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(CNN) What does home mean to you? For some, a welcoming home may require the smell of freshly baked cookies. For others, it could mean having family members around. Whatever it is, we'd recommend also thinking about the environment your home creates. By making a few tweaks to your daily routine, home experts say your home can be transformed into an oasis.
For top-notch advice on creating a relaxing haven of a home, we talked to two home experts — Parachute CEO and founder Ariel Kaye and best-selling author and organization guru Marie Kondo. After dedicating their lives to home improvement, these two have this down to a science.
Kaye's company, Parachute, specializes in all things cozy, including luxury linens, bathrobes and more. Kondo is the founder of KonMari and wrote two New York Times best-sellers: "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" and "Spark Joy." Both books have gained enormous popularity and are definitely worth a read.
Despite working in different sectors of the home industry, Kaye and Kondo are both well-versed in the art of creating a spa-like, low-stress living space. Keep scrolling to read (and shop!) their pro tips on how to live better at home.
Based on Parachute's giant line of luxury linens, Kaye is clearly a fan of owning quality bedding. She says, however, that it's also super important to make your bed before leaving the house: "I never leave the house without making my bed in the morning. It's proven to make you happier and gives a sense of accomplishment. Plus, there is something about getting into a well-made bed at night that is infinitely more comfortable."
We couldn't agree more. Here are our favorite sets of bedding to help transform your sleeping quarters into a serene retreat.
1. Boll & Branch solid hemmed sheet set, starting at $200, bollandbranch.com; 2. Parachute Home linen Venice set, starting at $419, parachutehome.com; 3. Brooklinen Luxe Hardcore sheet bundle, $243, brooklinen.com.
When our homes becomes cluttered, we often become stressed. Now, I'm no mathematician, but the cause and effect equation here seems pretty straightforward:
Disorganization + chaos in the home + a stressed homeowner = zero peace.
This problem of clutter, says Kondo, is much more easily solved when everything in the home has its own assigned place for storing. "Handle the items you use every day with care and return them to their designated places. Don't forget to thank these items for serving you each day!" she says.
To ensure your home has enough storage space, we'd recommend investing in extra storage pieces. These can hold everything from your books to the kids' toys and spice jars in the kitchen.
1. The Rivet Meeks round storage basket side table, $39.35, originally $119, amazon.com; 2. Oeuf toy store, $498, amazon.com; 3. Copper honeycomb six-jar spice storage rack, $9.99, worldmarket.com.
"The quickest way to transition from office mode to relaxation mode is to remove the day's work clothes and get comfortable," Kondo says. Recently, we've come across brands making loungewear that's as attractive as it is fashionable. We're talking plush bathrobes, satin pajamas, comfy bralette and underwear sets, and more. Here are some of the best options to shop now:
1. Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight short pajamas $55, nordstrom.com; 2. Parachute Home classic robe, $99, parachutehome.com; 3. Waffle slippers, $29, parachutehome.com; Chelsea28 Ella pajamas, $59, nordstrom.com.
There are major benefits to making self care a habit, whatever it is you enjoy -— practicing meditation, lounging in silky pajamas, lighting candles or cooking at home. For Kondo, her somewhat unusual daily habit comes from a beautiful place. To purify the air in her home and relax her mind, Kondo likes to use a tuning fork. "The sound vibration resonates through my mind and body, creating a sense of calm."
Kaye prefers peaceful scents, like citrus, sea grass, cypress and driftwood. She recommends the saltwater candle ($39; parachutehome.com) to "create a calming atmosphere."
Other ways to perform a peaceful act at home include journaling, lighting candles, using scented reed diffusers and practicing yoga. Here, we've found some items that may suit your relaxation style. (Pro tip: They also make great gifts!)
1. BalanceFrom yoga mat, $10.99, originally $14.95, amazon.com; 2. NEST Fragrances classic candle & reed diffuser set, $72, amazon.com; 3. The Mindful Notebook, $21.99, store.cnn.com.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed prices at the time of publication.