Four Ways To Create A Wellness Oasis In Any Space

From luxe spa setups to quiet reading corners, Sydney-based Interior Designer Mariah Burton reveals her top tips for building a tranquil home

The first few years of the 2020s have been undeniably turbulent. Unsurprisingly, people are increasingly turning their homes into tranquil sanctuaries, offering a peaceful retreat from the chaos of the outside world.

Tapping into this movement, Luxo Living - Australia’s largest boutique online furniture store – recently teamed up with interior designer Mariah Burton from Folk Studio to demonstrate how to build a wellness space at home.

“You don’t have to have a yoga studio or gym in your home to have a space dedicated to wellness, it just means you have a home that makes you feel calm and that you love spending time in,” says Folk Studio’s Mariah Burton.

Whether you're in a compact studio or a multi-room house, Mariah’s five fundamentals for building a tranquil home include: 1) A neutral base colour 2) A well-curated statement piece 3) Harmonious accent colours 4) Mixed textures and 5) A signature scent.

Here she shares her tips and tricks for incorporating these design elements across a range of different areas so you can create your own Zen Den at home no matter what kind of space you’re living in.

1. A WELLNESS ROOM

If you have the extra room for it, a dedicated wellness room complete with a sauna and ice bath can transform your living environment into a personal retreat and offer a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

“I have 2 or 3 current clients right now that are requesting to have a wellness space built into their homes” says Mariah. “It’s definitely becoming a bigger trend.”

Mariah’s Wellness Room Design Secrets:

• Section out your space in distinct zones for various activities. For example, one zone can be dedicated to hot-cold therapy, another area for storage and a seating area for meditation.
• Incorporate texture and scent through personal touches like woven baskets, robes, patterned towels, water carafes and candles.
• Decorate with soothing colours like soft greens and earth tones.
• Make the sauna your statement piece in which all the other design elements are built around.

“Saunas are already designed with calming aesthetics like timber and other woods, and clean lines or curves so play off this,” says Mariah. “So, I recommend only incorporating other natural materials like wood, stone and plants into your wellness space.

Mariah’s Zen Den Picks:

Taavi 2 Person Ceramic Infrared Home Sauna ($2,399)

Hugo 45cm Side Table (RRP $179)

2. LIVING ROOM

Most of us living in the city don’t have the space for a fully stocked wellness room, but that doesn’t mean the other areas in your home can’t contribute to an overall sense of calm. Namely, the living room, where everyone gathers can be the central point for evoking serenity in a home.  

Mariah’s Zen Living Room Design Secrets:

• Choose a neutral base colour of whites or soft earth tones that have a calming effect on the mind.
• Play with texture to create dimension by incorporating fabrics like velvet and satin in your sofas and armchairs.
• Opt for plants instead of busy artwork, but stick to 1-2 plants per room and make sure the pots are similar colour tones.
• Invest in a quality rug that has the right proportions to your sofa and coffee table by choosing your sofa first, your rug second and then your coffee table last.

“Rugs have a grounding effect on a space by anchoring a room and creating a sense of stability,” she says. “The texture of a rug is also soothing to touch and creates a multi-sensory experience.”

Mariah’s Zen Den Picks:

• Soraya 3-seater modular velvet sofa(RRP $1,479)

• Keila Single Seater Modular Tufted Velvet Sofa(RRP $379)

• Sallie Cashew Coffee Table with Pillar Legs - White(RRP $179)

• Huken Contemporary Art Floor Rug(RRP $79)

3. BEDROOM

The most personal, intimate space in the home – the bedroom – is the most important area to infuse with tranquillity.

“Because people feel like guests won’t see their bedroom, it’s often the room that is given the least attention, but it should really be your ultimate sanctuary.”

Mariah’s Bedroom Design Secrets:

• When sticking to a neutral palette in a Zen home, the focus shifts to forms and textures. In the bedroom this means choosing an upholstered statement headboard that will set the bed apart from the hard surfaces, like the wall it’s up against, to make the room feel warmer and more inviting
• Mixing surprising materials in the bedroom like soft bed linens and boucle with timber and concrete side tables and benches that would normally be seen outdoors
• Looking at what you wear every day to pinpoint what your accent colours are. If you wear a lot of one colour, then it likely brings you comfort so include that in your throw pillows and bedding
• Lastly, lighting in a bedroom can make or break the ambience and is a great way to accessorize without adding too much clutter.

“I like to bring two to three different types of lamps into a room to create a nice atmosphere – usually a table and a floor lamp,” says Mariah. “Overhead lighting is too harsh and stressful, which creates the opposite of a calming effect.”

Mariah’s Zen Den Picks:

• Palmira Boucle Upholstered Sleigh Bed Frame(RRP $529)

• Behnaz Round End Table(RRP $379)

• Lumen 200cm oval indoor/outdoor concrete dining bench seat(RRP $569)

• Debby rattan accent armchair with boucle cushion(RRP $259)

4. READING NOOK

If you are really limited in space, try to carve out a quiet corner just for yourself where you can relax, like a reading nook or meditation area.

Mariah’s Reading Nook Design Secrets:

• Invest in one plush occasional chair in a material like boucle that will feel like a warm hug
• Mix materials like a boucle chair with a timber or concrete side table to add subtle dimension
• Add a statement bookshelf and curate with some thoughtfully laid out creature comforts
• With limited space, adding a signature scent is a great way to contribute to a calm setting

 “I like to incorporate 3 different types of scents – a diffuser, a room spray and a candle – all that have the same signature smell that you can rotate through,” says Mariah. “I always get my clients to choose one signature scent for the home that doesn’t change. That way you have a smell that reminds you of home and instant serenity,” says Mariah.

Mariah’s Zen Den Picks:

• Kalie Swivel Boucle Accent Chair(RRP $429)

• Moonee Concrete Indoor/Outdoor Round Side Table(RRP $189)

• Eiresa 100cm Bookshelf with Cabinet(RRP $249)

• Una 180cm Seagrass Rug(RRP $169)

Shop Mariah Burton’s Luxo Living selects and the entire sauna and wellness range here