a retreat by placing pottery and fragrant herbs to create your surroundings. Finish with comfortable, deep-cushioned seating and a table.
Personal space
Be selfish, this is a place to read, eat, sleep, bathe or shower. Make it personal.
Protection from the elements
Know your garden space well by watching how the sun plays in it – note the warmth of the morning sun or a cool shady spot from the heat of the sun. Position your space very purposefully. If your favorite spot needs shade from hot sun, consider a pergola that will filter the light and cool the air. You can create spaces to use year-round by adding a garden shed that can be heated and gives protection from rain and snow. Or re-style a greenhouse once used for nurturing plants into a living space to nurture your soul.
Sound
Outside noise influences our ability to relax and many times in a garden it is sound we cannot control, like a noisy street or neighborhood. You may need to add desirable sounds: water bubbling from a pottery fountain or the splash of a waterfall to help drown out unwelcome noise. Plants can also be strategically placed, such as bamboo and tall ornamental grasses, to catch wind and rustle organic sounds through a space. Use plant varieties to encourage birds to nest and shelter, to add their vocalization as background noise.
The Importance of Texture
Much has been said about the sense of smell, sight and sound, but the sense of touch brings heightened awareness as well. Soothing massage, water against skin in a bath, the feel of hot or cold temperature; the tingle of skin by application of the spa treatments, everything done by touch. This shows another element to be mindful of in a sanctuary space: the texture and feel of plants, fabrics and furniture.
In a garden, plants with plush leaves like lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina), the quilted leaves of hosta, and soft ornamental grasses add texture. The bark of trees with peeling layers, like paperbark maple (Acer griseum), or the soft, smooth sheen of Tibetan flowering cherry (Prunus serrula) are visual texture in mixed plantings. Consider adding touchable flowers and seed heads, like ornamental Alliums, the downy, soft flowers of Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and the silky fragrant petals of gardenia.
Fabrics against skin quicken the sense of touch, but there is a remembrance of how it will feel just by the sight of the texture.
It is not hard for many of us to imagine an early experience of raw, scratchy wool on freshly showered skin. Fabric from linens, towels, robes, pillows and furniture covers needs to feel comforting, embracing. For fabrics that touch skin after a treatment, choose textures of natural, soft cotton, and the smoothness of silk.
If you have the luxury to create a dedicated, private spa space and are able to select the material for construction, give careful thought to the texture of floors and walls. The closer to a natural material such as bamboo or smooth wood, the more comforting the texture and feel of the space.
■ INSIDE YOUR HOME: THE SPA SURROUNDINGS ■
You know the moment you walk through the door of a resort spa. You feel indulged. Natural wood, greenery and earthen tones surround you. The fragrance of fresh herbs lingers in the air. You are handed a fluffy, cotton robe to change in to. The music, the lights, the fragrance, all capture your senses. The atmosphere is intentional and carefully designed to envelope and prepare you for the rest of the treatment. The environment is really a part of the healing. It begins to lower your blood pressure and blot out the stress of the day.
Find your space
Go ahead, steal ideas from luxurious destination spas and recreate the experience at home. Most of us do not have the extravagance of space to set aside as the spa room, so get creative and find ways to make space. Choose a relaxing area where you can feel separate from the usual activity of the home. The bathroom is typically the chosen space because of the access to water and a tub, plus a door that locks! Keep a basket of spa essentials ready for those times you choose to make the everyday bathroom into your own private spa destination. If there is another room inside that is more relaxing, then use it. Not all spa treatments need a tub.
CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE
Lighting
Lighting that can be adjusted from bright to dim is helpful. Add a lamp that uses a 3-way bulb or replace the regular light switch in the room with a dimmer switch. Bright light is needed for scrubs and treatments. But you’ll want to dim the lights or use candles when using relaxation soaks, steams or massage.
Sound
Soft music or the sounds of birds and nature are good for relaxation during soaking times. Create a playlist that is used just for spa time. Music is a memory trigger and targeting the right kind of music or sounds to your spa time will encourage calm and relaxation. Or, if you’re in a playful mood, step up the music beat to go with invigorating scrubs or foot treatments. Nature sounds take away the artificial buzz that music can be; the sound of waves crashing on the beach, birds and even the gentle drum of rain clears your mind. You can design the mood with sound.
Color
Color is an important mood maker. Greens and natural earth tones hues are the most relaxing. No need to paint all the walls with color in an existing space, but introduce calming, cool colors with pillows, linens and towels.
Color in a Sanctuary Space
Inside the home or out in the garden, what the eyes sees affects emotion. Color is an important part of setting a mood. A few general guidelines:
■ Warm colors – like reds, oranges and yellows – are for spaces with activity. They are the colors of fire and heat, and tend to make a space feel degrees warmer than it actually is. For a more relaxing experience, avoid true reds, which are known to increase blood pressure and heart rate. It is much more soothing to bring in paler pinks and peach – warm colors, but not so strong.
■ Cool colors, like shades of blue, calm and lower blood pressure.
■ Hues of green make a space feel degrees cooler.
■ Jewel tone colors, like deep violets and burgundy, add a luxurious appeal.
■ If your space has strong, stark colors, bring in some grey, white or black accents to help blend and play down the dominant tones.
■ Neutral colors on walls and floors provide a backdrop for light to bounce off, and invite experimenting with brighter-hued accessories.
■ The presence of natural wood, whether in garden fixtures, furniture or floors, suggests calm, whereas painted wood will create a different mood, according to the color you use.
No need to be boring or overwhelming. Well thought out touches of color, outdoors and indoors, like garden pottery, furniture coverings and toss pillows on the bed might just be the simple change you need to enhance your surroundings. You’ll know when you’ve achieved