Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi created a little slice of 'modern zen' in their home – and experts think you should too

Starting from scratch, interior design firm Clements Design turned Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's former Montecito home into a peaceful urban retreat. 

Dedicated to creating spaces that replenish energy levels by engaging all five senses, the mother-and-son team of Kathleen and Tommy Clements have beautifully balanced earthiness with understated luxury offered by organic textiles and surfaces. 

The studio designs positive, creative interiors that are a pleasure to inhabit. A thought-out design that's mindful of the environment can help recalibrate the mind, nurture the senses and improve everyone's sense of wellbeing. But what is wellness in design? It's all about choices. Happy room ideas are simple and easy to achieve, and most don't even require a large budget.

Alongside creating a unique spatial experience, similar to Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi's home, it is vital to consider how the space will be used over time. Here, the designers have designed a home that will evolve without gathering the kind of clutter that would dilute its ability to destress and rejuvenate. 

Ensure an immersive experience. Good design feeds the senses. As organic food nourishes you from within, organic materials, sounds, scents and colors feel all five senses and enhance wellbeing. 

Designer Louise Grey of House of Grey believes that the wellness trend is here to stay. 'Embrace imperfection,' she says. 'There is something inherently satisfying about things that are a little "off". With this in mind, we tend to fuse simplicity with the natural imperfection you get with materials and objects that have weathered in time.'

However, if you did want to add a touch of joie de vivre, we recommend introducing bold splashes of color and shine. In this calming space, Clements Design added visual intrigue with a modern entryway bench upholstered in soft-to-the-touch red velvet, an Anish Kapoor art piece, and flourishes of greenery. The result is a well-balanced space that sings rather than shouts.

If you want to recreate an authentic wellbeing sanctuary in your own home, then focus on nature. Organic fibres, textures and materials were once abundant in our lives, but have been replaced by the man-made and chemically produced. Wood, stone, wax- and plant-derived fabrics connect us to the earth and ground us to the natural environment.