Can You Design Happiness?
Having been home-bound for the major part of this year, it is no wonder that you might be thinking about the effect your interior design might be having on your mental outlook. It’s a good question. In fact, mental health professionals have been examining the role interior design plays on mental health.
Experienced interior designers have known the influence design has on mental health for many years. They constantly ask clients how a room design or an item in the room makes the client feel. They also ask if a room reduces or induces stress. “The most impactful principle of design on mental health is balance which basically means that all the furnishings in the space feel like they belong,” explains Bobbie Combs, ASID, NCIDQ, Director of Education and Training at Decorating Den Interiors. “When the balance in a room is off or the furnishings don’t feel like they belong, it can make you feel uncomfortable. The most impactful element of design on mental health is color, which can alter your mood drastically depending on the main color used in a room. For example, blue is a color that has been shown to slow down a person’s metabolism, heart rate and blood pressure which will have a calming effect on your mind and body.”
Even the shape of a table or a case good piece could have an impact. An article in Business of Home, features Denver-based architect Donald H. Ruggles, author of the book Beauty, Neuroscience & Architecture: Timeless Patterns and Their Impact on Our Well-Being. In the article, Ruggles states: “Jagged edges and sharp points are design features that, if overused, can cause anxiety. A typical living room, for instance, often includes a statement piece like a coffee table with jagged or sharp edges. A table with rounded edges, on the other hand, allows our nervous system to relax.”
As a Decorating Den Interiors designer, I have been taught that as we’re getting to know our prospective clients, we have them take us on a tour of their entire home, regardless of the scope of the project. As we tour, we ask how often they’re in that space, what are the activities they do there, how the space makes them feel, what they like and don’t like as much. The goal is for them to talk about themselves and their relationship to the space. The goal for me is to listen, listen, listen.
Writer/Art Historian Chloe Taylor, believes that: “The widely accepted notion that home is a happy place is definitely correct, but it’s important to realize that homes are not promoting happiness per se, but they can be molded and designed in a way that promotes good mood and health. In this, both the interior designers and psychologists agree.”
Interior design, then is not only about making your home more beautiful. Contact us today at 770-508-4458 and let’s work together to make your home a happier and healthier place!
