Sensory rooms are frequently found at therapy centers where children and adults with autism and other developmental or communication disorders receive support, but they are not just for those who have significant illnesses or disabilities.
In the age where to stop to smell the roses is just an expression, it seems like there is no room for slowing down. Living such a fast life can often accumulate stress that we’re not even aware of, though. Soon enough, we all look for places to escape. For some, that can be their garden, for others their bathroom, while for the rest that’s the therapist’s office. From that, we can conclude that each home needs a special room for relaxing and waking up your senses. A sensory room will be much more comfortable and useful, as well as relaxing.
What Exactly Is A Sensory Room?
A sensory room is a therapeutic space which focuses on waking up your senses. From sound to smell, all of your senses will be working together to bring you harmony through synesthesia. Sensory rooms can be used for both adults and children, especially if the children have problems with communication.
Of course, the primary goal of a sensory room is for it to be as comfortable as possible. This is why you should try to avoid common therapy room styles. You should feel at home, not like you’re at someone’s office, ready to be examined.
This comfort can make your sensory room into your safe space, and make the room perfect for teaching new mental skills and de-escalating troublesome behaviour. Whether you’re suffering from a specific mental condition or are just dealing with a surplus of stress, a sensory room could be of benefit.
Pick The Music
No sensory room is complete without some fine tunes in the background. As this is a place of relaxation and wonder, the music should match the mood. Therefore, you can introduce light and breezy tone to guide you on your way to relaxation. Sounds of nature have proven to be especially effective for getting you to a serene state of mind and bringing you closer to nature.
If you aim to improve mental skills and use your sensory room as a safe place, you may benefit from classical music most. It’s been proven that classical music has the most positive effects on the mind and enhances the learning process. You can even listen to different compositors depending on the type of mood you want to achieve. Regardless of what kind of music you opt for, invest in a quality surround sound system so that the whole room vibrates with positive energy.
Choose The Right Spot
The key to having the perfect sensory room at home is choosing the right space. Since your home is probably pretty strictly divided up into areas already, it won’t be easy finding an empty space to use. You should never incorporate the sensory room with the living or bedroom. It should be completely on its own, ready to accept you and shield you from the world outside.
One idea that works is to convert your garage into a sensory room. After all, you barely use the garage and you can easily find some other storage room for all the unnecessary stuff you keep there. Before you start decorating your garage and making it into a sensory room, make sure to upgrade the sound isolation. Regardless of how quiet your street is, there will be unwanted and distracting noise coming through the weak point of any garage: the garage door.
Replacing the garage door for a high-quality model will do your sensory room a lot of good. Consider asking companies like Active Garage Doors for advice, as no one will give you a better garage door recommendation than a professional.
Colours Have An Impact
The colour scheme you use can make or break the tone of your sensory room. The colour you choose is usually entirely up to you, but generally, sensory rooms include projectors which allow you to play with shapes and colours. This can have a very soothing effect on the brain, which is why it’s such a popular option. If you choose to add a projector to your sensory room, make sure to leave one white wall so as to have maximum opportunity for experimentation.
If you have a dark studio, you can make use of dark colours such as dark green or midnight blue. This way, you can easily introduce ultraviolet lighting and play with the interior even more. These colours are much more soothing than just black but provide the same effect. Another idea is to paint each wall in a different colour, thus inviting a different mood into the room depending on which wall you’re looking at.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is no reason not to introduce a sensory room to your home. Whether it’s for you or for the whole family, it’s bound to set you free from the shackles of modern life and offer a place you can truly call an oasis. Creating a sensory room may be hard work, but the end result will be worth all the time, money, and effort. You deserve to be transported out of this world every time you sit down in your sensory room and close your eyes.
About the author
Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home, design and lifestyle. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.
