A happy, healthy home plays a large part in our day to day happiness. So often though, the chaos, clutter, and work revolving around our homes make it just the opposite. How do we recapture the feeling of home being a healthy, restful haven that exudes a sense of calm? Below are a few tips from the pros to help you get started.

Remember Less is More

Removing some furniture, decluttering, and throwing things away can all contribute a more peaceful atmosphere to your home. Simply removing visual clutter goes a long way towards making your home both easier to clean, and destressing your life. When in doubt, get rid of it. Make a date twice a year to go through the closets, and be sure you keep countertops clean and organized at the end of the day.

 

Keep Things That “Spark Joy”

If you’re at all familiar with best-selling author Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you’re familiar with the idea that the things in your home should spark joy. As you declutter, you’re treating your items with respect by donating or giving away what no longer sparks joy and placing in prominent places things that do. For example, that rug you never liked? Get rid of it and get shopping for one that makes you happy every time you walk in the door.

 

Add Life

We’re not talking about pets here, although they can add to a healthy, happy home. This is about introducing indoor plants into your home. Take a browse through your local nursery or home improvement store and ask for the indoor plant selection. Choose one or two of your favorites, along with a nice container to place in your home for a touch of lively green to brighten your space. Some great varieties to consider are air plants, succulents, philodendron, spider plants and peace lilies.

 

Consider Air Quality

Few things make your home less happy and healthy than poor air quality. This is a part of your home that keeps everyone healthy. Although indoor plants help to remove harmful compounds from the air, you may want to have some mold control methods and air quality meters in place. Use a carbon monoxide detector, and see if an allergen-cleaning vacuum might be a good investment. If you are worried about moisture and mold, be sure to add a flood detection system into your basement or around water-based appliances. Flood sensors are an early indicator of possible water damage and can alert you to appliances that may have a leak.  And don’t forget to change the filters in your air vents every 3 – 6 months!

You want your house to truly have the warmth of a home, and just a few of these tips can make that dream a reality.