Healthy Homes - What does it actually mean?
After all, we’ve been through over the past two years; our homes have become the main setting for our lives.
With it, new priorities have been formed about the way we use our time, our connections to family our homes and the way we live.
What does this mean for interiors? We're seeing more intentional interiors that, promote a sense of comfort and put more of an emphasis on well-being.
Now more than ever we want interiors that improve our mood, health, and well-being.
One of the best ways to do so is by unlocking and maximising the many benefits of our relationship with nature; especially when it comes to the design and interiors of our homes.
An awakened sense of nature can help us all create healthier homes.
Where our homes are our sanctuaries. To ground us and where we can thrive.
Did you know we spend 90% of our time indoors, at least 55% in our homes? It's time we started maximising and unlocking the many benefits of our relationship with nature. Especially when it comes to designing the interiors of our homes.
When we walk through our front door, we should smile because we are home, a place where we can be most comfortable. It should work to improve our mood and well-being.
We are surrounded by our loved ones and the intimate items that comfort us. Where we can recharge and relax. Our homes are where some of our most precious memories are made.
NATURE AND OUR WELLBEING
For thousands of years, the importance of maintaining our connection with nature and our built environment has been understood.
Being in nature soothes our souls, it can calm us down and alleviate the stress of our fast-paced modern lives.
That is why it is beneficial for us to bring elements of the outside in when we begin designing the interior of our homes, whether we live in an apartment or a house with a garden.
Bringing a little of the outside in can be simply achieved by house plants, the use of natural materials for our interior scheme with texture such as linen, cotton, wood, stone and with the use of colour, all of these elements will remind us of nature.
See below a sample board using natural elements; the client wanted to create a 'jungle' effect when walking into their entrance hall, complimented with sustainable low VOC green paint, the beautiful Versailles wooden floor added a touch of luxury to this interior designed scheme.
🌿BIOPHILIC DESIGN AND YOUR HOME🌿
The use of nature and creating healthy homes is known as Biophilic design. It appeals to our heightened sense of nature and wanting to be connected to it.
"People are craving a connection with natural elements, clean air, and open space as an antidote to being cooped up for so long."
Biophilia employs design principles that are calming and restorative
🌿HEALTHY HOME, HAPPY HOME🌿
Here are a few helpful tips to follow when creating a new interior scheme for your room using Biophilic design principles.
🌿Bring plants into your rooms, they cleanse the air.
🌿Introduce natural materials such as stone, wooden floors or woven sisal. Keep away from no manmade fibres.
🌿Use linen, wool, cotton and silks on furniture and furnishings.
🌿Have plenty of natural light if that is possible.
🌿Create a central space in your room allowing energy to flow easily, no seating grouped in the middle.
🌿Use colours that make you feel calm - greens, blues and earth tones
🌿Do not use paints that emit harmful toxins, keep the air filtered and clean.
🎨 Read my article on the best non-toxic paints here
The image below is an excellent example of the use of natural materials in a home interior: stone for the floor with lots of texture, a cow hide, oak table, rattan pendant shades, large plants and lots of natural light.
Biophilic design promotes healthier living, is restorative & calming, and importantly benefits our mental health.
AS WE EVOLVE SO SHOULD OUR HOMES.
Hop on over to my instagram account for more great looks and information on the best interior design ideas for your home, here.
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