How to Create a Relaxing Space at Home That’s Just for You

Simple ideas to help you enjoy quiet time, recharge, and make everyday life a little better after 60.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered something interesting.

I enjoy being home more than I used to.

Years ago, it seemed like we were always going somewhere or doing something. There was work, raising a family, appointments, projects around the house, and all the other responsibilities that fill our days.

Life after 60 can be different.

Why My Wife and I Enjoy Staying Home More Than We Used To.

We finally have a little more control over our time. And I’ve learned that having a comfortable place at home where you can sit, think, read, work on something you enjoy—or simply do nothing for a while—can make a surprising difference.

It doesn’t have to be an entire room. It doesn’t have to be expensive.

It simply needs to be your place.

You Don’t Need a Perfect Room

When we hear the words “relaxing space,” it’s easy to picture something from a decorating magazine.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

Your space might be one comfortable chair next to a window. It could be a corner of the family room, a desk in a spare bedroom, a place on the porch, or a small workshop.

What matters is how you feel when you’re there.

I have found that as I’ve gotten older, comfort and simplicity mean more to me than impressing anyone.

If a chair is comfortable, the lighting is good, and I can spend some peaceful time there, that’s enough.

Start With What You Already Have

Before buying anything, look around your home.

You may already have the makings of a wonderful little retreat.

Is there a chair nobody uses very often? A corner near a window? A small table that could hold your coffee and a book? Maybe there’s a spare bedroom that doesn’t get much use anymore.

Sometimes improving our lives isn’t about adding more things.

It’s about making better use of what we already have.

That’s something I appreciate much more at 79 than I did when I was younger.

Make Comfort the Priority

If you’re going to spend time there, you should be comfortable.

For me, that would be more important than how the space looks.

A supportive chair, a small table within reach and enough light to read without straining your eyes can completely change an ordinary corner of a room.

Think about the little things, too.

A place for your glasses. A charger for your phone. A throw if you get chilly. Maybe a footstool.

Nothing fancy.

Just things that make life a little easier.

Good Lighting Makes a Big Difference

This is one of those things we don’t always appreciate until we get older.

Good lighting matters.

A dark room may look cozy, but trying to read or work in poor light isn’t very relaxing.

If possible, choose a space that gets some natural daylight. Then add a good lamp for evenings or cloudy days.

You don’t need to light the entire room like a department store. You just want enough light where you actually need it.

Keep the Clutter Under Control

I don’t believe you need a perfectly organized house to enjoy your retirement.

But there’s something peaceful about having one area that isn’t buried under paperwork, boxes and things waiting to be put away.

Keep your special space simple.

A few books. A photograph that means something to you. Maybe a plant. Your coffee cup.

The idea isn’t to create another place that needs constant cleaning and organizing.

It’s supposed to make your life easier—not give you another job.

Include Something You Truly Enjoy

This may be the most important part.

What do you enjoy doing?

Maybe you like reading.

Maybe you enjoy listening to music.

Maybe you work puzzles, build models, write, sew, paint, watch television or spend time on the computer.

Or maybe your favorite activity is sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and watching the world go by.

There’s no right answer.

After 60, I think we’ve earned the right to stop worrying so much about what we’re supposed to enjoy.

Your space should reflect you.

Give Yourself Permission to Do Nothing

This one took me a while to understand.

We’ve spent much of our lives being productive.

Work needed to be done. Children needed us. Houses needed repairs. Bills needed paying. There was always another item on the list.

Retirement doesn’t mean we stop being productive.

But it does mean we can occasionally sit down without feeling guilty about it.

You don’t have to accomplish something every minute of every day.

Sometimes sitting quietly, thinking, listening to music or simply enjoying your surroundings is time well spent.

Keep Technology Helpful, Not Distracting

Technology can make our lives easier, but it can also follow us everywhere.

Our phones beep. Emails arrive. News alerts appear. Social media keeps asking for our attention.

Your relaxing space doesn’t have to be completely technology-free. Mine certainly wouldn’t be.

But we can decide when technology serves us and when it interrupts us.

Put the phone down occasionally.

Turn off unnecessary notifications.

Enjoy an hour when nobody on the Internet gets to decide what deserves your attention.

I’ve come to value that kind of quiet more and more.

Your Space Can Change With You

Don’t worry about getting everything exactly right the first time.

Try something.

Move the chair.

Change the lamp.

Add something you enjoy and remove something you don’t.

The wonderful thing about creating a space for yourself is that there aren’t any rules.

You’re not decorating it for company.

You’re creating it for the person who actually lives there.

A Better Life Doesn’t Always Require a Big Change

When people hear the word reinvention, they sometimes imagine making a dramatic change.

Moving somewhere new.

Starting a business.

Traveling the world.

Those things can certainly be part of life after 60.

But I’m beginning to believe some of the best changes are much smaller.

A comfortable chair.

A quiet corner.

A good cup of coffee.

A little time to yourself.

And a home that feels more like a place you want to be rather than simply the place where you live.

7 Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Enjoyable After 60.

That’s reinvention, too.

One Final Thought

If there’s one unused corner of your home, take another look at it this week.

Ask yourself:

Could I turn this into a place I’d really enjoy spending time?

You may be surprised how little it takes.

At this stage of life, I don’t think we always need more.

Sometimes we just need to make a little more room for the things we already enjoy.

What would your perfect little space at home look like?