Interior design isn’t just about making your home look pretty. It can truly affect your mental health. The look of a room can improve your mood, reduce stress and promote wellness.
We don’t only choose our homes for their air quality or even their proximity to schools and workplaces. We are consciously or subconsciously deciding on where we live based on how the space makes us feel. When interior design affects our wellbeing, why not make some improvements in your home’s interior? Here are some ways to improve mental health through interior design.
1.) Go Natural
An easy way to improve wellness is to bring more natural elements indoors. Living plants, more window space, and surfaces that reflect natural light all work to lift your mood and make you feel healthier.
Natural elements like plants and flowers can make an area livelier, decrease stress and boost your immune system. When you surround yourself with nature, you naturally become calmer as well.
2.) Keep Things Organized
Keeping your home organized and clutter-free is an easy way to improve mental health. Cluttered spaces are often overwhelming, leaving you anxious. They can also make you feel depressed or even increase feelings of loneliness.
No one wants to live in a place that makes them feel bad about themselves. Keeping your space clear and organized will boost your mood and increase happiness long term.
3.) Use a Healthier Paint
If you’re planning to have a room makeover, try using healthier paint when it’s time to add new coats of color. Healthier paints are free from harmful chemicals. They emit no harmful fumes and odors while they dry. This keeps your home more beneficial for your lungs, and overall wellbeing.
4.) Use Natural Fibres
Using natural fibers is another way to improve mental health through interior design. It reduces allergens in your home, which can help with respiratory conditions or allergies. Rugs and carpets made from natural fibers are also incredible at trapping dust mites. These rugs and carpets can work wonders if you have asthma or other irritations caused by dust mites.
5.) Choose Useful Furniture
Functional furniture is also vital for mental health. Chairs and couches should be comfortable, but they shouldn’t just be areas where you sit. If you’re sitting or lying on uncomfortable furniture for long periods, that can lead to stress, depression, back pain, and even insomnia.
6.) Lighting Matters
Proper lighting has a significant impact on how we feel, too. If you have harsh lights that hurt your eyes or make it hard to see, that’s going to be a problem. If you have no natural light in the room where you spend most of your time, that can cause stress and increase feelings of distress. The right amount of lighting will help ease these concerns. Natural daylight is best if possible, but different lamps with soft lighting are also good alternatives.
7.) Become a Minimalist
Minimalist design has become a trend in recent years. The idea is to keep things simple and limit the number of decorations or large pieces of furniture in your home. Your home becomes cleaner and more organized when you take down excess items like decorative objects and extra curtains. They’re easier to clean and more uncomplicated to decorate when you need to change up the look. Plus, they can make you feel calmer and happier because you don’t live in an overwhelming space.
8.) Correct The Layout
Finally, think about the layout of your home. Are the rooms laid out in a way where you feel comfortable? Do they flow nicely, or do they seem clunky and awkward? The layout can affect how you use your space and the amount of effort it takes to maintain it. If your space is laid out well, that’s one less thing to worry about.
Improving mental health through interior design isn’t always easy, but sometimes making minor changes is all it takes. Interior design does more than making homes look pretty. It can improve our wellbeing, too!