equipment can make it that much more convenient to exercise.

5. A Cheerful Mix
Another important factor to a self-care-supportive space? Creative, colourful elements that spark imagination and a good mood. As Dave and Kortney Wilson show with this Family Home Overhaul space, mixing bold patterns in a small area like a powder room can straight-up make you smile.

6. Colour Your Cooking Space
Your kitchen should be a self-care oasis – a place where you can cook up satisfying treats and (quite literally) feed yourself. To make your kitchen a soothing space, use colour to transform the look – and the feel – of the room with paint. Whether you’re painting your walls, cabinets or trim, opt for soft hues from Digby Paints to create a relaxing ambiance. Pair Weekend Drive, an eye-catching pale mineral green with a stylish off white like Plant Based for a warmer feel or Snow Angel for a bright white finish. Not sure which colours work best? You can use Digby’s paint visualizer tool to see how shades work together, or try their stickable colour card samples to see hues in your space without the hassle.

7. Storage Solutions
There’s nothing like clutter to stress you out. To keep your home organized and a place of calm, invest in storage like shelves, cabinets and bins so you have designated spots to put things. Need more help? Here’s how to organize small spaces for maximum storage.

8. Take on Textiles
With the right textiles, you can absolutely decorate your way to a comfier day. From cozy blankets to soft rugs, treat yourself to plush fabrics to make your home experience that much more pleasant, and Samantha Pynn and Sebastian Clovis did with this ultra-cozy Save My Reno bedroom layered with pillow, blankets and plenty of soft details.

9. Heat Things Up
Sometimes, a little warmth is all you need to get cozy and recharge. If your living space could use some extra heat, consider adding a gas fireplace, as Randy Spacklin did with this Rock Solid Builds living room pictured here. In warmer months, an outdoor firepit can bring a campfire feel to your nightly wind-down routine.

10. Get Personal
Another way to set up your home to feed your soul is to incorporate lots of personal touches and details in your design. Instead of staring at a blank wall, for example, create a gallery wall in your home office by framing your favourite family photos.

Images courtesy of Digby Paints and HGTV Canada