How To Make A Zen Meditation Rooms
If you’re a proud homeowner who loves meditation, why not create a zen room at home?
In this guide we’ll cover:
- How to create a meditation space
- Ideas for decor
- Decorating tips
- Room styles
- Colours
- How to incorporate plants, cushions, pillows, and everything else you need
How To Make Your Zen Room
There are lots of benefits of having a meditation room. It gives you a dedicated space in which to practice. This can be a DIY meditation room. Or you might like to create a zen garden
Whether you choose a room or garden, you ultimately want to end up with a space around the house where you can practice, somewhere peaceful and relaxing, somewhere you can sit by yourself quietly and unwind.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Choose the location
First, you need to decide where you will be setting up your room.
It’s a bright idea for a meditation space to take up one whole room of the house (if possible), and most likely a small room. Although if you do yoga at home, you can opt for a two-for-one and make it into a home yoga studio.
Whether you live in a house, a small apartment, or a condo, you will have enough space for a room. I used to live in a small apartment. So, I had the idea for a corner-meditation space in my lounge, which I made using a Shoji (Japanese room divider). Simple. .
2. Consider Your Meditation Practice
Decide what type(s) of practices you will be doing in the room.
- Breathing meditation or seated practices like Zen dont have any special requirements
- Active meditations such as Dynamic Meditation, you will need the appropriate amount of space.
- For guided meditations you might want a high quality sound system or at least some noise-cancelling headphones. To soundproof it, I recommend reading Chris Woodford’s guide to soundproofing a place on Explain That Stuff.
- For Buddhist meditation you will probably want a Buddha statue, a mani stone, or other items that reflect Buddhism and the teachings of the dharma.
3. Choose the right colour for your space
Colour creates the mood. For instance, a blue room will be calming, and a purple room is spiritual.
The items you put in the room should go with the colour of the walls, so they make a colour scheme. For instance, you could do a blue room with white accents for relaxation and purity.
Let’s take a look at the effect of different colours in meditation rooms
- Red: Good for vitality. In Buddhism, red is associated with protection. Buddhist temples are red because Buddhists believe the colour will help protect them.
- Blue: One of the most popular colours for meditation rooms. Blue creates calm and relaxing feelings and is reassuring.
- White: Creates feelings of purity and calmness. This is a very good paint colour for a Zen room.
- Grey: Make you feel more productive and more grounded. So, this is a good colour for a meditation room if you want to feel grounded.
- Orange: A warm, happy, and optimistic colour. If you’re one of my “positivity warriors” then this is a great colour for you. If you’re designing a Zen room for active exercises, this is a good paint colour.
- Yellow: An optimistic and happy colour paint for a meditation room.
- Pink: Creates a feeling of calmness and love.
- Purple: In colour psychology, purple is the colour of spirituality and helps you access the spiritual parts of your mind. So, one of the best ideas for a spiritual room is to paint it purple.
- Brown: The colour of Earth and is grounding. A great choice for a Zen room, especially when mixed with grey.
4. Essential Meditation Room Items
Naturally, when you’re making a meditation room, there are certain items and pieces of meditation furniture you will want to add. You can go minimalist if you’re on a budget, or you can buy every item you will ever need.
So, what do you need for a meditation room:
- Table
- Meditation altar/shrine
- Cushion / chair:
- Yoga mat
- Buddha Statue
- Crystals
- Tibetan Singing Bowl
- Buddha fountains and other water features
- Salt crystals
- Artwork
5. Decorating your Zen Space
Aim to include some beautiful plants for both healthier air and aromatherapy.
The best plants for meditation rooms include aromatherapy plants like jasmine and Lily of the Valley. Another option is detoxifying plants like Bamboo Palm and Peace Lily. I chose a Chinese Evergreen, which is beautiful and is excellent for detoxifying the air.
6. Fresh air & Narural Light
Fresh oxygen helps keep the brain healthy and the mind alert. So, it is essential for meditation. Plus, the feeling of the fresh air on your skin will help you to let go and unwind.
Light is always important in interior design, and especially in a Zen room.
Different qualities of lighting produce different moods. Think about how a romantic table for two is lit compared to how a store is lit.
You can use light to influence the mood of the room.
Because lighting is so important, you might benefit from having lights with dimmer switches so that you can change the brightness. That way, when you’re doing yoga, you can have the room well-lit, and when you’re doing Trataka (gazing at a candle), you can dim the lights.
Final Thoughts
Creating a meditation room is about crafting a personal sanctuary where you can retreat from daily stress. Whether it’s a full Zen space or a cozy corner, the key is to make it peaceful, uncluttered, and uniquely yours.
Now, take a deep breath, step into your sacred space, and let the meditation begin.
Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher with 25 years of experience and a deep passion for helping others. Known for his empathy and authentic approach, he’s dedicated to guiding individuals and teams toward mindfulness, clarity, and well-being.
