Creating a Spa-Like Experience at Home

Sure, it’s nice to foot the bill for a fancy spa from time-to-time, but for those in-between times there are ways to bring that elegant self-loving feeling to your home. For those days when you’re staying in and taking a day off from work, what better way to relax than in your very own spa. It doesn’t take much to create the ambiance that will surely put your mind and body at ease while giving the feel that you’re a million miles away in bliss town.

Here are JCL Staging & Design’s tips for creating your at-home self-indulgence, spa oasis.

Photo: @lyla_osterberg1493

What’s the first thing you notice when you walk into a spa? For many, it’s the smell. The scent is awakened and sends signals to our brains to relax and let go. So, choose a candle, incense, an essential oil for your diffuser, or an oil you can use on your skin that will send you into instant ecstasy. Lavender is calming and nurturing for the soul. Vanilla is warming and comforting. Peppermint and eucalyptus are awakening and offer clarity and a cleansing feeling, as well as lemon. So, choose what works best for you and the experience you desire.

Photo: Chelsea Shapouri

Dress the part of a spa experience. Choose clothing that is loose fitting and fabric that feels good against the skin. A silk robe, soft fluffy slippers, or a beautiful silk or cotton head wrap. Remember that you are the goddess and god at the center of this “me time,” so treat yourself like the royalty you are. This could also pertain to the products you use like a soothing, creamy lotion that you massage into your skin after a bath or shower. Mindfully take the time to love yourself while adorning your body with the body butter of your choice and allow that feeling to take you away…

Photo: @lilnansour

Whether you close the shades and do your spa treatment by candlelight or you choose a colored lightbulb to quickly give a spa-esque improvement to a room you’re typically in on a day-to-day basis, lighting matters and is deeply tied into our senses and feelings. Imagine the difference between soaking in a bath with the regular bathroom light on as opposed to candlelight. When you open your eyes after a good soak, being greeted by a sensuous dimly lit room will elongate your spa experience instead of jolting you right back into reality.

Photo: HomeWithHoliday.com

Nothing speaks presence like the beauty of a flower. So, gift yourself a bouquet of your choice in preparation of your at-home spa experience. Simply looking at a sunflower or a beautiful rose can send endorphins to the brain to uplift your mind, body and spirit. You could even take the petals off, give them a quick rinse with cold water, and then add them to your bath for an extra boost of divine smelling goodness to truly let yourself go and break free.