74 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • OCTOBER 2021
THE CALMING EFFECT
CREATING YOUR HOME’S “OM”
BY ARLENE GROSS
In these tumultuous times, your home
should be a peaceful respite from the
chaotic world — an oasis for calm, relaxation
and destressing.
When creating soothing spaces in a home,
Christine Conte, owner of Christine Conte
Interiors of Huntington, employs the concept
of biophilia, a bond between human beings
and nature that, when used in design,
can reduce stress and improve well-being.
“The premise is to replicate characteristics
of nature in our homes to trigger our
minds to enter that restorative state that
only nature provides,” explains Conte.
To achieve a relaxing space, start with the
clean slate of an empty room, she advises.
NATURAL HUES
Consider color palates that are represented
in nature, such as seashore
blues and creams or forest greens and
browns, advises Conte.
“For a relaxing space, consider using
tints and shades of these colors in your
paint selections,” says Conte. “Use fl at
fi nishes that absorb light and colors
of the same intensity throughout the
room to allow the mind to reset and
rest.”
To achieve an overall sense of envelopment,
paint the ceiling the same color
as the walls, Conte says.
“For added luxury, consider using
wallpaper in a natural material, such
as grasscloth, wood, or cork,” she adds.
WARM LIGHTING
To enhance relaxation, choose adjustable
levels of light, such as recessed
lighting on dimmers, suggests Conte.
“Use warmer temperature light bulbs
in lamps or consider investing in
color light-therapy bulbs,” she says.
“Blue light accelerates the relaxation
process and green light brings on
sleep faster.”
ORGANIC FABRICS
& TEXTURES
Select fabrics and fi nishes in colors
from your natural palate, advises Conte.
“Keep patterns to a minimum and stick
to either textural solids or those with
an organic motif,” she says.
For texture, opt for unfi nished woods or
ones that appear closest to their natural
state, with live edges, knots, and bark.
“Furniture pieces using stone, cerused
oak, rattan, and fossilized shell are very
popular now and are an easy way to add
natural texture to a room,” says Conte.
“Natural fabrics like linen and wool that
are textural and minimally processed
are soft to the touch and wonderful to
use in furniture selections, rugs, pillows
and throws as a layer of natural comfort.”
KEEP IT COZY AND
NATURAL
Warming up the room either through
radiant heated fl oors or adding a fi replace
feature can increase your room’s
coziness factor, Conte says.
Art is the final element to set your
natural stage.
“Consider large-scale photography of
nature or natural pieces themselves,
like grasses, shells, woven fabrics, and
wood that have been turned into art,”
Conte says.
RENOVATING VIA
BIOPHILIA
For a recent bathroom renovation,
Conte chose a soft blue and white color
palette echoing the room’s water views.
Porcelain slabs with gray marble veining
were used on the fl oor and shower
walls, notes Conte, adding that a custom
vanity and storage were craft ed in the
same color as the marble vein.
“The vanity is fi nished with a natural
quartzite top that references water and
crashing waves,” Conte says.
Coziness and warmth come from the
tub, which is made from a material
that always feels warm to the touch, a
wall-mounted fi replace, radiant heated
fl ooring, and a warming towel drawer.
“Recessed lighting and the tub chandelier
are on dimmer switches for a
relaxed setting when using the fi replace
and tub,” she says.
INSIDE JOB
Soothing
gray marble
veining echoes
porcelain
flflflfl ooring.
Light is on
dimmer for
relaxation in
Hues of blue the tub.
& white mimic
the outside water
view.
Photos by Nicole Larson.
Water
view-inspired
bathroom’s
natural design.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
