Sleek and harmonious,
Opt for the Zen living room!
Want to get back to basics and enjoy a relaxing living room? Why not adopt the Zen trend? Here's our advice!
Tips for creating a Zen living room
When we speak of a Zen living room, we often tend to imagine an uncluttered, almost empty room, with a fountain and Asian-inspired furniture. In fact, this is not the case at all. The word "zen" comes from the Buddhist movement and stands for balance and harmony. A living room that claims to be "zen" should therefore be designed to promote rest for the body, as well as for the mind, in an atmosphere conducive to relaxation. Here are a few tips to help you make your living room a totally "zen" place!
Go for uncluttered decor
To achieve the balance and harmony of what we call "Zen", you first need to focus on simplicity. This doesn't mean opting for a living room fitted out with the bare minimum, but rather for an uncluttered ambience, with furniture of simple design, carefully chosen to create a harmonious and soothing whole. Even the most cluttered interiors will need to get rid of the excess and make do with what is truly useful, both in terms of practicality and aesthetics.
For a "Zen" decor to be successful, it's necessary to leave a little room for emptiness, to let light penetrate the room and to create spaces that allow you to move about without hindrance. Neutral colors are obviously appreciated, but a few touches of color can also be added to the room. Symbolizing dreams and hope, blues and greens are particularly conducive to mental rest and will bring cheerfulness to your Zen living room. For example, you could opt for a sofa with pure lines or a designer convertible like some of the Mobilier de France models.
Other seating options include armchairs, ottomans and, of course, storage units, which should be closed to prevent the objects they contain from being in plain view and disrupting the relaxing atmosphere. A recliner would also be perfect in a Zen interior, providing extra comfort while reinforcing the room's soothing ambience.
Lamps also play a key role in a Zen living room, as they are the ones who lead the way in the evening. Opt for soft lighting that's bright enough not to strain your eyes unnecessarily. As the aim is to make the space as uncluttered as possible, you'll want to avoid a proliferation of accent lamps, opting instead for lamps that are more present, but also more efficient in terms of lighting.
The Japanese tradition of bringing people closer to the ground is also an excellent way of furthering the "Zen" ambience. For example, you could opt for floor cushions, a (very) low table or a lower sofa. In this way, banishing all furniture that exceeds eye level will bring you closer to the floor and give the room a completely different look. Finally, rounded lines are also highly appreciated in a "Zen" décor, as they bring softness and lightness to spaces.
Bringing nature into your home
If you know anything about the Buddhist school of thought, you'll be aware of just how important nature is to our daily well-being. If you live in a wooded environment, wherever possible, opt for large windows or bay windows to bring the outside elements into your home.
Of course, there are other ways of bringing nature into your home to create a "Zen" atmosphere. Materials are also a great way of achieving this, with cotton, linen, wicker, rope or jute being used for certain decorative elements.
The arrangement of your plants should also be carefully thought out. Once again, it's not a question of piling them up, but of giving each element its own important place, and so taking particular care with the space allocated to a plant so that it can flourish fully.
What's more, the presence of wood will also be crucial in a Zen environment, so choose woods with as natural an appearance as possible. Opting for light shades and solid wood will obviously be a very good way of harmonizing it with the rest of your decor.
Get inspired by the Swedish decorating style
Asian decoration is an excellent source of inspiration for reproducing a "Zen" atmosphere, but Scandinavian style also tends in this direction. And just as well, many brands continue to draw inspiration from the Swedish style. Natural materials and neutral colors are often favored for bright, comfortable interiors.
In particular, wood predominates, and candles are commonly used to create a soft, warm atmosphere. Mixing the two styles will create an interior that's both restful and uncluttered, yet comfortable and warm. It's a happy medium that allows you to enjoy a living room that truly reflects your image and respects your desire for tranquility.
This means opting for top-of-the-range, long-lasting furniture in your living room, since furniture is in short supply in a "Zen" atmosphere, so you'll want to focus on high-quality items. If you want to create a blend between these two styles, you can add small Scandinavian-style decorative elements. All that's left to do is enjoy the calm and harmony of this relaxing "zen" decor.
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