In days when the news penetrates into the home, routine is repeatedly interrupted, and the heart seeks an anchor – it turns out that the simplest and most basic thing, a personal space within the home, becomes more meaningful than ever. We used to talk about "the home as a fortress," but more and more people understand that the home is not a place to barricade oneself in, but a place that invites you to return inward – to yourself, to your family, to a moment of quiet. Within this understanding, the need for small corners of tranquility becomes sharper. Corners of calm. Small yet emotionally powerful spaces that remind us what home really feels like.
Interior designer Tzvia Kazayoff believes that calm corners at home are not a luxury, but an emotional tool in every sense. According to her, clients do not always ask for them, sometimes they don't even know how to express the need for them, but when they appear in the design – they become the favorite spot in the house. These are not just seating corners, but areas that invite gathering, softening, intimate connection with the surroundings and with ourselves. A place where you can read a book, talk with a child, be silent with a partner, or simply wrap yourself up.
The location of calm corners changes from one house to another. They can be a niche in the bedroom, a bench under a window, a corner in a side passage, a small addition to the living room, or even a recess between walls that has been cleverly utilized. Often they are born out of a planning constraint that turns into an opportunity – a "leftover" corner upgraded into the beating heart of the home. Kazayoff recommends incorporating these corners near natural light, in places where there is visual connection with other spaces but also a gentle sense of privacy. The balance between presence and quiet is part of the magic of these corners.
The design of the corner is an integral part of its function. The material language should be soft, enveloping, and inviting – pleasant upholstery, large cushions, natural fabrics, calm colors, gentle lighting. These are not areas seeking grandeur or gimmicks, but simple truth. The less the corner tries, the more right it feels. Sometimes, just a few well-placed cushions, a shelf with books, and flowing sunlight are enough to create a space with intention.
Especially now, in a time when the line between inside and outside is blurred, and the public world enters our private space through screens and sensations, these corners become essential. They offer a space that is both together and alone, both personal and accessible. You can sit there quietly as a couple, or be alone without closing yourself off. They provide an emotional answer to the desire to slow down, relax, breathe.
This is not a luxury, but a deep design response to a current emotional state. Within a home full of functions – kitchen, living room, bedrooms – the calm corner is not just another space, but a focal point. A place that reminds the household to pause. To linger. To be. It's not a formal function, but a feeling of home. And to this feeling, Kazayoff says, there is great power. Especially now.