Whilst much of our home decor and interior design is for practicality, it’s also possible to decorate your home with health and wellbeing in mind.
Your home is usually where you spend most of your time so it makes sense to ensure it’s a place that promotes wellness.
With our lives more hectic than ever and a huge shift in office workers now working from home, spending more time than ever in their abode, it really is a wise idea to create a living space with happiness, comfort and health at centre stage.
Home décor that offers a calm, tranquil, but also enjoyable space will improve mental health. If your home does not please you aesthetically or practically then it could cause unnecessary daily stress.
So how do you create a home with your wellbeing in mind?
Here are some tips when considering interior design for health and wellbeing.
Reduce clutter
If clutter comforts you then by all means, keep your home cluttered. But for the majority of people, clutter is an overwhelming task that not only causes a cluttered home, but a cluttered mind.
Not being able to locate things can cause daily stress. An organised home can keep the mind at peace and look more visually pleasing too.
If your home is filled with things that have no value to you or are simply creating a mess, or are dust magnets, then the first thing to do is have a clear-out.
There’s a reason minimalism has been a growing trend in recent years. Not only does it break the cycle of needless consumerism which is better for our planet, but it keeps our homes clutter-free and more enjoyable to live in.
Once you stop accumulating so much stuff you have less ‘things’ to worry about. Less ‘things’ to clean. Less ‘things’ to sort out. Less ‘things’ to spend your money on.
You can reclaim time, money and your home.
One person’s trash is another’s treasure, so never literally throw out your clutter if it can be used by someone else. Give it away, donate it, recycle it or sell it. You’ll be amazed at what other people want or need, especially if you give it away for free.
If you really need the clutter then it’s time to organise it. If everything has a place then you’ll always know where to find things. Rarely will things get lost and cause stress. Look into storage solutions to make your home work better for you.
Now your home is clutter free and organised, it’s time to address your home décor and interior design.
Bring natural elements into your home
One of the best ways to bring wellness into your home is through nature and natural materials.
A simple and affordable way to make an instant change is through house plants. House plants are an easy way to bring nature indoors.
Indoor plants can improve air quality and a Japanese study suggests that they can improve your mental health.
The study looked at workers who had a small plant on their work desk and saw a reduction in the psychological and physiological stress of office workers.
This was the result of one small plant on an office desk. Imagine the effect of a home filled with beautiful plants. They are well-known to improve air, boost mood and reduce stress.
Other ways to bring nature indoors is through using natural materials throughout your home. Think stunning wood parquet flooring, oak shelving, wicker baskets and gorgeous natural stone tiles.
Hard floors have many health benefits such as being much easier to keep clean. They also allow a natural wood effect in your home, or if your budget allows, then you can opt for real wood. You can keep the home warm and cosy by adding rugs.
Happy, calming or warming colours
The colourways in your home can really make a difference to your wellbeing too.
Whilst calming, neutral colourways like soft greens and blues as well as creams are often recommended for wellbeing, I think brighter colours have their place in the home too.
It’s a good idea to keep the rooms you totally want to relax in calm and neutral; for example, the bathroom and the bedroom. This will help to promote sleep and winding down.
However, if you love bright colours then it can be a great idea to bring pops of colour into the rooms you spend your daytimes in or where you love to socialise to create a positive living space.
Yellow is a cheerful happy colour and orange can bring happiness and warmth to a room.
Add things you love
It’s important to create a home that reflects your personality and is filled with things that make you happy. That’s what turns a house into your home.
You’ll enjoy spending time at home if it is decorated with things that make you happy: for example, your favourite plants, flowers, artwork and photo memories or treasured trinkets, antiques and cosy textiles.
Let your cherished items be at the forefront of your interior design, but know the difference between those that bring you happiness and value compared to those that are simply creating an overly cluttered living space.
Feel good fabrics
Consider your senses when creating your home and choosing décor for wellbeing. For cosy winter evenings and sofa snuggles you’ll need soft cushions to curl into and warm fluffy throws.
For winter beds choose brushed cotton sheets so your bed is always warm. In summer a cotton sheet can keep things cool. If budget allows then choose 100% linen for the ultimate luxurious bedspread which softens with age and has natural cooling or warming properties all year round.
Choose blackout curtains or blinds for bedrooms as we have a higher quality sleep in complete darkness.
In the bathroom choose a deep pile bath mat to warm your feet when stepping out of a shower or bath. Choose fluffy towels in large enough sizes to keep you warm.
Wellbeing in the home and the décor you choose is about being warm and comfortable too. It’s about self-care and being able to enjoy the places you relax in as much as possible. Choosing the right textiles throughout your home plays a huge part.
Prevent confinement
You don’t want to feel like a prisoner in your own home so make sure furniture is strategically placed to let as much natural light in each room as possible.
Don’t block natural light coming in from windows, but do try to sit near to natural light wherever possible in your home. Natural light boosts serotonin and makes us feel happy.
Allow enough space around furniture so you can walk around with ease. Keep doorways clear. Allow freedom of movement in your own home.
Even getting rid of the clutter as mentioned in the first point will stop your home from feeling too small or overcrowded. Giving you space to breath and enjoy a more spacious home.
There are so many ways to create a home that will boost your happiness and wellbeing. It’s about making a home that works for you practically, but is a space you can enjoy but also feel calm in.
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