5 Tips for Creating a Quiet Space in a Not-So-Quiet House

Ah, the sounds of home: feet pattering, little voices whispering, soft music… oh wait, those aren’t the sounds of my home at all. It’s more like: yelling from room to room, dogs barking, someone shouting way too loud at the latest game of Fortnite, doors slamming, and of course, “mom, mooooommmm”.  If you can relate, you live in a not-so-quiet house like me. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a quiet space for yourself and block out the noise. Here’s how…

• Have a designated “quiet room” in your home. Make it clear to everyone in the house that this area is quiet space and they can take their loud elsewhere. A friend of mine did this and I thought it was brilliant. Super helpful if your quiet space has a door, and is not off a main room in your house (a spare bedroom, YOUR bedroom, attic or basement spaces would work especially well for this). 

• Locate your “kid/playroom space” in the lower level of the house. Again, bonus points if this room has a door. (And obviously we’re talking about a room for older kids who can play by themselves) Make it an inviting + fun space for them!

• When it’s warm, use your outdoor spaces. This one I miss right now, because 2 feet of snow- but one of the things we did during the 2020 quarantine was to get some nice comfy furniture for our 3 season porch. I lived out there from March-October and it was glorious.

• If you have littles at home, I know this is harder to do. So take full advantage of the naturally quiet times of the day. You know, the obvious ones, like nap time, bedtime. You might not yet have the luxury of sending the kids to the playroom while you unwind with a book, but you CAN take advantage of the times where the house is quiet by default due to the daily schedule. A helpful trick for this is to have a space set aside and ready for you (like a bedroom space, spare bedroom or even just a comfy chair in the corner of your living room). Keep your journal, your book or whatever you like to do to unwind at the ready in this spot so all you have to do is sit down and relax.

• And when all else fails? noise canceling headphones are your BFF. Best purchase ever.

Still need some help creating a quiet space in your home? Check out our Design Power Sessions for some one-on-one help!