Slow Living: Create a relaxing haven with organic textures, reflective surfaces and nature-inspired hues
Sinking into your leather armchair, you trace the butter-soft texture with your fingertips before leaning back onto the freshly-fluffed linen cushions. Sliding your hand over the silver nailhead trim, you smile as your eye catches the chrome switches and sockets on the wall opposite, reflecting the warm earthy tones of your living room on their shiny surfaces.
Feeling blissfully relaxed, you gaze around. Dulux’s 2023 Colour of the Year, Wild Wonder, is the perfect neutral shade, and paired with your luscious green plants, it reminds you of tranquil walks. Hints of chrome shimmer like your favourite lake in the summer, where the white swans glide elegantly across the still water.
Neutrals are the perfect backdrop to slow living
Described as a ‘glowing and uplifting tone,’ Dulux’s Wild Wonder was curated to connect us with nature, bringing a sense of the fresh outdoors into our homes. Reminiscent of majestic cornfields, the warm honey-based hue puts a new twist on neutral decor, creating a calm and comfortable space to relax, slow down and unwind.
Along with Wild Wonder, Dulux has released four complementary colour palettes – Lush, Buzz, Raw and Flow – that explore the different ways nature inspires us, from the waves lapping on the shore to quiet walks through untouched forests.
Creating a slow living space boosts our wellbeing
Rooted in the idea that a slower pace of life brings increased feelings of happiness, slow living design encourages us to strengthen our connection to nature by using organic textures and embracing natural light to help us slow down. There’s nothing quite like a late-afternoon stroll to clear your mind – the fresh air filling your lungs as the sound of birdsong echoes in the distance – and recreate that same feeling of relaxation at home.
Materials such as wood, stone, leather and cotton promote a sense of wellbeing and homeliness. Reflective surfaces like mirrors and polished chrome emphasise natural light, helping to bounce it around darker spaces. These elements, combined with nature-inspired tones and accents create the perfect place to focus on yourself.
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Which switches and sockets?
You’ve set your heart on creating a slow living space in your home. You’ve planned your tonal colour palette, selected accessories in natural materials and pinned a few large faux plants to channel the biophilic magic. But what about your switches and sockets – the current white ones don’t cut it…
Rethink chrome! Our new range of chrome switches and sockets is the perfect pairing with nature-inspired hues and delicate flora. Like a meditative reflection pool, their polished surface accentuates natural light, adding another dimension to biophilic design.
Ready to embrace slow living?
Slow living is all about slowing the pace and taking time to enjoy the small things, whether that’s completing your daily rituals or pausing to appreciate the tactile grain of a wooden wardrobe handle. Below are a few key things to consider when creating a slow living space:
- Does your colour scheme make you feel calm?
- Can you add touches of nature throughout your décor?
- Can you declutter to create more space?
- Can you make more of your natural light through reflective surfaces?
- Could everyday touchpoints like your switches and sockets be positioned more conveniently?
Show us yours
We’d love to see how you’re using nature throughout your homes. Just tag us @dowsingandreynolds on Instagram – we can’t wait to have a nosey around.
