What is a Wellness Approach in Interior Design?
This approach is fairly new to the design community and has become a valuable topic since the pandemic. Our homes play a significant role in our everyday lives, like the relationships we hold, our current stage in life and our personality. The story can begin as soon as you walk up to someone's home. Does the person like gardening, are they into personalization, are they subtle or creative? There is no doubt that this is the reason behind this new approach and why so many of us are invested in making our homes look and feel beautiful. Let's begin at the definition of this approach and the value it holds.
What is Wellness?
This term is used often to promote better health from a social, physiological. spiritual or psychological perspective but what does it mean? According to Miller (2005) its a term that was recognized in the 1950's that is "focused on active health promotion through lifestyle change" (p.84), This term has since been recognized all over and is utilized at spas and other treatment facilities to promote a healthier approach.
How can this approach be utilized in Interior Design?
As an interior Designer, this approach can be effective only with the client in mind because what may work for one individual may not work for another. One question you may ask, is how your client identifies with their home? Is this a place of entertainment, privacy or a mix of the two and what stage of life is your client in? Are they retired, a new mom, full time entrepreneur, or a first time home owner, this will help you understand what they need in their home at this time? How space is utilized in a home can determine how you will design it, meaning if you are working with a new mom you will want to make sure that the main room accommodates the children. Having enough storage and an exact location for playtime can help things stay organized and relieve stress. This approach can be done by anyone, your home should evolve with each stage of your life and each room should have a purpose. This helps keep things in perspective and allows your home to serve you in the best way possible.
Who will benefit from this approach?
This will serve anyone but most importantly it will help those who are struggling with finding comfort and peace at home. There are simple ways to improve the quality of your home that many are unaware of, like lighting, organization and even the colors you choose to paint your walls. It's important to understand who you are and what you want your home to represent and then implement that in each space. This approach will not only benefit you but those that reside there and spend time in your space.
Graham, L. T., Gosling, S. D., & Travis, C. K. (2015). The psychology of home environments: A call for research on residential space. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(3), 346–356
Miller, J. W. (2005). Wellness: The history and development of a concept. Spektrum Freizeit, 1, 84-102.
