How interior design can improve your wellbeing

Incorporating wellness into the design process

Wellness covers many aspects of our lives from exercise, fitness, skincare and nutrition to joyful experiences, meaningful social connections, relaxation, mindfulness and slow living. It also involves creating and living in spaces that nourish our body and mind.

The ethos surrounding wellness-centred interior design focuses on living and workspaces that influence our physical health and emotional state of mind. To achieve this, it’s vital to create an environment that stimulates our senses, improves productivity and boosts relaxation. Here are some simple techniques that you can introduce into your home to create your very own wellness haven.

Colour and Lighting

How we select the colour for our homes is usually down to a matter of taste, but it can also have a profound effect on our mood and wellbeing. The essence of colour is well documented and is typically the starting point in interior design.

Neutral and natural shades are said to be calming, red is stimulating, green is balancing, yellow energising and blue is cooling. Shade and tone also come into play here, inciting different emotional responses in all of us.

How a space is lit has a dramatic effect on the overall ambience of a room with natural sunlight being the most-preferred lighting source. The number and size of windows can help to boost happiness and human performance by allowing natural light to flood into the space. If you have a natural light source, make sure you utilise it well.

You could even consider the room layout in order to capitalise on your natural lighting, whilst interior furnishings can also be used to accentuate lightness in a room – light or white walls, coloured throws, pillows, bed linen and accessories help to create a breathable, fresh atmosphere.

Read more about our light and calming floors

Spaciousness and Natural Elements

The space and size of a room can have an incredible influence over its occupant’s mood. Ceiling height can produce a notion of freedom or confinement; higher ceilings impact the subconscious perception of space and environment, significantly improving mood and increasing creativity in a person.

If you’re a fan of industrial style, try uncovering your ceiling’s architectural skeleton to give you more headroom.

Introducing plants into the home can improve concentration, memory retention and boost your overall mood. Plants have a variety of properties, with some releasing mood-improving chemicals, reducing stress and purifying the air. Be mindful of using cacti and flowers with strong scents as these can create a distracting and irritating environment.

View our wood effect floors

Texture and Shape

The texture and shape of furniture in the home can produce certain emotional responses. The ancient practice of Feng Shui teaches us that shapes and furniture should represent natural elements such as earth, water, wood, metal and fire. Rich texture enhances the sense of comfort and happiness; while metal elements, such as clocks, vases and lamps promote strength and independence. Introducing wood into a room has associations with health and personal growth.

The same discipline suggests that furniture should be arranged in a way to avoid ‘dead space’ – furniture that is pushed up against a wall, can foster negative energy. Instead, furniture should be arranged to create a seamless flow through the room – here balance is more important than symmetry.

If you’ve created an environment with wellbeing at the heart of your interior share your look and help inspire others on our social media channels.

Get creative with our Moods collection