Revitalize Your Home, Revitalize Your Well-being: This Year Resolve to Improve your Home Design
As we step into a new year, so many of us embark on some sort of path toward self-improvement and personal growth. While traditional resolutions often focus on health and fitness, there's an aspect of well-being that is often overlooked – our home environment that surrounds us and sets the tone for our life on a daily basis. The home design and layout of our living spaces play a crucial role in influencing our mental health, making home design improvement a powerful and transformative New Year's resolution we can choose to invest in. Weather you’re looking to take on a project in your home that is large or small, here are a few concepts to keep in mind that can have a high ROI for your mental well-being.
Create a Calming Sanctuary:
A well-designed home can serve as a sanctuary for relaxation and stress relief. Incorporating calming colors, comfortable furniture, and natural elements such as plants can create an environment that promotes tranquility and emotional well-being. Storage solutions that remove clutter are a great way to bring a sense of calm to your space.
Enhance Your Natural Light:
Maximizing natural light in your home can significantly impact mood and energy levels, and there are lots of approaches you can take! Try rearranging furniture to allow more light into rooms, selecting furniture that is low enough not to block windows, choosing lighter window treatments, or strategically placing mirrors to reflect more natural light back into your space are just a few tricks us designers rely on!
Declutter for Mental Clarity:
A cluttered living space can contribute to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Decluttering and organizing your home not only create a more visually appealing environment but also promote mental clarity and focus. Start small, tackle one room at a time, and donate or discard items that no longer serve a purpose. Keep storage features in mind when selecting new furniture items, bonus points for pieces that can tuck toys and other items out of view!
Personalize Your Space for Emotional Connection:
Designing spaces that reflect your personality and interests fosters a sense of connection and belonging. Displaying cherished memories, incorporating artwork, or integrating personal touches into your decor can create a positive emotional impact. We love working with clients who have a key piece of artwork they want to incorporate, it’s a great jumping off point for color inspiration and helps us create a room that feels deeply personal.
Promote Physical Well-being with Functional Spaces:
A well-designed home includes functional spaces that support physical well-being. You can designate areas for exercise, ensure ergonomic furniture, or organize your kitchen for easy access to healthy food options. A home that promotes a healthy lifestyle will contribute to your overall well-being in more ways than one.
Mindful Use of Technology:
Consider the impact of technology on your mental health and integrate design elements that promote mindful technology use. Creating designated tech-free zones (like a reading nook), establishing organized charging stations where you don’t see a tangle of wires, or incorporating more conversational furniture layouts that discourage excessive screen time are just a few strategies you might consider.
Encourage Social Interaction:
Designing spaces that facilitate social interaction can combat feelings of isolation and loneliness. Arrange seating in a way that encourages conversation, create cozy gathering areas, and invest in comfortable furnishings that invite social engagement and personal connection.
Improve Your Sleep Environment:
Adequate sleep is crucial for mental health, and this can be an especially challenging goal for families with small children. Evaluate your bedroom design to ensure it promotes restful sleep. Choose calming colors, invest in a comfortable mattress, and minimize electronic devices in the bedroom to create an ideal sleep environment. We highly recommend keeping your home office setup outside of the bedroom, or at a bare minimum being able to store your work setup out of sight for a greater separation and enhanced work/life balance.
By no means is this an exhaustive list. There are so many opportunities in each and every home to find ways to enhance your environment. A home designed with mental well-being in mind can have a profound impact on your overall quality of life. As you embark on your New Year's resolution journey, consider channeling your efforts into creating a home that nurtures your mental health, providing a foundation for a happier and more fulfilling life in the year ahead, that better serves you and those special people you share your home with.
From our South End Family Refresh Project, the image below shows some of the minor adjustments we made for this couple to create a more cozy and tranquil space. Edits include: decluttering surface, adding the cozy reading chair and pendant light in the sun-filled bay window to create a reading and snuggle spot, and adding the accent pillows to tie in and balance the vibrant colors of their existing rugs and give the space or more polished look.
