How Interior Design Supports Mental Health
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, the importance of mental health has rightfully taken center stage. The realization that our well-being is intricately linked to various factors, including lifestyle, stress management, and emotional resilience, has sparked a growing interest in holistic approaches to self-care. Amidst these considerations, one often underestimated, yet profoundly impactful aspect is the environment we immerse ourselves in daily.
Our surroundings hold the power to shape our emotions, influence our thought patterns, and contribute to our overall mental well-being. Beyond aesthetics and functionality, good interior design has the power to boost our mental health by transforming our homes into sanctuaries that nurture our minds and offer respite from the demands of the outside world.
In this blog post we’ll explore how interior design directly influences mental health. Going beyond surface-level decor, we'll explore the impact of:
Color Psychology
The role of lighting
The importance of decluttering
The value of personalization
These elements collectively work to craft spaces that not only have aesthetic appeal but also play a vital role in improving our mental and emotional well-being.
#1 Color Psychology
It is well established that color plays an important role in the way we experience the world and influences our emotions. Color has a profound impact on our lives including sleep schedules, stress level, and can even influence our appetites. Color psychology is the study of how colors can affect our behavior and emotions. It explores the psychological and emotional responses we have to different colors and the impact of color on mood, perception, and overall well-being.
In interior design, a color scheme is often one of the first things we establish for a new project because of the importance of color on the success of the design and the way our client wants the space to look and feel. For instance, calming colors like soft blues and greens may be used in bedrooms to promote better sleep while energizing colors may be incorporated into a home office to enhance productivity.
#2 The Role of Lighting
It should be no surprise that lighting has a major impact on mental health - especially since there are disorders, as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) that are caused specifically by low lighting levels during the winter. Even without a DSM-5 recognized disorder, the lighting in the interior spaces we inhabit influences our mood, energy levels, and overall well being on a daily basis - so it is important to get it right.
Natural Light & Mood
Natural light is by far the best type of lighting for well-being. It helps to regulate our circadian rhythm and enhance our moods - in fact, a 2022 study concluded that homes with better daylighting design significantly affected subjective emotional well-being and maximizing the amount of light entering a home served to increase the impact. Spaces flooded with natural light create a sense of openness and vitality but the benefits extend far beyond the aesthetics. The changing of light throughout the day helps to regulate the hormones involved in our internal clock that signals to us when it is time to be alert and productive and when to rest.
Artificial Lighting & Ambiance
While it would be wonderful to have optimal natural lighting at all times, that is simply not possible. Good artificial lighting design can optimize lighting in spaces depending on their use - warm-toned lights are ideal for relaxation spaces because they create a cozy and inviting atmosphere while cool-toned lights contribute to a more energized and focused environment, making them ideal for workspaces and activated rooms such as kitchens, play areas, and bathrooms when getting ready. As interior designers, we are trained in lighting design to ensure that the spaces we create are not only beautiful but contribute to a holistic sense of well-being.
Circadian Lighting
Circadian lighting is a new trend that has been gaining in popularity in recent years with advances in lighting technology and our deeper understand of how lighting affects our cicadian rhythm and well-being. At it’s essence, circadian lighting is simply artificial lights that are able to change temperature (warm light is more yellow and cooler light is bluer) and brightness to mimic the suns natural variations in lighting levels throughout the day. This type of lighting is ideal in rooms that have variable use cases throughout the day, such as bathrooms which need to have brighter, more direct light during the morning when they are being used to get ready for the day but require softer and warmer light in the evening for relaxation and winding down before bed.
#3 The Importance of Decluttering
Helping our clients declutter and designing creative storage solutions that keeps clutter away is an essential role of an interior designer during the design phase of a project. Beyond the surface level appeal of a clutter-free space, decluttering has a profound impact on our well-being and mental health. In fact, studies have shown a clear link between a clutter and heightened stress levels.
A chaotic environment, filled with excess items and no place to put them, can overwhelm the senses, creating mental turbulence and making it difficult to focus. In contrast, a well-curated and clutter free space can provide a haven of calmness, providing the brain with the clarity it needs to navigate life’s daily challenges. Even the process of decluttering can have positive mental-health affects since individuals undergo a mindful evaluation of their possessions as they engage in a systemic evaluation of their things. Think, the Marie Kondo craze from a few years ago.
Whether you consider yourself a minimalist or a maximalist, prioritizing quality over quantity and having a place for everything encourages a more conscious and deliberate lifestyle. Through the creation of intentional spaces, interior design can help foster tranquility, mental clarity, and an improved sense of well-being.
#4 The Value of Personalization
Interior design is all about creating unique spaces that reflect the values and lifestyle of the those inhabiting them. A well designed space allows a home to become more than just a physical structure but an extension of oneself. In this context, interior design goes beyond aesthetics to create a connection with ones surroundings that fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, offering a retreat to find solace and to nurture the mind and enhance emotional well-being.
Research has demonstrated that the ability for employees to personalize their workspaces contributes to heightened mental resources and facilitates improved coping mechanisms against distractions and stress. If this phenomenon holds true within the workplace, it undoubtedly translates to the home environment as well. Working with an interior designer to ensure your home is a reflection of “you” and your lifestyle contributes not only to a more harmonious living environment, but serves as a nurturing haven for mental health and overall happiness.
As the world and our lives become more complicated, it is only going to become more evident the effect our surroundings have on our mental health and the importance of creating a sanctuary in our homes.
If your home isn’t currently serving your well-being and mental health, and you’re unsure of the next steps we would love to help you create your haven. Book a free 20-minute discovery call with our lead designer who will help you map out the steps to a home that not only reflects your style but also becomes a source of comfort and rejuvenation.