As a sensitive empathic introvert who works from home, it’s really important to me that I create for myself a cosy and nurturing home space. By doing so, it allows me to thrive and do my best work in the world.
To me, home is a sacred space with its own particular energy. It’s somewhere I can recharge, hermit myself to feel safe when the outside world gets scary and overwhelming, and a place to replenish myself. This is why it’s so important to create a cosy and nurturing home space.
I’m also creating this cosy space to nourish the beings that cohabit with me, animal and human. The energy in our home space extends out to anyone who visits as well.
So here are the 8 ways that I create a cosy and nurturing home space for myself and those who live with me or come to visit.
1) Plants
Nearly every minimalism vlog or decluttering and organising person I watch on YouTube has house plants in the background of their videos.
While I’d love to have as many houseplants as I can realistically buy and look after, I live with a cat who likes to eat things. One day I found her munching on the fronds of Teddy, my Boston fern, so he had to be moved to a shelf in the laundry that gets sun.
My other houseplant, an African violet called Paulo, is happy in his space in the sun. He had a bit of a hard time a couple of years ago; his leaves were pale and he didn’t flower at all. I realised he wasn’t in an optimal position to receive sun, so with a repotting, a move to a location with non-harsh morning sun and some TLC, he’s bounced back with beautiful deep pink blooms and dark leaves with a reddish underside.
With the realities of space and having an ever-munching curious cat, I need to be mindful of where I position the plants for everyone’s benefit, and also be incredibly mindful of the houseplants that are potentially toxic to cats (peace lilies and any lilies are banned from the house).
Having plants around brings a bit of the nature that I love and need for optimal functioning indoors, freshens up the space, and keeps the energy of the home vibrant and alive.
2) Life-enhancing artwork
As well as bringing nature indoors in plant form, I have many artworks on the walls depicting nature, as well as other uplifting artworks (I love art by local and Australian artists, but am also a big fan of Autumn Skye and Josephine Wall).
What these images do for me and other people in the house is create the feeling of inspiration and upliftment. Seeing beauty can be powerfully healing.
3) Cosy and nurturing knits and décor
On couches, big squishy armchairs and on beds in my home there are a number of knitted and crocheted items like blankets and cushions for comfort and cosiness.
I like to think these create cosy vibes and a comforting atmosphere to anyone who enters the space.
There are even knitted heart decorations hanging as a feature in what I’ve worked out from my Feng Shui basic learning is the love and relationship sector. I think everyone who has come into the space has mentioned how nice these hearts are hanging up in rainbow order, and the arrangement makes me happy to look at.
4) Colours (the cosy pink bedroom)
I believe in the power of colours to heal and be a complementary therapy. So in my home I’ve strategically arranged colours in various places for maximum benefit, particularly my pink bedroom (that my partner shares, and I’m grateful that he’s on board with however I want to arrange spaces in our home – he doesn’t seem to mind or care).
There’s a pink bed spread, pink pillows to match, an old fashioned pink lamp in the corner, and even Sophie has a pink water bowl in there (no pink sheets, I thought that might be overkill but maybe I’ll consider it for the future…). To me, I’m uplifted and calmed down all at once by the pinkness of the space within the broader home space.
If there are any colours that uplift and inspire you, or calm you down, or whatever feeling you’d like to feel in your home space, have plenty of décor and items that are this colour. It’s a very personal thing (I can think of many people who would be horrified at the thought and sight of so much pink).
5) Space and furniture arrangement
Another way I create a cosy and nourishing home space is the way I arrange furniture to suit our day to day needs and to have plenty of space.
Just because you have space, it doesn’t mean you have to fill it.
And quite often having some space is immensely beneficial for your mental and emotional wellbeing, whereas clutter or filled space, even with things you like, can sometimes have a detrimental effect.
I’m a fiend for rearranging furniture. I find that when I rearrange furniture, it unsticks the stagnant energy of the home and allows that energy to flow again. That, in turn, allows me to get unstuck and move on with the flow of life, especially if I’ve been feeling stagnant.
Switching things up and around keeps things fresh, not just in your home space, but in your life as well.
6) Keeping things tidy
In my home space, things don’t necessarily have to be super clean all the time (and with animal companions that’s not realistic), but I at least like things to be tidy most of the time.
What I mean by tidy is things looking neat, everything having a place to rest in the home (myself, Sophie, my partner, any visitors, as well as our ‘stuff’), and things looking and feeling clear.
When I keep things tidy most of the time, I find that I feel better most of the time.
7) Fresh air and sunlight
Each day, no matter the weather, I open the windows – the length of time varies depending on the weather – to let in fresh air to keep the energy flowing.
I also like to keep the windows clean (but not so clean and clear that birds fly into them) to allow light to come in and warm up and cleanse the space physically and energetically, and so anyone inside can clearly see outside.
8) Bits and bobs I personally love
Finally, there are the bits and bobs around my home space that I love because they have personal significance. These items are the final piece in creating a cosy and nurturing home space.
These include my rainbow rug/carpet that I’ve had since I moved in, my round table for meals that seats four people, my fairy bear tissue box cover (necessary, no, cosy vibes, yes), a cabinet from my recently moved away neighbour that now houses all my personally cherished knick knacks, among others.
Even the curtains create cosy vibes – early on when I moved in here, we had new blinds installed, and I insisted that the curtains stay. The blinds man obliged and said that I must be an old fashioned soul to be partial to the regency striped curtains. And six years on I’m still loving the old fashioned curtains.
Finally, in terms of special bits and bobs that create a nurturing and uplifting home space, I have a nice set-up as homage to my grandparents – a piano with stool from one side of the family grandparents who have passed, with a green caterpillar thing (I honestly don’t know what its function is and it’s seven years old now) pride of place on top of the piano from my grandma on the other side of the family who gave it to me as a housewarming gift (and has a funny story about getting it from the city back home on a bus, as it’s not the most compact or practical item). I love this little setup.
Final thoughts!
To recap, these were the eight ways I create a cosy and nurturing home space for myself; having plants, uplifting artworks, cosy and nurturing knits and décor, being mindful of and working with the energy of colours, space and furniture arrangement, keeping things tidy, good circulation of fresh air and sunlight to keep that good energy flowing, and personally significant bits and bobs around the home.
Do these resonate with you? Is there anything else that you do to create a cosy and nurturing home space?
I’d love to hear from you about how you create a cosy and nurturing home space for yourself and others! Reach out to me in the comments below or email me at [email protected].
Much love,
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