Zen Design Basics

If you have been coming to my site for awhile now, I'm sure you'd have read that for 2009, I am dead-set on moving to a new home. Chinese horoscope predictions for Year of the Rooster said so and Zodiac sign predictions for Aries agrees. Check out my previous blogs for reference. (2009 Year of the Ox Predictions and Aries 2009)

I have been sifting through magazines and sites for months now looking for bed, bath and kitchen designs. My husband and I both agree on two things--- sleek, modern design or bare and stark, stripped-to-the-minimum zen.

Zen design is inspired by Zen Buddhism which is known for its values such as calmness, harmony, and meditation.

When creating a design based on Zen values, things we have to keep in mind are – simplicity, cleanliness, minimalist designs, soft lighting, and the use of mirrors.

After a stressful day at work, it’s nice to come home and sit back, put your feet up, and forget all of your pressures. But not all homes are conducive to this kind of relaxation; in fact, most of us carry our problems all the way to the bedroom. Often, the problem is simply the way your home is designed.

If you have trouble relaxing at home, you may want to consider adopting Zen design.

Zen design is based on Zen Buddhism, a religion that values calmness, meditation, and harmony. A Zen home encourages relaxation by making everything simple and minimal, and keeping all the visual elements in balance.

Here are some guidelines in Zen design and how you can apply them to your home:

1. Minimalist design.

Zen favors straight, simple lines, solid colors, and minimal use of accessories—the foundations of minimalist design. But while minimalist homes can seem cold and sleek, a Zen home is also warm, comfortable and inviting. You can achieve this by going for softer lighting and warmer colors, instead of the usual stark black and white.

2. Natural materials.

Wood, stone, and water are the primary elements in Zen design. This doesn’t mean you can’t use synthetics; besides, it’s hard to build a sturdy home with these three alone. Use them for contrast: warm wood against cold metal, sturdy stone against delicate glass. The bathroom is a great place to apply contrast. A stone sink, for example, will look great on a dainty white countertop, while a metal handle will go with wooden cabinet doors.

3. No clutter.

To keep with the minimalist theme, reduce the clutter in your home. Things that are lying around or taking up unnecessary space can be distracting, which counters the purpose of relaxation. If you have things that should stay in the room, such as books or tools, keep them in storage cabinets. Use wall-mounted or built-in storage to maximize the floor space and make the room seem airier.

4. Soft lighting.

Ample light helps brighten a minimalist room, but too much brightness can overwhelm it. That’s why filtered light is a staple in Zen design. Instead of just letting in natural sunlight through the windows, use frosted glass to mute the light that comes in. Instead of a ray of bright light illuminating one area, you get a spray of calm, soft light spreading across the room. In the evenings, small accent lights throughout the room work better than one big lamp lighting the area.

5. Reflection.

When you’re working with soft light, you rely on things inside the room to maximize it. This means reflecting the light from the source to another area, so that more of the room is illuminated. This can be achieved with ample use of mirrors, which bounce off the light and basically provide twice the brightness. The mirror can occupy an entire wall or span over the countertop, or even go on the ceiling.

Keeping things Zen is essentially keeping things to the minimum. Who knows? Adopting this design in your home might just spill on over to keeping things simple in your life as well.