Happy Home with Sophie Robinson

Creating a home that makes you feel happy and healthy can mean many things to many people but to me it’s paramount that a home should feel as good as it looks.

It may be a sanctuary at the end of a hard day, or somewhere that lifts our spirits and gives us a reboot. Our home is the place that creates some of our best memories so it’s important it hits the right note and the way you choose to decorate it can have such a powerful impact.

For me the kitchen is the heart of the home and wherever possible I try and make it open plan to the living areas of the home. Being able to share quality time by being altogether is key and I’m never happier while cooking and chatting to friends or family. Since we bought our new house in the country with my Mum next door in the annex, it’s increased my sense of well being a thousand fold having her so close by. And she’s an excellent cook to boot! We really relish cooking healthy nutritious meals together for everyone to enjoy. I love nothing more than gathering everyone around our house and sharing our home with those closest to us. So creating a relaxed and sociable vibe in my home is a top priority.

Next I love to have lots of natural light wherever possible and so dress the windows simply to maximise the light flooding in. Decorating in a soft pale tone also helps increase the sense of light and a brilliant trick is to hang mirrors opposite the window to help bounce the light around. Next up you need to find your happy colours. This is different for everyone and I always urge people to follow their gut and never be a slave to trends or swayed by what other people think is good taste. My happy colours are bright and buoyant so I love to use these throughout as accents for cushions, vases, rugs and artwork. Yellow is the ultimate happy colour it just radiates positivity while pink is soft and nurturing. Green is a great colour to introduce anywhere in your home, it’s the ultimate way to a feeling of wellness.

On that note I feel it’s really important to have an element of nature in your home- it’s just a quick fire way to get the feel good vibe. Plants instantly give any space a positive lift and greenery is a really good way to add a feel-good dose of Mother Nature. In terms of design, think about having natural materials in your scheme too, the sense of nature and authenticity is really reassuring. I love to introduce wood, rattan, ceramic as well as natural textiles like linen and wool into all my schemes. The tactile quality of materials and surfaces is also so important to the feel good factor and I love to pick out rugs, textiles and ceramics that have a hand made quality. Finally fill your home full of the people you love. Have a spring clean (so therapeutic!), cook a simple meal and fling your doors open to the people you love the most, that’s the sure fire way to happiness for me.

My top tips on creating a feeling of wellbeing in your home

1. Create a sociable and welcoming space that can be enjoyed by friends and family. Open plan spaces are ideal for this is possible.
2. Maximise the sense of natural light, especially in the rooms you use in the day, like the kitchen. Paint in a cool recessive colour, like pale grey, and keep the windows uncluttered.
3. Choose to decorate in a colour palette that you love. Don’t be swayed by trends or by other people tastes, follow your gut and you can’t go wrong.
4. Introduce plants and flowers into your home for a dose of Mother nature
5. Seek out natural authentic materials like wood, stone, cotton and linen for a feel good vibe
6. Have a spring clean and a chuck out. A good de-clutter is great for the soul and will make your home feel more spacious and light.
7. When decorating your home, start by asking yourself the question “How to I want to feel in this room” before you leap towards how you want it to look. If you design a room to feel a certain way, chances are you’ll feel happy when you’re in it!
8. Rooms Scents are always a great way to enhance the feeling of well being. I love to use scented candles or essential oils in a diffuser. You can change the scent depending on the mood you want to create.