How To Create A Peaceful Home

Deep in the heart of a woman is this desire to create a peaceful home or space. When you return from a trip or even from running errands, walking into a peaceful home is so refreshing, right?! But life happens… we get busy, kids are messy, and the home is the easiest to neglect in times of stress.

Below you’ll find 5 simple steps to creating a peaceful home in a life of busyness and messiness. There isn’t a “cure all” for homes absent of peace. Instead, there are intentional things you can do as the woman of the house to create a calm home.

Before we dive in, let’s first look at what peace means:

Peace noun:
a state of tranquility (a freedom from agitation of the mind and/or body)
a state of order or safety within a community

Both of those definitions are so powerful! Creating a peaceful home does not mean a home where everything is perfect. Instead, intentionally making your home a space of order, tranquility, and safety for you and your family. How does one do that? Let’s check out a few things that will start you on the right path.

1. Everything has a place

When I got married, I discovered I had married a major purger. The mindset was, “if it doesn’t have a place, we must not need it.” At first this created friction and stress (mostly because I’m sentimental), but eventually everything in our house had a place and I had no idea how relieving that would be.

So, what does this look like practically? Ask yourself, “at the end of the day, could I go through the whole house and find a designated spot for the things that are not put away?” Having a specific place for everything from toys to extra batteries provides a sense of order and purpose within your home.

If everything in your house does not have a designated place, clutter creeps in. Clutter is not a friend of peace, trust me! Now, that doesn’t mean your house always has to be spotless in order to have peace. You can let your kids play with their toys and make messes. The point is that, at the end of the day, those toys have a place they belong and that place is not in the middle of the floor.

Intentionally finding a place for everything in your home provides the opportunity to reclaim order and eliminate continuous clutter and messiness.

Steps to find a place for everything:

Idenitfy the items in your home that do not have a place they belong
Ask, “do I need this in my home?” If your answer is yes ask, “where can I create a space for it to belong?”
Get rid of things that you would consider clutter
Use baskets for cute storage -> here is a set of my favorite baskets!
Create a routine of putting things away (daily, weekly, monthly) that gives you a sense of order

fall decor pumpkins pinecones and a hello fall sign

2. Invite nature inside

You know the feeling you get when you walk outside on a beautiful day and you let out a big sigh of relief because there is a sense of peace in the air? You can invite that feeling to live inside your home!

If you are looking at this and thinking, “I am not a plant lady!” that’s ok. Inviting nature inside can look like a number of things.

Having nature in your home gives you the opportunity to be reminded of God as the creator. When you are reminded of God’s control and creativity you are inviting peace to come rest in your home.

I am not saying you should live in a jungle, but a few house plants can’t hurt! Find empty spaces in your home and fill them with things from outside that remind you of the Lord.

Here are some different ways you might incorporate nature into your home:

indoor plants – snake plants, ivy, peace lily, and orchids are very durable plants!
place a bouquet of fresh flowers in a prominent place
decorate for the holidays with things found right outside your door (pinecones, twigs, greenery, etc.)
keep a small vase out for you or your kids to fill with flowers they find outside
Invite natural light through the windows

3. Eliminate toxins

There are many definitions of toxins and we all draw the line in different places. However, you as the keeper of your home have control over what comes into your home. We have a rule in our house, “if you can’t eat it, it shouldn’t go on your skin”. That might sound a little crazy but our skin is our biggest organ. What goes on our skin gets absorbed by the body. Similarly, what goes into our house gets absorbed by the people living in it.

If we intentionally allow toxic things into our home, we are no longer inviting a peaceful atmosphere.

What are toxins? I would describe toxins as unnatural substances that disrupt the body.

A few things I would classify as peace inhibitors:

Processed food
EMF’s
Artificial fragrance
Harsh cleaning chemicals

Initially, these things can be tough to replace. My home is still not completely free of some of these things but we’re work on it! Cleaning products is probably the toughest area to work on because we want stuff that actually cleans. Here are some of my favorite cleaning product companies:

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DIY NON TOXIC HAND SOAP RECIPE!

If you look around your home and get overwhelmed by the amount of processed food, harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances. Don’t lose heart. Check out these 4 truths for when you are overwhelmed. Don’t beat yourself up, just take it one thing at a time! Creating a peaceful home doesn’t happen overnight.

Steps to create a toxin free home:

Replace candles with diffusers and naturally scented candles
Pick one processed food item in your pantry that you could learn how to make from scratch
Turn the wifi off when you go to bed
Replace harsh chemicals with natural cleaners (see list above for brand recommendations)
Open your windows and let it fresh air, plus natural light from the sun

4. Decorate with purpose

Similar to step one, be intentional with the decor you place in your home. Do you actually like the color? Does the decor match the intention of the room? Those are great questions to begin with. Creating a peaceful home takes thoughtfulness.

I never really liked decorating, I appreciate nicely decorated rooms but I’m not the creative type. However, when I had my own home with empty walls, I learned the value of being purposeful with everything that happened to those walls. The color they were painted, the pictures hung on them, the furniture placement, all created a mood for the space.

Now, I am not advocating for an entire home renovation, but there are small things you can do to change up a space. Additionally, some people think a peaceful space means everything must be neutral! I would argue that the decor should match the use of the space. If you are decorating a study, neutrals seem fitting. If you are decorating a playroom, playful colors might be more fitting. Decorating a space in a way that reflects its purpose will set moods and tones for your home.

For example, if your study is decorated with neutrals and muted tones with all natural light, people might feel more calm and quiet in that space. In contrast, if your playroom has bolder colors people might interpret that room as a safe space to be a little more playful and bubbly.

You create a calm environment through decor by making intentional space for different activities.

Steps to decorate intentionally:

Identify the mood desired for each room and living space in your house
Ask yourself if that room reflects the mood desired
Search for rooms online with a similar mood to get inspiration
Don’t be afraid to leave empty space – less is more

5. Invite Jesus into your home

This final step by seem a little more abstract but hear me out. Our home is the place we have been given by Jesus to take care of. Is your home a place you would invite Jesus into? I’m not referring to how clean and orderly your house is. Rather, is the environment you cultivate in your home one that you would invite Jesus into?

I have little scriptures on post cards, chalk boards, and sticky notes throughout my house as reminders to cling to Jesus each day. That definitely does not mean I always respond like I should but the point is, you get to decide the influences you fill your home with.

Inviting Jesus into your home can look like many different things. I have a friend that prayer walked around their home and asked Jesus to send angels to protect their home. There are others who fill their home with scriptures. Additionally, I know people that regularly ask God to use their home as a place of hospitality where people feel his presence.

Ultimately, Jesus is the giver of peace, so it just makes sense to invite the peace giver into your home.

Steps to invite Jesus into your home:

Incorporate scripture into your daily life
Play God-honoring music in your home
Pray for your home and those in it
Read scripture aloud in your home

There is no “one size fits all” way to create a peaceful home environment but I hope at least one of these steps sparked your interest! You have great power over the atmosphere of your home. Don’t take that as a heavy weight, but rather an empowering truth. You hold the power to make change for the better!

Proverbs provides us with a charge and encouragement as the keeper’s of our home:

“When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.”
Proverbs 31:21-22

Take a moment to remember that the most important thing you can do today is love your people and give them a healthy environment. Pick one of the top recommendations to implement today.

Let me know in the comments below how you have created a more peaceful home!

Don’t forget to check out other recent posts in the HOME category