Home isn\u2019t just where you live \u2013 it should make you feel at ease, inspired and truly yourself. Every little detail should be a reflection of you and the way you want to live.<\/b> <\/p>\n
\n A home designed with care and consideration can soothe the soul. And excite the senses.
\n When you love your home, it will love you back. The latest research tells us it\u2019s worth taking the time to create a home that makes you feel good. It\u2019s been proved that well-designed spaces are linked to wellbeing.\n <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have agency over what we surround ourselves with. We must feed ourselves with the\u202fexperiences we need to feel healthy and happy,\u201d says Susan Magsamen from the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University, a leader in the field of neuroaesthetics. <\/p>\n
Forms with feeling<\/p>\n
There is growing evidence showing how interior design can lift the way we feel. Designing a home with intent is about filling it with your favourite colours, patterns, textures and things that make you smile. Interior designer Sonja Hawkins has seen first-hand the connection between well-designed spaces and wellbeing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have always been intuitively aware that our environment can affect our emotions. This has certainly been heightened through my work with interiors.\u201d <\/p>\n
Everything we surround ourselves with \u2013 colour, texture, lighting, sound, smell \u2013 matters. <\/p>\n
Interior designer Sonja Hawkins. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I travel, either locally or abroad, I am constantly looking at the built environment and critiquing my surroundings, asking \u2018how would I make this a better place to be?\u2019 I\u2019d like to wave a magic wand, and improve our world for everyone,\u201d says Sonja. <\/p>\n
In her work, featured in international interiors magazines, she aims to evoke an emotional response. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really subscribe to the \u2018show home\u2019 immaculate aesthetic. When a space feels right, when it\u2019s somewhere you want to linger, then you know it\u2019s a success,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
This contemporary yet timeless bathroom by interior designer Sonja Hawkins is the perfect spot for a long soak. Photo \/ Simon Wilson<\/p>\n
A space for being<\/p>\n
Everyone has their own interpretation of what makes a home beautiful. Creating a space where you feel relaxed and at ease is all about making it as unique as you are. <\/p>\n
An experiment at the Milan furniture fair in 2019 revealed just how varied our taste in d\u00e9cor can be. The exhibit, A Space for Being, consisted of three living rooms, each with a unique look and feel. <\/p>\n
The first room, Essential, had soft lighting, curved walls and a calming atmosphere. A tapestry wall-hanging in wool,\u202fcoloured using natural dyes made from flowers, added a large textural element. <\/p>\n
The second room, Vital, was decorated in vibrant colours, with beams of light and a citrus smell. Interactive pop-up books filled with 3D artworks were dotted around the room to spark visitors\u2019 interest. <\/p>\n
The third room, Transformative, featured steel, wood and leather. It was animated with a neon light and smelt of charcoal. All the rooms were furnished with products by Danish design brand Muuto to give each space a common aesthetic. This was to help minimise personal taste influencing visitors\u2019 reactions, which were tracked with sensory triggers. <\/p>\n
When the data from the approximately 3000 participants was analysed, one-third preferred Essential, one-third, Vital and one-third Transformative. In some instances, the participants said they liked one room, yet their body responded to a different room. <\/p>\n
It seems our mind can tell us one thing and our heart another. One thing was clear \u2013 there was not an outstanding favourite. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. <\/p>\n
Heart and mind<\/p>\n
Aesthetics and its impact on the brain is a relatively new but growing field of science. Interior designer and founder of Good Space, Jade Hurst, has followed the work coming out of Johns Hopkins University\u2019s Arts + Mind Lab for a while now. <\/p>\n
Interior designer Jade Hurst replaced the heavy, mesh-covered windows with expansive glazing to let the sunlight pour in at Kenk\u014d Studios. Photo \/ Jono Parker<\/p>\n
\u201cIt deeply inspires me. It\u2019s exciting to see science backing what many designers have instinctively felt for years, that the spaces we live and work in profoundly shape our wellbeing and health outcomes,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been affected by my surroundings, how a space made me feel, not just how it looked. But it wasn\u2019t until I began working in design that I really started to understand the science behind it. When I came across A Space for Being, it was a lightbulb moment. I remember thinking, Yes! This is what I\u2019ve been feeling, and now there\u2019s research to back it up.\u201d <\/p>\n
Her path into design was via wellness architecture. <\/p>\n
Interior designer Jade Hurst lowered the windows in this ensuite to offer an uninterrupted outlook from the bath to the landscape. Photo \/ Rachel Wybrow<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really had its grip on me,\u201d says Jade. \u201cMy study explored the connection between the built environment and human health outcomes. Elements like air, light, sound and access to nature, and how they influence our nervous system. That foundation really shaped the way I approach design today. I studied via the International WELL Building Institute, and was the eighth person in New Zealand to receive my WELL accreditation. That experience reinforced everything I believe about design. I really hope more designers continue to explore this direction, because the ripple effect on human health is so powerful.\u201d <\/p>\n
Lived-in beauty<\/p>\n
A home is to be enjoyed \u2013 a sofa for relaxing, a dining table for gatherings, a sunny spot to read a book, a bath to soak in, a comfy bed for a great night\u2019s sleep. Designer Angela Wickstead, NZ-born and raised and UK-based, deeply appreciates aesthetics. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy background is both interior design and fashion and I firmly believe that well-designed surroundings can make a difference to one\u2019s wellbeing,\u201d says Angela, who designs and produces a collection of Italian-made luxury linens. <\/p>\n
Angela Wickstead designs and produces this luxury bed linen, which is made in Italy. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
\u201cCreatives generally have the gift of seeing the world in a way that closely examines and takes in their surroundings. They are used to looking at the world in this way, really taking in what\u2019s around them.\u201d <\/p>\n
She believes good design is to be enjoyed, not just admired. \u201cUse your beautiful things every day. I set my table with beautiful linen every night, even if it is just me at home for dinner,\u201d says the designer, who has a studio in London and lives in a country house in Shropshire. <\/p>\n
Designer Angela Wickstead. Photo \/ Rebecca Zephyr Thomas<\/p>\n
Considered living<\/p>\n
Aesthetics is not just making something look good, it\u2019s about enlivening our senses. It is what brings us joy and makes us feel alive. Our body and mind are sensing and feeling our surroundings all the time. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a growing understanding that aesthetics aren\u2019t just visual \u2013 they\u2019re emotional, physiological and deeply sensory,\u201d says Jade. <\/p>\n
\u201cGood design should engage all the senses. When we layer sight, sound, touch and smell with intention, we create spaces that support wellbeing in real, tangible ways. That\u2019s when design becomes truly human, it\u2019s where I get the most satisfaction creatively.\u201d <\/p>\n
Interior designer Jade Hurst. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Spaces designed for considered living are not an idealised version of home, a place that\u2019s perfect all the time. Interior design is gaining recognition as more than a tool for decoration or status \u2013 it\u2019s about forging an emotional connection with the space that is the backdrop to your daily life. <\/p>\n
\u201cI see my role as helping clients tune in to how they want to feel in a space, then translating that into something tangible,\u201d says Jade. \u201cIt\u2019s less about imposing a style, and more about unlocking a sense of clarity and connection they didn\u2019t know they had.\u201d Home is a space for being, and a space for being you. <\/p>\n
More on art, home, and design<\/p>\n
Celebrating creative minds and their spaces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Home isn\u2019t just where you live \u2013 it should make you feel at ease, inspired and truly yourself.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30745,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,24371,8534,366,24379,6574,18,117,14613,24370,4080,24372,2598,8776,598,19,7988,17,3846,3073,24378,20391,24375,24369,24380,24374,20205,21005,1213,24376,24381,24373,18121,2924,24377],"class_list":{"0":"post-30744","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-better","13":"tag-create","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-detail","16":"tag-ease","17":"tag-eire","18":"tag-entertainment","19":"tag-every","20":"tag-feel","21":"tag-for","22":"tag-good","23":"tag-home","24":"tag-how","25":"tag-ideas","26":"tag-ie","27":"tag-inspired","28":"tag-ireland","29":"tag-isnt","30":"tag-just","31":"tag-little","32":"tag-live","33":"tag-make","34":"tag-makes","35":"tag-reflection","36":"tag-should","37":"tag-that","38":"tag-thats","39":"tag-to","40":"tag-truly","41":"tag-want","42":"tag-where","43":"tag-why","44":"tag-you","45":"tag-yourself"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30744\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}