A Home Wellness Retreat for the 2019 Atlanta Holiday Home

Is it Christmas in February? No, but I couldn’t post any photos of my Wellness Retreat for the 2019 Atlanta Holiday Home until Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles published their February issue featuring all of the rooms. I just happened to photograph my room after it was decorated for the holidays. If you pick up the current February issue you will see a spa retreat completely void of Christmas decor.

This post has been sponsored by Mud Pie Gift, King of Christmas, Made Goods, DK Gallery, and Jaipur Living because they donated items for my room, however, all opinions are my own.

What is a Wellness Retreat?

As an interior designer, I love incorporating wellness into every design project. What makes your home healthy and safe is a part of wellness but the most important feature is to provide an escape from stress-inducing behavior which deprives the body of its potential. My job as an interior designer is to improve the health and well-being of my clients. Designing a room that makes you happy, feel calm, and allows you to decompress after a busy schedule is my main focus as an interior designer.  Wellness and good design have a sense of balance in common.  Exercise, diet, emotional and social connections, relaxation and rejuvenation help each of us make good choices for a successful existence. I recently wrote about the importance of a wellness lifestyle here.

Bathrobe from Pottery Barn

Hydrotherapy spa from MTI Baths

The Design Principles behind Wellness Design

We are placing more value on health and wellness than on material objects these days, and the definition of health and wellness has evolved. The phrase no longer refers simply to a lack of illness and disease, but to a more holistic state of being, where one’s mental, physical and emotional health are in sync.

Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

Ayurvedic design principles are an integral part of our design for wellness. Incorporating scented candles, movement of air, soft music, and the sound of water trickling are key components.

Candles were used everywhere in this Wellness Retreat. I hung candle wall sconces throughout the room to recreate a spalike experience.

Art by DK Gallery

How to create your own Wellness Retreat

Between traffic, social media, and work, there’s probably not one among us who couldn’t use a little extra R&R. And what better place to decompress than in your very own home meditation room or spa?

Many of us think of our bathrooms as a place to decompress after a busy day but you can also create a Wellness Retreat in an empty room or in an area within a room. We are moving beyond the home gym or yoga room into designing an entire spa wellness area in our homes that can rejuvenate us without driving to a local spa.

Candle Holder from Mud Pie

Art from DK Gallery

Lamps and Console from Made Goods

Take the Less Is More Approach

To create a deeper connection between self and nature, my process was not to add layers to this Wellness Retreat for the Atlanta Holiday Home, but to eliminate them, noting that overembellishing with trinkets crowds not only the space, but the mind as well. I believe a healthy home becomes the foundation for a healthy life. Rooms that inspire wellness create a more livable and functional space for our daily routines.

Not only does clutter look chaotic, but it can also have a negative effect on your well-being and mental health. In a crowded space, your brain attempts to process multiple stimuli all at once and becomes stressed! For instance, have you ever gone into a room that is cluttered with too much stuff and felt anxious?

The walls were not overloaded with art because I wanted the room to feel calm. Abstract art was selected for my room that was serene or had nature in it.

Pedicure bath from MTI Baths

Let Nature In

If you expose yourself to nature through windows or surround yourself with plants it will begin to decompress you and restores your fraying nerves. Researchers have found that spending time gazing at views of nature improves attention and concentration, suggesting that we’re hardwired to feel more peaceful in a natural setting.

Allowing outside views of greenery and nature into your home or strategically placing plants inside a room will make a positive impact on mood and motivation. Plants provide
natural beauty to the space as well as help detoxify the air. They also promote peace and a connection to nature even if you aren’t outdoors. Make sure to choose plants that will do best in
the light that your wellness space provides and remember to water them when needed.

Gold shelf from Made Goods.

All Lanterns from Pottery Barn.

Allow for lots of  Natural Light

The best lighting options include natural light from a window or lighted candles which create a flickering dance of light that will induce comfort and peace.

The effects of sunlight have been studied extensively, and it’s been universally shown to boost productivity, focus, and happiness, and to help normalize sleep cycles.

This Wellness Retreat has an ample amount of natural light coming into the room because of the two large french doors.

Add a Comfortable Seating Area

Add seating near a window for viewing the outdoors or let yourself enjoy the health benefits of natural light. Because this is a Wellness Retreat the furniture is simple but comfortable. I also made the decision to keep the furniture color light and neutral for a more calming room. The neutral color scheme allows nature to be the main focal point in this room.

One-on-one seating areas give you the opportunity for emotional connections through conversation.

The Health Benefits of a Pedicure 

Many of you are wondering why I have a pedicure station in the Wellness Retreat. Part of creating a spa retreat was all the experiences we have outside our home. By bringing experiences we enjoy into our home, we can still be with our family and not take time away from them.

The benefits of having an in-home pedicure station have many benefits. A pedicure is known to lower blood pressure, improve circulation and even relieve pain. So you shouldn’t feel bad about splurging. You’re actually doing your body a favor and giving your mind a rest!

Even the Christmas Gnome knows the health benefits of a good pedicure!

You can transform your bathroom into a wellness retreat by styling it to create a spa-like ambiance. For example, roll up your towels and display them, as they would be in a spa. Add orchids, candles, and a diffuser to recreate a spa experience.

Kingdom Woodworks did all the cabinetry in my bathroom.

The mirror is from Made Goods.

The countertops are from Renaissance Tile and Bath.

Shower walls are from Levantina.

Zero Threshold Shower

A zero threshold or walk-in shower was designed for my Wellness retreat. Most custom bathrooms I work on lately, whether a renovation or new home, are putting in these walk-in showers. Not only because they’re safer, but because they look great too!  It’s more expensive than a curbed shower but this type of shower allows people to “age in place” safely and with dignity. As people get older and lose mobility, routine things like taking showers can become very difficult.

Mudpie Gift Shower gnomes…

A Wellness Retreat should strive to foster a peace of mind within the individual through a keen vision of design that incorporates Ayurvedic elements to bring balance to the design vision.  Each element can promote the opportunity to relax and to escape the over-stimulus of everyday life. Wellness of Mind, Body, and Spirit contributes to our own sense of well-being which allows us to be our highest selves.

I hope you enjoyed my Wellness Retreat!

This post contains affiliate links that may earn income for Hello I’m 50ish.

Thank you for stopping by!