If 2020 taught us one thing, it was how important the spaces we inhabit are to our well-being. We’ve all spent a gargantuan amount of time surrounded by our own four walls, working, schooling, exercising, zoom calling and much more. Lots of us spent more time DIYing and spending money on home-related items, but aside from our spaces looking pretty, there many other factors that affect us, both physically and mentally.
Even as we slowly ease out of lockdown and (hopefully!) head for a more normal way of life, our homes should not be forgotten – after all they have kept us safe and cocooned from that invisible threat for so long. How we treat our spaces will continue to have an impact long after we can return to eating out, shopping trips and holidays.
The New Mindful Home is a guide for anyone who wants to not only have a stylish home, but one that supports their well-being – offering a calming environment in times of stress and room to inspire our minds when we want to create. The book is split into seven chapters – Creating a Sanctuary, Considered Living , Mindful Objects , Clean Living, Becoming Biophilic, Craft & Creativity and finally, Edited & Organised.
It covers everything from cruelty-free decorating and responsible consumerism to the role of rituals and meaningful decluttering. Each chapter is broken down into manageable chunks and it’s a book you can dip into and refer to sections when you feel their relevancy.
Joanna really has covered every possible element of creating a mindful home, with lots of practical tips and advice, as well as interior inspiration and creative ideas to try. The book doesn’t focus on a particular ‘style’ of interior – as this is not necessarily what is important when making your home a more nurturing space – but it focuses on the things we can do to ensure our surroundings are kinder to us and to the planet, too.
So, why you may ask, did I hint to this book having particular importance to me? Other than constantly striving for a clutter-free, calming home myself, this book was in fact one of my own lockdown freelance projects. I worked alongside Joanna and the editors at Laurence King Publishing as the picture editor – researching, sourcing and gathering all of the images within the pages. Like with the magazine, it is always a joy to see a project that you’ve worked long and hard on come together in print and it was truly a joy to be part of.
If you’d like to check it out, The New Mindful Home is available for pre-order now and will publish on 15th April. Look out for it at your local bookstores, or online.
The New Mindful Home by Joanna Thornhill, published by Laurence King Publishing, £14.99.
