Whether you live in Bangkok or Buenos Aires, city life can feel overwhelming, and it is important to have somewhere where you can relax. This is the idea behind turning your home into an “urban oasis,” a serene destination where you can find true calmness. This article explores some quick ways to turn your home into one, even in the busiest of cities.
Bring the Outside In
Small gardens and balconies, if any, are the norm in cities. Yet, being in nature is one of the most relaxing things we can do. In cities like Bangkok, where many live in crowded condos, lots of people are moving to single houses in exurbs like Rangsit (the correct term in Thai is บ้านเดี่ยวรังสิต) where they have more garden space and easier access to the countryside. However, you don’t need to go that far.
If it is difficult for you to get to nature, then you can bring it into your city home instead. Plants help oxygenate your rooms and decrease stress, and natural materials like wood and stone can also contribute to a more calming environment.
Shape Your Soundscape
We might not consciously notice it all the time, but cities are loud. The level of background noise in major cities is often many times higher than in less populated areas, and this can chronically elevate your stress levels. The solution is to dampen this sound as much as possible, which can be done with insulated windows, thick curtains, rugs, and soft furnishings.
Water features are also a part of many comfortable homes in Thailand and around the world for this reason. The steady trickle of a small waterfall or fountain creates a much more peaceful environment.
Set Up Soothing Lighting
Many foreigners who buy property in Thailand and other hot countries are surprised by the lack of natural light and white, office-style lights they find in local residential buildings. These are throwbacks to the days when most people worked outdoors. Relaxing for them meant getting out of the sun. However, for modern city dwellers, an environment with lots of natural light by day, and soft, yellow lighting by night is a lot more soothing.
Using softer lights in the evening has the added benefit of improving your sleep, too, and this will help you feel a lot more relaxed in general.
Practice Intentional Minimalism
Stepping through your door into a chaotic and cluttered environment will send your stress levels shooting straight up. However, this does not mean that it is best to throw everything away so that you have a stark home instead. “Intentional minimalism” describes the balance you should be going for. Everything you own should be something you cherish, and it should have a clear purpose in your life, although this can be emotional and not just functional.
Designing Peace
Reducing unwanted noise, feeling closer to nature, and being more intentional about the items in your home are proven ways to create a calm environment. You can visit almost any spa, place of worship, or therapists’ office and see these ideas applied in real life. They are simple but powerful tools for converting your home into a haven where you can escape the hustle and bustle of any busy city.
