Creating a quiet, peaceful sanctuary within your home can provide a much-needed respite and allow you to relax, rejuvenate and focus on your well-being. However, unwanted noise is often an overlooked issue, especially with our busy, modern lifestyles. The impact of sound on our physical health, hormones, heart rate and brain waves is significant yet frequently goes unnoticed.
A quiet sanctuary is a personalised space that helps you find your quiet; ideally to cultivate a place of tranquillity where you can escape noise pollution. It could be a cosy place to read, a spa-like bathroom retreat, or nook in your living room where you can sit and watch the world go by undisturbed.
Here are 7 expert home décor tips from Quiet Mark that embrace sound reduction and wellbeing improvements to help transform your living space into a quiet, serene oasis so you can enjoy the peace and quiet you deserve
Internorm HF 510 Timber-Aluminium Triple Glazed Window
Every quiet santuary, starts with a quiet space.
Selecting a place within your home to be your 'quiet space' can make all the difference - especially if you've got a busy home or lead a busy life. Keep your quiet space clutter free to maintain a peaceful environment. According to Psychology Today, neuroscience research has found that too much clutter reduces productivity.
It's essential to incorporate as much natural light as possible to create a calming and productive space. Healthline recommends opening your window blinds as soon as you wake up in the morning to let the sunshine in, which can help boost your intake of Vitamin D. Opt for double or triple glazed windows to muffle sounds from outside and create a calming and quiet space. Internorm HF 510 Timber-Aluminium Triple Glazed Windows are engineered with triple glazing and triple gaskets as standard. Combining all the benefits of these carefully engineered premium products means that Internorm Timber-Aluminium Quiet Mark certified windows can achieve up to 47dB sound reduction, thereby reducing traffic noise and other outside distractions and improving your focus and wellbeing.
BuzziSpace BuzziJet Acoustic Pendant Lighting
According to The Simplicity Habit, "the way you illuminate your space can have a huge impact on how it feels". Warm white light for example, contains more orange, red and yellow tones, which creates a more cosy setting. Furthermore, studies have shown that light and room acoustics have an undeniable impact on productivity, human interaction and well-being.
BuzziSpace have developed a wide range of stylish, modern pendant lights, floor lamps and chandeliers, where light, acoustics and aesthetics work in harmony. The BuzziSpace BuzziJet Acoustic Pendant Lighting for example, with its geometric design, creates a sense of serenity. Its aerodynamic design offers sound-absorbing capabilities, delivering acoustic comfort paired with a powerful light source that emits warm, pleasant light.
Miele PUR 68 W Chimney Cooker Hood
The kitchen truly is the heart of the home! That's because it's the place where you prepare the food that will nourish the people you love most. The kitchen is also a social hub for the family and a place where we juggle work, parenting and other responsibilities. It is therefore important to create both a calming and quiet environment to help escape from the stresses of everyday life.
The Quiet Mark National Noise Report found 82% of Brits would like to make their home quieter. In support of this, Quiet Mark certified kitchen appliances are the quietest in their categories and will help make your kitchen quieter. From small domestic appliances like the Siemens Bean to Cup Coffee Machine to larger appliances like the Miele PUR 68 W Chimney Cooker Hood and the Bosch Series 6 8kg Condenser Tumble Dryer, you can find further inspiration in our Quiet Kitchen section.
GROHE Solido flushing system for wall hung WC
Transform your bathroom into a space that leaves you feeling both pampered and relaxed. Re-create a spa-like environment with soothing sounds, minimal clutter and calming elements such as plants, candles and your favourite book.
According to Spa Executive, sound has a profound effect on your spa and wellness experience. Nature sounds such as birdsong for example, can help improve health, lower stress and boost your mood. Upgrading some fixtures can help minimise noise. Look for products that are Quiet Mark certified, such as the GROHE Solido flushing system for wall hung WC, Triton Showers Thermostatic Power Shower and Airflow QuietAir Extractor Fan.
Silent Gliss Motorised Roller Blind Systems
The Sleep Charity suggests most people generally need a quiet bedroom to sleep well, with noise tending to be most disruptive in the lighter stages of sleep but most damaging when it wakes us up from our deepest sleep. While according to the Sleep Foundation, light is "the most important external factor affecting sleep". Dark light naturally gives our body the cue that it's time to go to sleep and directly affects our circadian rhythm. Darkness prompts the production of melatonin, an essential sleep-promoting hormone, so the ability to completely black-out your bedroom would be ideal.
Quiet Mark certified Silent Gliss motorised roller blinds, allow you to shade your room from translucent to blackout by choosing from their wide fabric selection. The blinds systems feature virtually silent operation, programmable intermediate stops and a built-in safety stop if the movement is interrupted.
BuzziSpace BuzziSpark Soft Lounge Sofa with Acoustic Shelter
Furniture plays a big role in how we feel about our home, how we move within it and how it sounds.
BuzziSpace offer a number of acoustic pouffes and chairs, made of upholstered foam and fabric to absorb sound and decrease echo and reverberation - all while adding a modern touch. The BuzziSpace BuzziSpark for example, invites you to relax into the comfort of an acoustic shelter. Its different layers of cushions and the thickness of the shields of this upholstered lounge seating, increase the absorbing properties. The entire cocoon soaks up sound waves, which results in more internal privacy and less background noise from the outside world.
Coway Airmega 150 Air Purifier
To fully relax at home, it's important to address our indoor air quality, which is, according to Allergy UK, "crucial for human health". It is estimated that there are 41 million allergy sufferers in the UK, so improving the air we breathe at home needs to be on the top of our list when creating a "Quiet Sanctuary".
Defra suggests there are many practical ways in which we can help improve our indoor air quality. This includes using "specialised equipment for filtration and purification". The Quiet Mark certified Coway Airmega 150 for example, is a compact air purifier that covers a room size of up to 73m² with CADR of 281m³/h. It provides protection against possible harmful particles. The filtration system is made of a washable pre-filter, activated carbon filter and GreenHEPA filter. It removes up to 99.999% of nano sized particles down to 0.01 micron including allergens, bacteria, dust, pollen, virus, pet hair, bad smell, formaldehyde and VOCs. inactivates the captured particles for dual protection.
BuzziSpace BuzziPlanter Biophilic Office Divider
Studies have shown houseplants to be good for our health and our psyche, so bringing nature into your home can help boost your happiness, creativity and focus. According to world-renowned tidying expert, Marie Kondo, plants don't only brighten up spaces, but they also improve our mood and productivity. The Quiet Mark certified BuzziSpace BuzziPlanter adds an extra feature to that list. The upholstered colourful pot, made from high-density foam, has the acoustic superpower to absorb excessive noise in open spaces, creating healthier environments for people to thrive. BuzziPlanter divides open spaces into luscious green micro-environments, creating calm and peaceful areas to work, gather and relax. Thanks to a wide variety of colours BuzziPlanter easily fits into any décor, adding a dash of fun and reducing unwanted noise.
For a low-maintenance option, consider biophilic wall murals or fun wallpaper prints. BuzziSpace BuzziMood Biophilic Acoustic Panels for example, have a lush, botanical appearance, which promotes a more relaxed and calm atmosphere, whilst BuzziSkin Printed Felt Acoustic Wallpaper brightens up corners and nooks with a pinch of creativity.
“Even having natural wood furniture in your home partnered with green accessories or wall paint can bring that outdoor feeling inside”, says interior designer Rebecca West. Quiet Mark certified WoodUpp Akupanel is an acoustic wooden slat wall panel which invites the beauty and calming essence of nature into homes and workplaces. Creating a new era of design, WoodUpp use sustainable materials to produce their products.
