Our homes mean so much to us. It’s where you rest after a long day at work. It’s where you see your children grow up. It’s where you make unforgettable memories with family and friends. It’s the stage for the life you live — and it’s all in your control.
With interior design, you can influence how you feel, function, and connect with loved ones each and every day. The more your home reflects you, expresses what you love, and is designed for the emotions you want to feel, the greater your overall happiness and wellness.
However, saying that interior design impacts your wellbeing feels a little abstract. How does it impact you specifically? Physically? Emotionally? What design elements create these responses? Come take a look at what design can do for you…
1. Boosts Your Mood
The most obvious impact of our environments is on our mood. Not only will being physically comfortable improve your state of mind, but nearly every element of a home’s design can boost your mood, too.
Lighting: Lighting can powerfully impact your mood, making you feel more alert or relaxed, helping you start and finish your day, or create a mood for social gatherings. Several studies reveal that rooms with bright light, both natural and artificial, can improve health outcomes such as depression and sleep. Natural light is certainly one of the number one factors in improving our mood and overall happiness (one of many reasons why we love homes with floor to ceiling windows!)
Color: Different colors can inspire a full spectrum of emotions. Cool shades tend to feel fresh and soothing. Blue, the most popular color of all (and for good reason), is calming and comforting, especially for those of us who have a love of the ocean. Warm shades are more energizing, like reds and oranges, but tend to require more bravery when used in interiors. Read here for a full list of colors and their associated emotions in interiors.
Meaningful Items: Being surrounded by style that makes your heart happy and items you love (like an heirloom, family photos, or a beloved throw blanket) injects meaning and memories in your everyday life. These are emotionally impactful design touches that go so much deeper than what meets the eye.
Organization: Organized, functional spaces bring you undeniable peace of mind, from day-to-day life to special events. Interiors that are noisy, disorganized and not functional can cause stress and anxiety. Interiors that feel ordered and in control make you feel in control and free to live. (Need help decluttering? NEAT Method is a great resource!)
Senses: A home is a sensory experience, but it isn’t all about how it looks and feels. Add a candle, diffuser, or fragrant soap to infuse aromas into different rooms in your home according to how you want them to feel. For example, lavender and sandalwood can relax and soothe. Citrus, peppermint, and eucalyptus can boost energy and alertness. Vanilla and warm spices can promote feelings of comfort. Let your nose guide you. 🙂
2. Increases Physical Comfort
I think we’ve all had that uncomfortable chair we’ve kept despite its knack for giving backaches. The showerhead that’s just a tad too low (hello, awkward bent neck situation). The bar counter that isn’t deep enough (painful smacked knees). Or the improperly hung light fixture that forces us to squint over meals.
These problems sound small, and yes, we could all probably live with them just fine, but believe me, they add up fast. When compounded throughout a home, these little inconveniences create massive discomfort that most people don’t notice until they experience the opposite: a home designed just for them.
Our job is to help you feel more physically comfortable each and every day of your life at home, which is why everything is designed with you in mind. During our deep dive process, we ask for highly specific details, like your height and your comfort level for items like mattresses, pillows, rugs, soft fabrics, light intensity, and other materials.
The result is a home that feels so easy and comfortable, you won’t believe that you lived with your previous discomforts for so long. Seriously.
2. Creates Daily Ease
Does this sound familiar? Maybe your current living room layout requires you to awkwardly navigate furniture or avoid tripping on a chair leg each time you pass. Maybe kitchen tasks take twice as long as they should because you have to cross the space several times to access what you need. Or maybe you feel less inclined to invite guests over because your home can’t handle the volume or endure the mess.
These are all problems with function and flow, which we take great care to address when we design a home.
Interior design is about spaces that make your life easier. The features you need are there. The home flows seamlessly with the way you use it (not your neighbor down the street who also had her home professionally designed). Everything has a place. Materials and furnishings are high-quality, durable, and easy to clean.
Again, add these up within a single room or across a whole home, and you can see how every aspect of your daily routine — and special occasions — is made easier and more enjoyable.
3. Promotes Health & Safety
The third layer of a home that takes care of your physical well-being is its ability to promote and inspire health and safety. Creating spaces for self-care is one way we can do this, whether it’s a gym or workout area, a large soaking tub in your bathroom, a craft room for your hobbies, or an office chair with lumbar support. (It’s hard to get anything done when you’re uncomfortable all day!)
Having spaces where we can take care of ourselves or do the things that bring us joy is vital for our own well-being, but it can impact our loved ones, too. I’ve always found it hard to show up well for others whenever I’m running on empty. When I’m feeling inspired and fulfilled, I’m a much better boss, wife, mother, friend, etc.
We also design your home to cater to your family’s safety. For example, we learn of any family members’ allergies or aversions, so we can remove these from the home. In bathrooms, we select flooring that will prevent slippage when wet. Keeping walkways clear makes the home safer for any potential emergencies. Etc. Of course good air quality is important for overall health, so consciously steering away from furnishings and textiles that have harmful off-gassing, as well as selecting materials that prohibit dust build-up and are cleanable become part of intentional design, especially for those healing from illness.
We think of everything!
5. Inspires Feelings of Belonging & Community
Having well designed spaces that are meant for gathering (like your living room, dining room, or kitchen) evokes positive emotions, not only because of the aesthetic of the room, but because of what it symbolizes: time with your loved ones.
Especially if you’re a parent, creating a home where your kids feel welcome and want to spend time is so important. It’s where they create memories — ones they will look back on and cherish when they are adults. I can still remember my own childhood, the way our home looked and smelled, the things I loved about it, and the features that make me laugh now because they were so dated.
Whether you’re a parent or not, humans are also social creatures. The act of entertaining and connecting with your family and friends is a huge mood-booster. (If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need social contact to thrive!) When you’re proud of your space, you’re more likely to entertain guests, boost endorphins, and feel happy.
Are you ready to live vibrantly?
Add up all of the benefits above, and it’s easy to see how interior design impacts your well-being on every level. It’s comforting, inspires deep peace of mind, and perhaps most importantly, creates a sense of freedom to live as boldly and fully as you dare.
The best way to design a home that supports your well-being with every beautiful detail is — no surprise — to work with an interior designer from the very beginning.
Together, we will discuss your life, passions, and goals to create a home that will inspire your most vibrant life. Reach out to us here, and let’s get to know each other.
Xoxo,
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