5 ways interior design can contribute to your mental wellbeing

Our surroundings shape the way we think and feel.  Our homes are our temple.  Most of us are now spending more time in them than ever before.  In a home that feels comfortable, you can focus and feel safe.  In uncertain times, our homes need to balance what we feel we are missing from our life.

Textures

Textures and patterns bring individuality and identity to a space. We are very connected to our sense of touch, so texture is a very important element.  Textures make a space feel warm, cosy, and welcoming. Natural fibres are a great winner as our brains relate them to the times when we had a closer relationship with the natural world. Subconsciously, we find comfort in natural materials. This is key for our wellbeing.

The use of texture and pattern adds the comfort factor and heightens our experience of a space. 

Favourites

I know if you have children you are not supposed to pick favourites.  But in interior design, you can, and you should!  What I am trying to say is, sometimes what is more costly or fits the colour pallet is not always the best option.  Family pieces that have been handed down through many generations need to find a place in your home.  Pieces that have been brought back from trips or have a special story behind them, also need to be incorporated. 

Meaningful pieces give us a sense of belonging and bring back important memories that trigger, happy thoughts!

Light

Light is so important for our mental wellbeing.  There is nothing like natural light, and there is so much to consider when using artificial light.  Even though most of us love a dark room for sleeping, we can’t perform most of life’s tasks in complete darkness. A useful tip to add cosiness is to bring lighting down to sitting level. 

 If you want to know more about light read my blog posts on Light and Productivity and Why is lighting important.

Colour

We all can relate to colour preferences.  Some of us like bold happy colours while others like neutral tones.  That said, some colours are known to incite certain feelings more than others.  Of course, cultural background is important, mine is from a western perspective.  If you want to feel calm in your home, you should look to incorporate blues and greens.  Blue is a calming colour.  It is the colour of the sky and the ocean.  It is known to indicate peace and calm. The colour green indicates balance and peace.  It is the colour of nature. An effective way of incorporating green is by bringing natural plants into your space.  We are all looking for balance in our lives. 

All colours have a wide range of hues, finding the right one for your space and scheme can be a little tricky. I suggest going with a shade that makes you feel good.  

Sustainability

Currently most of us are concerned about the environment and the future.  It would be wonderful if we could all live-in passive, energy efficient homes.  Most of the time though, it is cost prohibitive.  Even so, we can still do our small part to add social and environmental value.  Examples are by reusing materials, upcycling, and researching the brands we are about to buy from when designing our homes.  We can hold companies accountable for their supply chain and manufacturing practices.  To me it is very important to keep traditions alive.  If a company is employing local artisans and highlighting traditional technique, they are already on top of my list. An example is West Elm. Other examples are companies that use renewable and recyclable materials such as replanting local trees and using the most eco-friendly techniques in their products.

By going the extra step, we can later feel better and proud by knowing we have made our small effort for a better world.

It is worth mentioning that a decluttered space is also key to a calm mind.  Now more than ever, it is important to feel happy with our immediate environment and do everything we can to achieve peace in our homes and minds.