How to master Zen interior design in your home

Straightforward and uncomplicated, Zen style interior design is also ideal for smaller homes or houses with an open plan interior as the flow and order will serve to make your home seem both airier and more cohesive.

How to Create the Most Relaxing Zen Style Interior

As with any other interior design style, keep the structural realities of your home in mind while you plan your décor and finishings. And working with the framework of your space, these are a few key areas to concentrate on when planning your Zen interior design inspired home.

• Natural Textures:
  

  Real wood, bamboo and stone are the ideal way to bring nature into your home, so source your furniture, and maybe even flooring, keeping these in mind. Especially if you have the option of fitting your floor to your design theme, choose finishes that are barefoot-friendly, such as wood, stone or even carefully used terracotta. Introduce layers of texture in the form of wood grain or furnishings in natural fabrics, like linen, cotton or wool. Keep these in colours that reflect the overall theme and complement your core furniture.
  
  

• Clean Lines for Furniture and Furnishing:

  Another key element of a minimalist Zen interior design theme is uncomplicated and simple furniture pieces. Often floor level, or low-to-ground styles, furniture should preferably be made from wood or other natural materials. Here you might want to prioritise higher-quality items, such as a platform bed or a low wide seating unit, and make this the main focus of a room. And since you do not need to fill every nook and corner with furnishings, you can invest a little more in better made pieces. Plan for storage and remember that the key to maintaining minimalism is keeping clutter under control.
  
  

• Pattern Free Areas:

  Avoid large prints or bold textures and patterns when designing your home interiors. Paisleys, chintzes, big English garden floral drapes and bright traditional art cushions have no place in your Zen style interior design plan. Instead, lean toward block colours and simple geometric patterns if you want to provide a visual break.
  
  

• Light is Key:

  When you first step into a Zen designed space, the immediate impression should be of light and airiness. This can be achieved best with strategically placed warm white lighting. Use tall torchiere style lamps in the corners of a Zen living room, and accessorise with paper or woven lanterns either hanging or at low levels. A simple combination of focused task lamplight and soft accent lighting (using concealed LEDs in a warm colour) will create the ideal well-lit, serene ambiance. For your windows, there are two ways to go – thick natural fabric curtains to cut out city sounds and create intimacy or light cotton sheers to let in as much natural light as possible. Indeed, a combination of these might work best for your space. When exploring living room design options for a Zen-inspired space, consider incorporating natural elements such as bamboo furniture, a minimalistic low-level coffee table, and floor cushions for comfortable seating.
  
  

• Let Nature in:

  The final step to making your home interior design as soothing and reinvigorating a haven as you possibly can, is inviting nature into your space. The customary Zen suggestion is that an area should have a representation of each of the elements (earth, wood, fire, water, and metal) to achieve true harmony. These representations can be in the form of simple artwork, a small rock garden, a water feature, a tiny metal gong, a candle, real house plants or even a small Zen raking table. If you have the space you can even do all of the above!

Translucent paper shades and warm white bulbs can change even apartment lighting into serene ambient light. And, as discussed above, natural fabric curtains of the appropriate weight can change the whole atmosphere of your home.

Or maybe you are only looking at converting a single space into a quiet retreat for contemplation. Some smart Zen bedroom ideas are to choose a low set bed as the centrepiece of your room and to flank it with soft focused lamps. You can make a meditation nook separated from the rest of the room with a simple screen or room divider. Indulge yourself with a woollen throw and add oxygen into the environment with potted plants.

So now that we’ve demystified zen design and how to achieve it, we hope you’re inspired to put your ideas into practice!

If you still have questions or are just yearning to introduce a touch of peace and serenity into your home, then why not get in touch with our team? Here at Beautiful Homes Service by Asian Paints, we’ll partner with you to make sure you’re getting a Zen inspired home that’s not only beautifully planned but accomplished masterfully! Whether it’s assisting you with flawless installation and all the design decisions, or helping you to source the latest fittings, home accessories and décor styles from our curated collection, we’re here for you, every step of the way.