At first glance, designing a yoga studio doesn’t seem like a demanding task, since these spaces usually don’t include much furniture. However, decorating a room where you are planning on having yoga lessons is all about creating the ambiance that encourages calmness and introspection. This goal sets interesting challenges in front of you, regarding aesthetics, functionality, and environment. In most cases, you don’t need to do any drastic remodeling after you have chosen the room for the studio, but some features are essential. If you are interested in creating a yoga studio, these are the steps you need to take.

Start from the ground up

Flooring is very important for creating a space to practice yoga. It shouldn’t be too hard or too soft. That’s why you should avoid concrete, marble, vinyl, carpet, and linoleum. The best choices for yoga studio flooring are laminate, hardwood, bamboo, and cork. The last two have an advantage in the eco-friendly field which is highly-valued among the yoga teachers and students. If you want to provide your clients with a soft exercise surface, include mats, pads, and blankets into the studio.

Provide enough light

The bond between yoga and nature is unbreakable, and that’s why the sun makes the best source of light there is. Large windows (especially floor-to-ceiling ones) will not only maximize the amount of sunlight in the room, but they will also enable you to save money on your energy bills. However, if your studio is located on the ground floor and facing the street, you should keep in mind that your students don’t want to be seen from the outside. As an alternative, you can use ambient lighting. Avoid fluorescent lamps. If you are using candles, do everything within your power to prevent fire hazards.

Create a consistent color scheme

While there are no rules preventing you from experimenting with various vibrant colors, you should keep in mind that one of the main purposes of yoga is to find inner peace. This is something that is difficult to find in a space packed with several highly-saturated colors. Get inspired by nature when choosing your color scheme, and make sure it is consistent throughout the room. If you want to introduce bright colors, do that through accents, such as mats.

An appropriate entrance

The door leading to the yoga studio is often mistakenly overshadowed by the other elements, but picture one of the two situations: Ten students are trying to walk into the studio at the same time; a student is late and disrupts other clients by walking in in the middle of the class. Both of these situations can be addressed by installing sliding entry doors, which will enable a quiet entrance and more space for several people to walk in at the same time.

Create a gathering space

Speaking of the studio entrance, the clients can’t just walk into the class space as soon as they enter. You should create a reception area where they will sign in and wait for the class. This foyer or entry can serve to hang coats and store shoes. If you have enough space, you can provide locked storage cubicles for valuables like wallets and jewelry. It would be ideal to have enough showers for students to wash up and a room where they can change their clothes.

Other things you should know when working on your yoga studio

There are other things you need to pay attention to when designing your yoga studio:

• Oddly shaped rooms are rarely good places for yoga classes. It is best for the room to be rectangular, so all the students could have an unobstructed view of the teacher.
• The ceiling height should be at least 8 feet so that a six-foot student can comfortably stretch their hands above their head.
• While mirrors make an interesting design statement and they can help students observe their technique, they are more often a distraction than a benefit, but it’s your call
• A yoga studio should have a consistent, pleasant smell that shouldn’t be overwhelming. A subtle incense is the way to go.
• While it is not your obligation, it would be a nice touch to provide your clients with the basic yoga equipment, such as mats, blocks, straps, and towels.

These tips will help you create a functional yoga studio, but remember that your goal is to create a space that is beneficial for your students and that enhances yoga practice.

Contributing Author: Claire Hastings is Australian designer, writer and regular contributor at ripped.me. She’s been writing as long as she can remember, and she is very passionate about fashion, running, other cultures, and her cat. Social media links:  facebook, twitter