Design for Well-Being: How to Design Your Home for Your Mental Health

by | Community, i-Stories, Living Home

Stress is a normal occurrence in our everyday life, and this eventually takes a toll on our mental health. For most people, our home is a place for us to unwind and relax after a rough day.

All you look forward to at the end of the day is a cool shower or soaking in a warm bath. However, the state of your home can determine how your mood becomes.

A cluttered, disorganised, and imbalanced space is more likely to make you feel irritable and exhausted. However, a spacious and elegantly designed living area can make you feel lighter and refreshed.

By crafting your home interior into something that suits your tastes, while tapping into small hacks that can positively affect your mind, your home environment has the power to boost your well-being.

Here are a few ways your mental health is affected by the interior design of your home.

Why Should You Address Mental Health Through Interior Design?

Why Should You Address Mental Health Through Interior Design

Nothing is more important than your mental health, and the pressures of modern life can wreak havoc on the mind. A stressful job, the lack of alone time and feeling isolated are some of the factors that negatively affect your well-being.

Many factors can influence a person’s mental health, and that is why it is essential to discover new ways to improve your mental health wherever possible.

Nowadays, a majority of people are spending time indoors. Around eight hours a day is spent at work or sleeping and eating inside commercial spaces.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to the increase in people staying indoors, with many choosing not to go out unless they have to.

Due to the increasing amount of time spent indoors, it is important to look at how interior design can help improve your mental health. There are many things that can be done to your indoor spaces to leave a positive effect on your minds.

Interior Design Elements That Influence Your Mental Health

Interior Design Elements That Influence Your Mental Health

1. Natural Lighting

Having the correct lighting is extremely important as it impacts a person’s mood. Natural light can reduce depression, uplift your spirits and make you feel refreshed.

To allow more sunlight to enter your home, simply install large windows or skylights to create an uplifting yet elegant design. It can also make your home appear bigger.

Artificial lighting is another simple way to brighten up your home. Many products mimic natural daylight; therefore, interior designers should specify well-being-focused products within their designs.

READ MORE: Eco House: What Are The Different Types of Green Homes?

2. Consider Using Shapes

While it may seem unlikely, the shaping of your furniture can impact your mental health.

Softer curves and circles can actually be better for your mental well-being. Not only are they flexible and fun – evoking feelings of joy in your home – but they also help make you feel cosy, cocooning and sheltering you from the outside.

3. Bringing More Plants Indoors

Keeping plants indoors not only improves your mood but also helps reduce stress levels and feelings of anxiety.

It also has the added benefit of filtering the air, maintaining humidity and making our space look aesthetically pleasing. A great place to incorporate potted plants, flowers and other botanicals in your home would be your bathrooms.

You also do not have to be an expert at raising plants; there are many low-maintenance indoor plants such as:

  • Air plants
  • Succulents
  • Chinese money plants
  • Bamboo
  • Snake plants

4. Avoid Clutter

A cluttered living space is never good. This is because a messy area means a cluttered mind which may affect your productivity and mental clarity.

Having an unorganised home may contribute to stress and anxiety. It is essential you keep your home clean and tidy to support positive and relaxed moods.

While each person is different, and some can tolerate more clutter and disorganisation than others, having too much clutter around is never good. That is why minimalist interior designs tend to be the better option to boost your well-being and mental health.

Moreover, many people believe that the secret to a clutter-free space is to have a lot of storage space. However, more times than not, more space means more clutter.

Therefore, you need to be creative with your storage options. You can hang baskets around your home and install fittings and fixtures that would keep your space clutter-free.

READ MORE: Rent or Buy a Home: Which is the Better Choice?

5. Have Art Around Your Home

Decorating your space with beautiful and creative artwork is another way to improve your mental health. If you’re an art enthusiast, adorn your room with various paintings that make you feel good.

Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, glassware or pottery, viewing art is a soothing activity that reduces anxiety and depression and elicits emotions. You can also hang art, like nature scenes, that makes you feel relaxed and calm.

Family photos or, better yet, photos of your family in a natural setting like at a beach are another great option you can add to your home. Looking at pictures of the people that we love and care about can also spring positive emotions to the forefront of our minds.

6. Use Colours

Colours have been well known to affect your mood, emotions and senses. Colours have a lot to do with the ambience of a room which in turn affects the kind of emotions you experience.

Bright colours like yellow, red, and orange can stimulate feelings of warmth or happiness. While colours like blue, purple or green are calm, soothing colours that make you feel serene.

Neutral colours are very versatile for different rooms and different moods. Brown is great to accent other colours but can also help you relax.

White is another neutral colour that can be bright and welcoming when used in moderation. It can also open up a room and make it look larger than it is.

Black is not recommended as a dominant colour but can be elegant when used with lighter colours. However, do take note that it can make those rooms appear smaller.

7. Bedroom Decorations

A bedroom needs to promote healthy and restful sleep. Feng shui has some great recommendations for the bedroom that could help encourage sound sleep.

The bed should be placed against a wall, away from mirrors or doors. Furthermore, it is best to put the bedroom near the rear of a home or at least away from outside noises as you should feel relaxed when you lay on your bed.

READ MORE: Zero Waste Living Dream Come True: How to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Redesigning Your Home with Rumah-i

We all want to unwind in a safe space that makes us feel protected and accepted. However, if you don’t feel warm and welcomed in your own home, it’s time to rethink your home’s interior design.

No matter how big or small your home is, making simple changes to its design can make a big difference in your mood. If you’re ready to create a positive living space for your tenants, Rumah-i is here to help!

Our goal is to create sustainable value for property owners with our property makeover service. With our expert interior designers, we transform spaces, adding value and maximising your property’s potential to appeal to your tenant demographic.

Browse our property makeover service and other rental management solutions now.

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