Create a Personal Retreat

To create a personal retreat add accessories that reflect who you are, such as your favourite artwork, family pictures and mementos.

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Add colourful accents such as a cosy throw to curl up in on chilly nights, or curtains that complement the colours on your walls and your furniture

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In today’s frenzied, fast-paced world, home is a refuge from the outside world. It’s a place you can return to at the end of a busy day to relax and recharge and the concept of the home as a place of retreat and tranquillity is fast becoming a popular trend.

Creating your personal retreat doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. it is often the small comforts and relaxing, familiar things that are all that is required to create an elegant and serene retreat... a small collection of wildflowers in an antique jar, lining a mantelpiece with tea lights and leaves, the sound of a relaxation fountain ... that will make you want to brew some tea, grab a book and just relax.

Whether “home” is a one-bedroom apartment, a starter home or the house of your dreams, chances are there’s one room that is your favourite place to spend time.

What makes a room special?

Your home should reflect your style and your personality. Fill it with furniture and accessories that personify you and the things you love. To create an inviting personal retreat first you have to figure out what you want your retreat to be.

• Is it a room you’ll go to by yourself to read, meditate or pursue a hobby?
• Will it be somewhere you can shut the door and be alone, or will it be a place in the middle of the household hubbub where you can pursue your interests while still being with your family?

It can be any room in the house, from the bedroom to the living room; or, if space is at a premium, you can carve out a cosy nook in an unused corner.

Once you know how you will use your retreat and where it will be, you’re ready to put together its parts. That includes furniture and colour scheme. For furnishing the room, look at what you already have. See what you can reuse or use in a different way. When choosing colours, decide if you want a light, airy space or a dark, snugly feel. Next, add the finishing touches that tie the room together: an area rug, plants, throw pillows.

Add accessories that reflect who you are, such as your favourite artwork, family pictures and mementos. A grouping of framed photos can be a fun and interesting way to decorate a wall -  mix paintings, vacation snapshots, even framed ticket stubs from a special event. Make sure your treasured artwork and photos are properly framed and protected. Conservation glass has been gaining in popularity because of its ability to both block out harmful UV light rays and help preserve images from fading. Whether you’re framing something valuable from a monetary standpoint, or something that has sentimental value, if it has colour, it will fade if not protected. Ultra violet light is one of the most dangerous elements that your framed art can be exposed to. Its irreversible damage ruins even framed memories by turning them yellow and brittle and making their colour less vibrant. Anti- reflective glass, proper placement of the artwork and the right lighting can help solve these problems. Experts recommend hanging your artwork at the eye level of the average person in the room. If you are hanging the art in a room where more time is spent seated than standing, “eye level” should be lower.

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