Finding a place to relax can be difficult, but creating a place to relax can leave you with a space tailored to your mood and personality, the perfect destress zone. An idea that likely stems from classroom “calm corners” for small children, rest corners (as Pinterest has labeled them) are trending.
There are plenty of names for these comfy spaces, including “peace corners” and “cozy corners.” They can be specialized to specific relaxing activities like reading, art, or displaying things that make you happy. To get started, all you need is an unoccupied corner. After that, a lot of the coziness can come from what is already in your space to create a temporary or permanent rest corner.
Why Create a Rest Corner
In classroom settings, calm corners are used to give children a place to step away from their peers and interact with, confront, or regulate their emotions on their own. These spaces may have books, toys, or signs that guide children through these moments along with rewards for working through those emotions like coloring pages or activities. Usually, this all exists in a calm and fun decorated space.
When you’re creating a rest corner for yourself, it may not need to be quite so functional, but the reasons are the same. You are creating a space that is quiet, visually and physically pleasing, and private where you can destress and be calm.
How to Create a Rest Corner
Every rest corner should start with comfort. Put blankets and pillows or a cozy chair in a corner you’ve selected, or build a temporary corner in your bed if it is pushed against a wall. Blanket forts make great rest corners that you can use for a couple hours or even days before taking them down.
If you plan to create a more permanent rest corner space, what Pinterest calls “your new hangout spot,” think about how you want to incorporate it into the room it will live in. Do you want to decorate it with your favorite colors and items or make it very neutral and simple to avoid making your mind too busy? When you add things, ask yourself “Is this a place I can be by myself comfortably?” and “Could I take a nap here?” to help guide your choices.
Some rest corners may be less about physical rest than mental rest. If this is the case, pick a function. What activity relaxes your mind and puts you at ease? Do you need a table, a bookshelf, an easel, or a yoga mat in this space? Fill in the space around the items you need.
Rest Corner Inspiration
Check out these calming and cute rest corner spaces!
