5 interior design resolutions for healthy living
Design: Time & Place Interiors
With the New Year just rung in, you might be adding healthy lifestyle goals to your resolutions list: exercise regularly, eat better, meditate. I’m joining you with these intentions for my own wellness goals. (Please keep me honest, folks!) And I’m also adding a few healthy living resolutions from an interior design perspective.
As a certified WELL AP through the International WELL Building Institute, I’m trained in the impacts on human health by the indoors, where we spend 90% of our time. Good air quality, ergonomic support, and avoidance of toxins are critical. Lesser known is that interior design also has physiological impacts on our wellness. A well designed space lowers our bodies’ cortisol levels, nurturing personal feelings of calm, inner strength, independence, and creativity. So there’s strong reason to invest in nice things!
The good news is that, unlike calorie-reducing diets, these wellness-oriented interior design resolutions are less focused on elimination and more about indulging in quality. Think about them as your reward. You deserve it!
Practice mindful consumption
Design: Time & Place Interiors
It’s easy these days to click the buy-it-now button and furnish your home on the cheap. The repercussions of “fast furniture” are costly, though. Not only does mass production deplete natural resources, it also goes hand-in-hand with an overconsumption of overrated household goods. Chances are, you’ve experienced disappointment when an online furniture purchase arrived looking different than its photo: that’s probably because the image had been doctored to conceal its poor finishing. After it wears down, particleboard furniture can’t be repaired, and cheap seating isn’t worth the cost of reupholstery, all leading to a cycle of cumbersome waste that erodes the serene vibes you want your home to give.
To achieve a more lasting connection to your space, elevate your expectations: enduring quality designs aren’t meant to be sourced without a decent level of investment. Instead of settling for a trendy knockoff, find a one-of-a-kind contemporary or vintage alternative that won’t look like everyone else’s basic room. And seek out vendors that offer small batch products crafted of solid materials. If you can’t afford the time, turn to an interior designer to cut through the search.
2. Choose natural fibers
Design: Time & Place Interiors
Similar to how whole nutrient foods are essential for your health, natural fibers in furniture are also better for your body. Unlike synthetics doused in chemicals, which are often found in cheap throwaway furniture, natural materials like wool, linen, alpaca, cotton, and silk don’t emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that disrupt your body’s respiratory and endocrine processes. They also feel more luxurious.
Also, performance fabrics may sound tempting — I get it. Unfortunately, they’re treated with PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), “forever chemicals” whose exposure can lead to reproductive, developmental, and immunity risks, as well as cancers. And, in truth, the treatment on performance fabrics wears off within a year or two anyway, leaving synthetic materials like viscose, which are particularly prone to water stains, even more vulnerable to wear. Healthier selections are wool (which has natural stain-deflecting properties), sturdy mohair, a darker fabric, or a textured weave: they’ll show less wear without compromising your indoor air quality.
3. Beautify your everyday
Design: Time & Place Interiors
Especially in small spaces where household items are often on close display, bringing considered design through everyday objects is essential to feeling peaceful. Look around your space, focusing on the utilitarian items that you handle every day, and ask yourself if they invite not only function but also appealing aesthetics into your home.
Consider kitchen items like cutting boards or serving dishes: do they make for an attractive display on your counter when you entertain? How about your storage items, like a tray for keys or your laundry hamper: could you upgrade to an Italian leather catchall or an African basket to make for more pleasant daily living? For dinnertime, would you consider linen napkins (with casual, no-fuss wrinkles left in) instead of paper towels? Now may be time to eliminate the budget disposables of your 20s in favor of elevated designs, reflecting your adult lifestyle.
4. Bring nature inside
Design: Time & Place Interiors
You know that invigorating feeling after you’ve spent time outside in sunlight and fresh air? It stems from humans’ innate draw to nature. That sensation can be reproduced in your home too. Research showing the benefits of biophilic design, which encourages the integration of nature in interiors, is plentiful: it supports cognitive function, physical health, and mental wellbeing.
Summon harmony and tranquility in your interior design scheme by leaning into nature’s subtle patterns: real wood furniture of mixed tones, organic accents like a large carved onyx bowl, or a shapely branch inserted into a ceramic vessel. For more ideas, see my blog post, Fresh ways to bring the outdoors into your home.
5. Indulge in your space
Design: Time & Place Interiors
There’s value in crafting a nurturing environment. It gives us the literal space to decompress, preparing our bodies and minds to energetically tackle both our individual stressors as well as broader political, social, and environmental issues that impact our world. So, give yourself permission to indulge in making a comfortable home that serves as your personal oasis.
If you’ve reached the point in life where you’re reading the restaurant menu from left to right, go ahead and burn the nice expensive candle (made with non-toxic soy or beeswax) and pour yourself a good scotch in a real crystal tumbler. Treat yourself to creating a cozy reading nook to unwind in, or a relaxing bedroom setup to recharge. As long as you practice gratitude, and approach your consumer decisions with mindfulness, investing in lasting interior design that cradles you will pay off.
Bringing healthy design to your home
Time & Place Interiors’s founder Ksenya Malina holds a WELL AP certification, demonstrating a commitment to advancing wellness in design. To discuss bringing serenity into your home, use the button below to set up a free 20-minute information call with Ksenya:
