If you’ve been feeling tired all the time, even on your days off spent at home, the problem might be something you didn’t expect. Namely, the space we spend time in has a large effect on our mood. Not just that, our home can affect our health and well-being as well. Everything in your home will have an impact on you – the doors, the windows, the colours, even the materials you choose. All of these things could influence the way you feel, behave, eat, or sleep at night. No matter whether you live on your own, with your friends, or family, it may be time you checked what you can change around your home to promote a healthier life.
Kitchen
The best way to start this journey is by taking a look at your kitchen. This is one of the rooms you may visit the most and it’s the place where the magic happens – healthy meals made with fresh ingredients and a lot of love! If you want a kitchen designed for making healthy meals, you’ll need to design one that will be practical and beautiful. For instance, it should have multiple work zones and long counter space.
If your partner and you both work and you have small children, you may not have all the time in the world to cook complicated recipes. That is why you’ll need to be very strategic when organizing the kitchen. For instance, keep fresh veggies and fruit on the counter and smoothie blender nearby. Make sure to pack the appliances neatly and keep them in the cabinets when you’re not using them. You could also have a small herb garden that will look gorgeous, smell amazing and come in handy when cooking!
Bedroom
Next, you could deal with the bedroom. The space where you sleep should quite literally be an oasis. Not only your bedroom, but every bedroom in the house should be a sanctuary. You should have large windows there with a lot of natural light during the day. You could create a reading nook by the window and add some plants there as well. A wood platform bed and some sheets made of natural materials would make a perfect fit for this kind of bedroom.
Sleeping well is one of the most important healthy habits. Without a good night of sleep, you don’t get the chance to boost your immune system, improve both physical and mental health, and lower the risk of chronic disease. To ensure high-quality sleep, you should invest in some light-blocking shades, non-reflective surfaces, and organic materials. You should also keep the devices and gadgets outside the bedroom as the blue light won’t do any good for you.
Bathroom
Another pretty important room when it comes to design for wellness is the bathroom. The bathroom is the place where you take care of yourself. Not just your physical body – the bathroom could be a space where you focus on yourself and spend some time therapeutically. Even designing the bathroom can be a calming and therapeutic experience. For instance, choosing the bathroom pieces, the colours, shades, patterns, and materials, and, finally, decorating it can make you feel heavenly.
When it comes to materials in a bathroom, you should focus on some eco-friendly options. For example, pebbles or moss could be used for making bath mats and bamboo or organic cotton could be used for making towels. Another great way to promote wellness is to be aware of your water spending habits. To reduce the amount of water you waste, you could install low-flow faucets, use rainwater, and recycle water. Finally, for decorating, you could throw in some plants for humid spaces and invest in some scented candles!
Living room
When designing a home where health is the primary concern, you shouldn’t forget the room where you relax and unwind. This is the room where you could quite literally connect with nature and feel at peace. The first thing that a great living room needs is a large window. The more natural light and fresh air the better you’ll feel. You should invest in some high-quality curtains – some that will keep your privacy, but that will also give you full control over the lighting.
Make sure to keep the colours light and breezy and get as many natural materials as possible. Wood floors and tables are just some of the options. Make sure that the furniture is comfortable and good for your posture. Decorate with a bunch of flowers and keep the space clean all the time. You should always declutter the space. When decorating, try not to put too much stuff around, as this could create a crowded ambience. You don’t want your living room to suffocate you. Instead, you want it to be an oasis.
Home office
If your work doesn’t end when you leave the office or if you do your work remotely, you’ll need a space in your home specifically designed for this purpose. Of course, you could work in your living room if you live in a small apartment, but this may not be the best idea. When you relax, eat, socialise, and work in the same space, you could easily confuse all of these activities. You may find it difficult to concentrate when necessary.
On the other hand, having a home office, even if it’s just a part of a large room could do wonders for you. When organising such a space, you should think of a traditional office. What comes to mind? The answer is concrete, steel, glass, and artificial lighting. You should avoid these in your home office. Instead, you should focus on natural lighting, comfortable furniture, and some artwork on the walls. These will keep you relaxed, interested, and motivated to work.
Zen zone
If you have a spare room in your home, you shouldn’t think twice about what you could use it for. Creating a zen zone inside your home could keep you sane and healthy. If you lead a busy life, commute a lot, work many hours, have children and pets, and stare at a computer, you shouldn’t be surprised if you feel exhausted most of the time. All of these activities take a lot of energy and you could be desperate for some kind of recharging.
A zen zone in the house could be the perfect space for this. It can be the smallest of rooms and, yet, it’ll feel like the whole world is yours as soon as you close the doors. Make sure that it’s well-lit and that it smells good all the time. Scented candles and plants could help with that. You can put a comfortable chair in there and create a reading nook or you could put a mirror and some manicure sets there!
Fitness room
Another great idea is creating a fitness room. There is no better way to promote a healthy life than staying active and taking care of your body. Since you’ll cook and sleep well, you’ll only need a space where you could work on your body. However, you couldn’t choose just any room to be a fitness room. Instead, you should pick the one you come across a lot. If you need to be reminded to stay active – remind yourself!
This will be great for the whole family. You could throw in a meditation cushion, yoga mat, treadmill, and a dumbbell set. Depending on your capacities and ambitions, you could get different pieces of equipment for your fitness room. If you like to exercise, make sure to invest more in this room. Again, you should have large windows and a lot of fresh air in this room. Make sure to paint in some neutral colours and you could put some motivational posters on the walls.
Biophilic design
Finally, if you want a home design that promotes wellness and health, you should consider a biophilic design. This design is all about people’s connection to nature. It’s a perfect way to combine your love for interior design and natural elements. The design refers to light, materials, colours, shapes, and elements. For instance, earthy colours and images of animals in your living room could fit into this concept perfectly. Even the shapes that come from nature such as arches, rock shelves, and water paths could be a part of your home.
The more vegetation in your home, the more connected to nature you are. For instance, you could have herb gardens in your kitchen or large plants in the corner of your living room. When it comes to materials, wood and stone are the most obvious choices. You could keep this in mind if you’re thinking about the flooring options in your home. Biophilic design is all about the earth and our surroundings. This promotes wellness at its core.
Conclusion
Staying healthy doesn’t have to be hard today. Even though the time we live in is hectic, we don’t have to be. You can make a difference in your life and the best way to start is to see where exactly you live. These design ideas could help you and your family develop a healthier lifestyle and improve your overall well-being!
