Enlist
your senses to help you create a little ambiance in your home, whether it’s the
dinner table you sit down to, the couch you snuggle up on, or the bedroom you
retire to at night. Set the scene for
peace, relaxation, and a warm feeling of home amid hectic schedules and
jam-packed days.
Sight
is a strong element in an ambiance of calm and comfort. Candlelight is a given for creating a mood of
both soothing relaxation and playful romance.
Lighting some taper candles may seem a little formal for the everyday,
so find some three wick candles in glass cylinder jars in colors and fragrances
you like. One lit in the middle of the
breakfast nook table for a weeknight dinner or on the coffee table while you
watch TV in the evenings adds a pleasant scent and a nice glow. Additionally, installing dimmers on often
used light switches can give you the flexibility to have both bright and low
lighting in the same area. I love
dimmers for the lighting fixtures over the dinner table, in under-cabinet mount
lighting, and over bathroom vanities.
Smell
is also a key ingredient to generate the atmosphere you desire. Just like a batch of warm cookies baking can
enliven a kitchen, great scents are both welcoming and warming. Alongside a hot bath, soothing candle
fragrances like vanilla, lavender, and honey set the sudsy mood. Many candles, room sprays, and oil diffusers
come in scents that resemble perfumes and colognes that add a clean, high end
touch to any room and make for a great addition to an entryway. To wake up the senses, consider fragrances
like peppermint, apple, and lemon. To
raise the bar on your nightly turndown service, mist your bedding with sleepy
scents made for linens. I even found an
amazing French bread scented candle l like to accompany Italian dinners at
home; it makes the kitchen smell like the crusty bread was baked right
there. Seasonal fragrances of candles,
burning oils, and room sprays are perfect in the fall and winter, making any
room smell like apple pie, cinnamon, fall leaves, pine, gingerbread, or your
favorite holiday version.
Sound
sets the tone for the vibe you want to create in any setting. The background music you play can swing any
direction, from classic to jazz to instrumental to dance. CDs, iPod playlists, and radio stations on
your TV are all easy accompaniments, whether you’re having people over for
dinner, are cooking in the kitchen, doing household chores, or relaxing on the
back porch. I love the soundtracks set
to many movies and figure why can’t we have “a soundtrack to our lives” for
both special occasions and the everyday moments?
Whether
you’re invigorating an evening gathering, settling in for a relaxing night at
home, or somewhere in between, let sight, smell, and sound help you produce the
ambiance you know will be just right each and every time.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star August 25th.
