Creating Mindful Spaces in your Home

After two years of leveraging your home for living, work, workouts and more, it’s time for a refresh. Creating a space you love is more important than ever.

Amanda Hamilton, founder and creative director of Amanda Hamilton Interior Design and Palette Archives, is an award winning entrepreneur and Interior Designer based in Calgary. Celebrated for her tenacious entrepreneurial spirit and vibrant persona, Amanda’s bold and unorthodox approach to design and business has made her one of the most sought-after creative personalities in Canada.

We took some time to sit down with Amanda and her team to help us find some of the ways you can spruce up your home workspace.

1. What are some practical ways you can create a productive and dedicated workspace when you’re living in a condominium or small space? 

Amanda: Carve out a space in your home for dedicated work, perhaps it’s in the spare bedroom or office and make it feel different than the rest of your house. Try and close this area off when you are not on “work hours’ ‘ so you aren’t tempted to get up and work after dinner because it’s easy, or take a midday tv break – because it’s there. If you don’t have a dedicated room to work in and work is done from the kitchen table, set your space up so it feels like a work zone during working hours and clean it all up when it’s not work hours. Set boundaries. Keep your house lean and free of clutter – it’s good for the mind and helps segregate work from personal time.

2. A lot of us have been spending substantial time on Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings. Can you share a couple of examples of how you can repurpose some of your decor to help your home workspace feel fresh again? 

Amanda: Create a dedicated space for these where you can create a nice vignette in the background so your viewers have something engaging to look at that also may be a personal nod to yourself. Sometimes just rearranging your existing belongings makes a space feel fresh again.

3. What are your best budgeting tips when re-doing a home office space?

Amanda: The nice thing about a working environment is that the best way to work is clutter free! Less is more here but it should still feel comfortable. Ensure you have a few cabinets, bins, or containers to put away unused items. Ensure you have a good source of light and a comfortable chair – aside from this you shouldn’t really need much!

QUICK TIP: Want to add a flair to your space? Pick up a new plant from your favourite local plant shop, or download an inspirational quote from Pinterest and add it into a frame! These little changes can have a big impact on your space and mood.