A relaxation corner doesn't need a dedicated room. An armchair in a corner of the living room, a lamp, a throw, a spot slightly out of the way: that's often enough. What matters most is that it's easy to use, that you can sit down without moving anything, and that it doesn't remind you of work or chores.
Here's how to choose the spot, furnish it without cluttering it and keep it truly usable, even in a small home.
Choose a spot you'll actually use
The best spot isn't necessarily the prettiest, but the one you'll naturally go to. A few pointers:
- Out of the way: a corner of the room rather than the middle of the living room, so you aren't disturbed every time someone walks past.
- Near a window if possible, to enjoy the daylight.
- Away from your workstation: if you work from home, avoid settling in facing your computer. If your desk area has to double as your evening spot, close the laptop, put the papers away and turn the chair toward the window.
In a small space, a rug can be enough to mark out the corner. In a bedroom, an armchair near the bed or a few cushions to sit on comfortably will do the job.
Create comfort without piling up objects
A relaxation corner often comes down to four things:
- a seat you feel good in, with your back supported, without having to sit up straight;
- a throw or a cushion;
- a small surface to put down a book, a mug or a phone turned face down;
- a side lamp.
Everything else is optional. A few things you actually use are better than a corner loaded with decorations to dust. Keep a basket or box for what belongs here (the book you're reading, headphones, a throw) and store everything else elsewhere.
Light, noise and screens: cut down on distractions
Light
In the evening, an adjustable side lamp is often more pleasant than a ceiling light: it lights up your book or the area you need without flooding the room. During the day, the window does the work.
Noise
Thick curtains and a rug dampen the sounds of a room a little. If your home stays noisy, headphones or earplugs work better than any furnishing.
Screens
Your phone is the first obstacle to a real break. Leave it out of reach or on silent for the length of this moment.
Air, candles and plants
Airing the room regularly remains the most useful step for indoor air. Candles and incense, often associated with relaxation, give off pollutants (including benzene and fine particles): if you use them, do so occasionally and air the room for at least ten minutes after. As for plants, keep them for the pleasure they bring: a review of the available studies concludes that they don't clean the air in a home in any noticeable way, far less than airing the room does.
Keep this corner easy to use
A relaxation corner quickly loses its point if it becomes a storage space. If you have to move three things before you can sit down, you'll stop using it. Two minutes of tidying at the end of the day is enough to keep it ready.
Keep within reach what you actually do there: the book you're reading, headphones, a throw, perhaps a massage device you use regularly.
What can you do in this corner?
Whatever relaxes you, without a work screen: read a few pages, listen to music, do nothing for a few minutes, look out of the window, take a few slow breaths. If you use a massage device, this is the right place to keep it to hand; our guide how to choose a massage device helps you choose by body area, and Komua massage devices are all on one page.
What if you get home after a busy day?
The relaxation corner gives the break a place; it still needs a time. When you get home from work, a few simple steps help you move from the day to the evening: close the door on work, move a little, then settle down somewhere calm. That's the idea behind our after-work relaxation routine, whose last step can take place in this corner.
Adapt the space to your daily life
- With family: agree on a time when this corner is yours, or use headphones to shut yourself off a little.
- Depending on the season: a throw in winter, the window ajar in summer.
- When working from home: mark the difference between where you work and where you rest, even in a single room.
Nothing is set in stone: move the armchair, change the lamp, remove what you don't use. The right relaxation corner is the one you use.
