15 Mindful Decorating Tips To Give Your Home More Zen Vibes

Cottage

Quaint is the vibe this traditional yet unpretentious style evokes. It dates back to 18th-century Germany where textiles were homespun and furniture was handmade. Get the look today with rustic wood floors, wood furniture with clean lines, and a neutral color palette. Keep curtains airy and minimal — cottage style is all about the interplay of light and texture — and lighting soft and abundant.

Maximalism

After years of living in stark shades of minimalism, maximalism is the outburst we needed in 2024. Here, art is free to take up a whole wall, bookshelves can overflow with trinkets and tchotchkes, and color is always the answer. The trick is to tie it all together with a through line — like the blues in the room above — and aim for a 50-50 space-to-stuff ratio.

Coastal

Grandmas aren't the only ones who get to live that coastal life. This timeless aesthetic is all about natural elements and muted neutrals, like sandy taupes, and grayish blues. Keep it light and airy with sheer curtains and an abundance of space, and even if “coastal” is only a state of mind, you’ll want to add a few borrowed-from-the-beach accents — think sea glass, driftwood, and dune grass.

Art Deco

Whether you throw parties like you’re Jay Gatsby or start your two-hour bedtime routine at 7:30, art deco can work for you. The glamorous style originated in 1910s France and fanned out across the globe in the ‘20s, peaking in the U.S. in the ‘30s shortly after Prohibition ended. It’s all about jewel tones, oversize statement pieces, and geometric light fixtures. Repetition is art deco’s MO: Repeat elements, such as one simple shape, a contrasting color, or similar patterns, throughout your room or home.

Minimalism

Tried-and-true minimalism isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. A successor of 20th-century Bauhaus, the pared-down style is a celebration of simplicity, not to mention one of the easier looks for mere mortals to achieve. While an open-concept space is minimalism’s calling card, you can invoke it with clean lines, plenty of lighting, and a few pieces of can’t-live-without decor. Pro tip for that clutter-free life: Invest in furniture that doubles as storage.

Eclectic

While “eclectic” may conjure up an anything-goes approach, the style is not as haphazard as it sounds. Yes, it allows you to pick and choose from multiple aesthetics, but there is a method to the madness: Use one style for your furniture and then mix in two to three complementary styles for your decor. Any more styles, and you’ll risk veering into hodgepodge territory — though we’ll never say never.

Scandinavian

Similar to minimalism but a bit warmer and earthier, Scandinavian style is a clean, simple look. It warms things up by working in organic elements like wood, rattan, and plants as well as muted colors (who among us can resist a mauve moment?), soft textures (chunky knits, where art thou?), and clean lines in hyper-functional furniture (Ikea did not come up with that all by itself).

Japandi

There's a lot to love about Japanese and Scandinavian design. Both aesthetics emphasize neutral and earthy colors, sustainable materials, and the great outdoors (plants, branches, and solids woods). Japandi design brings the two decor trends into one happy, harmonious place, influenced by the subtle differences in each design. There's the comfort and warm minimalism of the Scandi style combined with the elegance, attention to detail and wabi-sabi, or rustic simplicity (wabi) and beauty in imperfection (sabi), of the Japanese side.

Mid-Century Modern

A design born out of 1950s America, mid-century modern is a versatile style that feels both timeless and vintage. Its trademark look is furniture with strong clean lines paired with bronze metal accents, geometric shapes, and bright pops of color. Given mid-century modern’s popularity over the last decade, plenty of home stores sell convincing replicas, but flea markets, garage sales, and vintage stores are teeming with the real deal.

70s Modern

A bit more daring in its approach, 70s modern decor is mid-century modern’s younger, less conservative cousin. There’s a sense of playfulness with bean-bag-like sofas and globe-shaped lamps. Look for bold colors (earthy tones like olive green, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and chocolate brown), eclectic patterns (waves, globes and checkerboards), and materials like walnut wood, chrome, and shag carpeting. Modular furniture is also a hit with coziness and cool top of mind.

This Eagle Rock home designed by Kirsten Blazek of A 1000X Betteris a "Japandi-inspired haven," says builder Walreed Delawari. Japandi is a design aesthetic that combines Japanese and Scandinavian interiors, and is almost synonymous with quiet luxury. The reproduction of Mario Bellini's Camaleonda modular sofa is stunning and cozy at the same time -- perfect for reading a book or lounging with friends. Looking for a perfect white? Kirsten used Benjamin Moore Simple White (OC-117) around the home.

The A 1000X Better design features clean and minimal Japanese elements with a warm Scandinavian palette. The credenza is Crate and Barrel's Honore Oak Wood Media Console by Athena Calderone.

"The home is clad with wood and painted in dark green and earthy tones, giving a cozy yet quiet luxury vibe," says Walreed. Look for muted tones, unique textures, and soft design elements to achieve the ease and comfort of this design. The dining table is Crate and Barrel's Paradox in Natural Oak.

This curved black fluted island is the prominent feature of the kitchen, mixed with marble countertops and shelving for an elegant (yet so not boring) look.

Bringing in artwork, plants, and vintage rugs (with restraint) make the room feel lived in but clean and uncluttered.

Dream bathroom, anyone? Small vases and decor inside the shower create a comforting room to relax and unwind.

This Los Angeles home by Allprace Homes is a "soft interpretation of Catalan modernism, " says builder James Mulyadi. Designer Shanty Wijaya wanted to honor the home's original Spanish-style design. "Although this specific aesthetic tends to be busy, Shanty reduced the intensity of the design by creating softer moments and incorporated neutral color palettes throughout the home," adds James.

The Allprace team achieved a calm and soothing feeling, James notes, by keeping more eye-level design elements more muted and creating tension by using busier patterns and non-traditional elements on the ceiling and floor level, like this Bibiena Variegato Terracotta tile that we're currently obsessed with.

The custom barrel vault scalloped ceiling adds a unique dimension to the space while keeping it warm and cozy. The dreamy Six Penny Sofa and Lulu and Georgia Boucle Swivel Chair accentuates the cozy luxury of the space. The curvy coffee table comes from Restoration Hardware.

This Montecito home is "a soulful take on the modern farmhouse," says Tamara Kaye-Honey, founder, principal and creative director at House Of Honey. The family of five from the Bay Area wanted a home with a sophisticated vibe that was not too precious, yet filled with lots of personality and character, she adds.

"We take our design seriously," says Tamara, "but always with a wink and a smile." A doorway to the outside frames the homeowner's bold artwork.

"It is an eclectic curation of old and new, with décor tailored to personally reflect its owners," says Tamara. This office space is the perfect canvas for clearing your head. Quiet luxury inspires creative thinking too.

As a backdrop to the more decorative pieces, Tamara used calm, natural and understated materials like travertine, oakwood slats, blackened steel, and sandstone to achieve a quiet luxury aesthetic.

Art pieces by Jason Koharik, an LA-based artist, function as lighting too. These Salt cubes, a sand-blasted white milkglass cube in three sizes, are mounted to the ceiling over the huge Bianca Lasa marble island.

Tamara and team achieve a home design that she says is unassumingly sophisticated, modern, and rich with personality and humor.

"Timeless luxury" is how Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin describes this Los Angeles home. "The home has a dreamy pink and neutral color palette, which gives the entire space a calming and contemporary feel," she says.

Joelle and her cofounder Jesse Rudolph drew inspiration from a 2018 trip to Europe from Paris to Barcelona. Some key elements: checkered flooring, playful patterns, and unique shapes. This marble sink stands out in an otherwise minimal powder room.

We're totally getting European cottage vibes in the living room.

A Lulu & Georgia bed and Frank Gehry wiggle chair by Vitra show the mix of old and new in the inspiring space.

The mix of wood, marble, and checkered tile let the materials speak for themselves -- very little actual decor needed.

The tile in the living area is from Arto and speaks to the overall Spanish-style architecture. We love the look that feels quiet and timeless but also cozy and cool.

"Invest in pieces that will stand the test of time and be authentic to your style," says Hawaii-based designer Shaolin Low of Studio Shaolin. This neutral bath plays with pattern to create more visual interest.

Comfort is key in a quiet luxury design. "My definition of Quiet Luxury is based on a visual calmness within a neutral palette that lets your mind rest, your soul find some inner peace in a busy life, and envelop you in quiet moments," says Laura Freeman of Merits Design Group.

"The use of high-quality, enduring materials such as marble, brass, and natural woods that age gracefully over time," adds Shaolin.

What do you think of the quiet luxury trend? Find more home decor inspiration in our Home Decor page.

Main photo: Design: House of Honey | Photography by Victoria Pearson

Talking to Vanity Fair for her newest film Lee, Kate Winslet revealed one project she wishes fans asked about more is Iris. The 2001 film stars Kate as a young Iris Murdoch against Judi Dench's older counterpart. And for Kate, nothing was more terrifying than working with such a wonderful actress.

"People don’t really ask me about Iris. It’s such a delicate film," she says. "It was the first thing I had done after having my daughter. Going to work with a baby, I’m playing Iris Murdoch, looking to Judi Dench’s older Iris Murdoch — I was sh—ting myself."

Considering how nervous I get when I meet my heroes, I can only imagine what it was like to meet Dame Judi Dench. Talk about a dream! Another film Kate loves is Revolutionary Road, and not just because she got to reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio.

"The thing that people say is, 'You got to work with Leo again.' Then they go off on the whole Leo tangent, which I totally understand," she says of the film, which follows an ambitious couple who find themselves trapped in the reality of 1950s suburbia. "But Revolutionary Road — f—king hell, it just knocked us all sideways. Unbelievably difficult material. I was very proud of that film and what Leo and I were able to create as Frank and April. It was so brutal."

The process for getting Lee into the world sounds equally brutal, considering Kate started working on it over a decade ago. As producer, Kate tells Vanity Fair she doesn't mind the fact she's done more for the film than if she only had an acting credit. "That has felt very necessary for this film. But it’s also just really important to me," she says. "It’s important to me that people know that it’s out there and might feel compelled to go and see it."

Because it turns out, commercial success or stardom on its own doesn't actually help your movie get made! "It doesn’t matter who you are," she says. "No one’s going to go, 'Oh, I’ll just back that pony because she was in Titanic.' It doesn’t happen that way, and I never expected that. That’s really important to say."

"I've gotten older and I’ve learned more and felt more confident in myself about whether or not I could actually do it," she adds. "It’s not something I would’ve done had I not felt so passionately about the subject, and Lee was just—she wouldn’t let me go."