In our fast-paced, often overwhelming world, we could all do with taking our feet off the pedal and moving towards a slower, more thoughtful way of life. But what does slow living mean? And how can we incorporate this idea into our homes?
What is slow living?
As the label suggests, slow living invites a slower approach to the everyday hustle of life. At its core, it's a way of life that celebrates the little things—those moments in our day-to-day lives that make us happy or calm us down when we're stressed out. It's about enjoying life, connecting with others, taking care of yourself, and being mindful and present in your surroundings. Slow living isn't just about relaxing; it's also about reducing stress so you can be productive and live longer!
What is slow living at home?
Slow living at home is a lifestyle, not a trend. It's not about making your home look like Pinterest or Instagram. It's about finding happiness in the everyday—creating spaces where you can relax, enjoy yourself and retreat from the chaos of the outside world. Spaces that are practical, comfortable, beautiful and reflect you as an individual.
10 simple ways to create a home for slow living
At Green Lili, we are passionate about finding ways to slow down, and there's no better place to start than your home. Here are our ten simple ways to create a home for slow living.
1. Create a calming environment
To help calm our daily life stresses and slow down our lifestyle, spaces with muted colour schemes instantly provide a relaxing environment. Think natural furnishings, light tones, and nature's colours. We all love a good house plant. Not only can they bring colour and life into your home, but they have the added benefit of cleaning the air of pollutants and toxins, which can cause stress and anxiety if we breathe them in every day!
2. Hygge up your home
Adopt the Danish way of living by bringing a little Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) to your home. It's all about comfort and cosiness-enjoying the little things in life, like a warm cup of tea or a scented candle. Choose earthy palettes that connect you to the outdoors, light candles, and get cosy with blankets and cushions. Slow down and be mindful, savouring the present moment.
3. Use natural lighting whenever possible
Lighting is essential to create a relaxing and welcoming space. Make your room look bigger, brighter and more spacious by taking advantage of natural light wherever possible. It'll make you feel more awake and energised and is excellent for reducing stress. Open the curtains during the day and place mirrors opposite sun-facing windows. Consider your lighting options and choose an ambience that soothes the space and the soul.
4. Choose artwork carefully
Choosing new art can be a beautiful process if you take the time to find pieces that have heart and meaning and make you feel relaxed and happy in your home. Don't cram every wall with art. Choose large statement wall art to anchor the room visually. Maybe even incorporate it into the design scheme. Then dot smaller pieces around different parts of the room - this helps create interest without overcrowding or overwhelming the eye with too much detail.
5. Create a comfortable space to relax at the end of the day
Create a place in your home that you can use as a retreat. A little reading nook. A space for quiet time. Whatever works for you — make sure that this space feels safe and welcoming so that it's easy for you to unwind when you need it most.
6. De-clutter your space. Less really is more.
Mess equals stress. Clear out any clutter and unnecessary items from your home. Toss anything that doesn't serve a purpose in your life, and donate or sell the rest. If you have too much stuff, finding things when you need them can be difficult, and it's harder to get motivated to clean. Having less stuff around also makes your space feel cleaner and more peaceful overall.
7. Be flexible with your space
If your space isn't working for you, change it up. This doesn't mean buying new items. Move things around to other rooms, de-clutter, make the space work for your needs and use it in different ways as your needs change.
8. Design your home for you
Choose items that work for you and your lifestyle, and keep the way you want your space to feel and be used at the forefront of the design process when making any changes to your home.
9. Buy quality items
Be mindful of the things you buy and bring into your home. Decorate with meaningful things; each item should have a purpose, spark joy or be special to you. Buy quality items and be considerate of the brands you want to support.
10. Choose sustainably
Upcycle if you can. Do your research and choose sustainable products and brands to help reduce your environmental impact at home.
Slow Living & Green Lili
At Green Lili, we embrace our 'go with the slow' mantra in everything we do. We believe in more meaningful artwork and adopting a simple, timeless style is the very essence of our brand. We hope this blog inspires you to join the slow-living movement and bring it into your own home.
