How do material finishes impact mental health?
We’ve all experienced leaving work after a difficult day. Perhaps stress at work caused you to feel anxious. Or perhaps you fought with a member of your family. It’s possible that you lost a crucial game. or experienced a loved one’s death. Our instincts encourage us to return home after being shocked or upset. Unwind. Recharge. Lick your wounds. When we require psychological or social safety, we withdraw to our personal areas. Many of our life’s moments were framed by the private areas in our home. It’s critical that your personal spaces comfort, support, and generate positive emotional energy because these areas serve as the backdrop for so many significant and stressful times in life.
CAN HOME DESIGN BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH?
The most prevalent mental health issues, according to the Mental Health Foundation, are anxiety and depression. However, numerous approaches and methods used in interior design have been found to lessen anxiety and despair. Even while there has long been a link between aesthetics in the house and emotional stability, more recent research has strengthened this link. The connections have been extensively studied in the healthcare sector. Creating areas for social interaction and solitude can improve mental wellness.
The psychological consequences of interior design are also taken into consideration in the corporate sphere. Corporate designers construct inspiring, encouraging settings that will encourage productivity, creativity, happiness, trust, or even intimidation using colour, lighting, layouts, textures, and artwork. Business designers give attitude just as much thought as they do to looks.
Although the relationship between interior design and our emotions has received a lot of attention in recent years, this type of environmental psychology has been practised for thousands of years, as evidenced by the Chinese Feng Shui, the Indian Vaastu Shastra, etc. Scientists are conducting a great deal of research on this subject and coming up with the most astounding findings as a result of the growth of neuroscience. They’ve demonstrated how some aspects of interior design may make people feel either positively or negatively. These results pave the way for designing environments that purposefully change ornamental aspects in an effort to promote creativity, calm, and happiness.
While many aspects of interior design have been linked to better mental health, some aspects keep coming up again and time again. It has been thoroughly researched how sunlight, open space, plants and flowers, natural elements, colour, and artwork affect people. Each of these design components can help to create a space that is beneficial to lowering stress, anxiety, and depression when handled properly.
SUNLIGHT LIGHTENS YOUR MOOD – DESIGNING ROOMS WITH LIGHT
Although a room bathed in light is a sight to behold, did you know that sunlight also lessens depression? Whether it comes from a window or the outside, sunlight is a mood enhancer. In fact, adding additional light to a space can increase happiness. A consistent absence of sunlight can cause depression or worsen anxiety. Humans appear to be energised and motivated by sunlight both at home and at work. According to a 2002 study, one of the most important elements in raising sales volume in retail settings was daylight, while numerous studies have shown the psychological and physical advantages of natural light, one study found that workers who had access to natural light performed noticeably better than those who did not have sunlight in their workspaces.
EXPANDING YOUR HOME’S SPACIOUSNESS CAN EXPAND YOUR SPIRIT
Most people prefer a lot of room over a small space, but not everyone is aware that a feeling of space can also improve your mood. According to one study, people tend to be happier and more
creative in spaces with high ceilings. However, rooms with lower ceilings might nonetheless obtain the benefits of spaciousness. It appears that one of the essential elements of happier environments is a feeling of Openness. Better moods are facilitated by clutter-free, open homes. With the appropriate design, furnishings, organisation, and lighting, this airy feeling can be created in nearly any room. The popular Netflix series “Tidying Up,” which uses the Japanese Konmari Method, has helped many people become fans of it. Entrepreneur Marie Kondo is an advocate for it.
INTERIOR DESIGN: USE COLOR TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH
Colour is one of the design aspects that has been shown to affect mood the most. For many, colour plays a major role in how we see the world. The 1800s saw the publication of Theory of Colours by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which is when psychology as we know it now first emerged. The opinions of researchers and interior designers on the impacts of colour have continued to be reviewed and updated. The saturation and brightness of each hue have a big role in the emotional capabilities they possess, in addition to the psychological characteristics and advantages associated with them. The purity of the colour is referred to as saturation. Less saturated hues, for instance, contain more black or grey. True blue has more saturation than steel blue. The amount of white in a colour—or how light it appears—determines how bright it is.
Personal Association:
Even though there is a tonne of research demonstrating how most people respond to colours, one’s own experience with a colour takes precedence above social conventions. Our feelings about colours are influenced by our own histories. White is the hue of death in several cultures, despite the fact that American brides wear it. If you spent your carefree, joyful youth in a room that was brilliant red, crimson may help you feel upbeat and content as an adult. If the kitchen of your cherished grandmother was a vivid shade of purple, purple might stand for tender indulgence and whet your desire Make sure the colours you chose for your home provide the impression of a cosy haven that calms and relaxes, whether you discover that your associations with colour are in line with studies or you’ve developed an unexpected personal association.
HOME ART HAS AN IMPACT ON MOOD
Numerous studies demonstrate the beneficial effects of art viewing on mood and mental health. But some art can also evoke gloomy or unfavourable feelings. The psychology of art is founded on social standards, just like the psychology of colour. How people respond to art is significantly influenced by their individual likes and experiences. But we also know that one of the best ways to make a space feel warm and healing is to add beauty and personal emotions to it. A pricey print or an original work of art can be found in a home. Art can take many different forms, including pottery, ceramics, silverware, sculptures, decorative items, glassware, and even dish ware.
Using your creativity to convey your worldview can help you feel less stressed and anxious. Observing art has been proven to be a stress-reduction technique. This is why many different kinds of mental health therapy now include both seeing and doing art. No matter where it comes from or how much it costs, viewing art has been shown to reduce stress. In fact, one method used by experts to lessen the signs of anxiety and despair is to view and create art. Our brains are programmed to recognise patterns, respond to them, and associate feelings with aesthetic and ornamental features. We immediately associate particular colours, shapes, images, and aesthetic expressions even as infants. Despite the fact that it can take many diverse forms across many cultures and contexts, humans are drawn to creative beauty.
USE INTERIOR DESIGN TO TRANSFORM YOUR ROOM INTO A HAPPY HOME!
Everyone seeks out a secure setting where we can feel defended and welcomed. When you go home, if you don’t feel cosy and welcomed, it’s time to reconsider your home’s layout. Whether you live in a large estate or a small apartment, small adjustments in the interior decor can have a significant impact on your attitude.
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