5 of the Most Inspiring At-Home Sacred Spaces

Self-care has really caught on recently—probably because we’re all so over-stimulated in this world. It’s hard to walk down a street without being marketed to in some capacity, and forget about the 24/7 access to EVERYTHING that smartphones provide. Definitely part of the problem over here, but lately I’ve been searching for a solution for all that noise. If you’re craving time for yourself, a place to truly unplug may be half of the equation.

While the bathroom used to be the only real “me time” room in the home, people are increasingly setting up their own sacred spaces at home. Whether it’s a spare room dedicated to mediation or a tiny corner where you can just sit back and disconnect, the end goal—chill vibes—is totally the same. Here are some inspiring examples of how people are getting their sacred space on at home with the hopes that you might find a little zen for yourself, too. I know I could use it.

You don’t have to be a yogi to want to spend some time in Namastshay’s at home “studio.” She was feeling like her blah living room was bringing her down in her life and her practice—and was gravitating toward her couch while she was in there. So she made a mood board, literally sectioned off a corner of the space with pink paint and a pretty patterned room divider, and brought in a light cushy shag rug to further anchor the area. Add a bin of yoga gear, plants, and a letter board, and now she now has a place to stretch and flow in the morning—right by her desk. This would also make a fab spot for curling up with a book.

Susan Chen, CEO of Soozy’s, is lucky enough to have a whole room to dedicate to mindfulness in her Austin apartment, complete with several seats for fellow practitioners. But anyone can cop her style on a smaller scale. The whole design scheme, envisioned by designer Jaime Walters, started with a bright, primary colored piece of art Chen found during her travels. Walters pulled out that grounding navy (from the dots) and used it for the rug, which happens to be the same color as the meditation chairs. The rest of the room’s pretty much all-white contents seem to just float because of this, which is apropos considering the intention of the space. Plus, you gotta love navy as a far more modern and softer alternative to black.

Don’t have an entire room to devote to yourself? Totally fine. This cozy nook proves all you really need is a corner and some cushy floor pillows, like this pink option from Urban Outfitters. Bonus points if you set up shop near a window—natural light is a great energizer, after all.

If all of what we’ve seen so far—candles, yoga mats, crystals, meditation— is feeling a little too woo-woo for you, think of a way to indulge or play up another one of your hobbies in your sacred space. Though it’s pretty bare bones, this music altar, which consists of a pretty rug, a couple of guitars, plants and speakers, would definitely be a great place to jam and just think creatively.

I absolutely love the ingenuity of using a mirror as the backdrop of a nook. Look for something vintage like this example or even a model made out of light or natural driftwood. Faking an architectural feature, in this case the mirror’s frame substituting for molding and a piece of plywood as a ledge, helps to define a space that really isn’t a space, but just a little bit of floor and wall. It totally works, right?