Beginners Guide To Holistic Interior Design
I’m often chatting to people about trends, it’s the one thing most people want to discuss when they find out what I do. I’ve always preferred sticking to the timeless over trend seeking if I’m being honest.
For as long as I can remember, the focus is on how your home looks and how your home functions. Makes sense and who doesn’t want a gorgeous home that suits the needs of our family. But I see changes coming…..
In this stressful and fast-changing world in which we live, a new ‘trend’ is emerging less to do with the latest look and more to do with how our homes makes us feel… and how our homes contribute to our overall wellbeing.
We are pivoting to a time where we want more from our homes, not only must they look beautiful they must also support our physical, emotional and mental health and overall wellbeing….
…..and here comes the Woo Warning: they must also support us spiritually too.
If you’d have spoken about all things woo a few years ago, you’d have been labelled the village witch….but it’s now common conversation and doesn’t seem quite as “out there”.
In fact as we clamber for more calm, more connectedness, a simpler and more self aware approach, it’s easy to see why Holistic Interior Design is rising in such popularity.
Take a second to look around you and you’ll see meditation, crystals, Feng Shui, colour therapy, astrology, numerology….All being spoken about as pretty normal and dare I say, no longer alternative and a little more mainstream.
This, my friend, is Holistic Interior Design, and I think it’s here to stay.
A Beginners Guide To Holistic Interior Design
So what exactly is Holistic Interior Design?
At its core, holistic interior design is an energy based practice that looks at how to enhance the health of the mind, body and soul. The ultimate goal of which is to maintain a sense of harmony and wellness.
When you feel positivity in a space, it’s very likely that the energy field is balanced. You’re creating a positive environment that makes you feel comfortable and happy.
When you get positive vibes, it can be a combination of good energy flow, proper Feng Shui, a positive colour palette and several other factors.
When the energy field in a room becomes unbalanced, it can manifest physical illness.
Holistic interior design taps into your soul and creates the environment you need as a person to feel safe, comfortable and healthy in your home. It can heal, whether that is simply enhancing your mood or giving you the proper elements you need to simply relax in your home after a serious day in the office.
Holistic Interior design means understanding that the spaces in which we live should have a direct connection to how we live and how we feel.
Many of us are guilty of planning a room based on trends. We choose furniture, accessories or paint colours that don’t necessarily speak to us. We’re trying to “keep up with the Jones’” without considering whether the furniture suits the size or layout of the room and indeed even our lifestyle.
Designing holistically means taking a whole home approach to designing your home, the environment and the people that live there….Spending less time concerned with trends and beautiful objects, and more time considering how a design will impact our mental and physical wellbeing, along with our comfort and productivity.
Holistic interior design lifts your spirit and nurtures your soul.
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU ARE DESIGNING OR DECORATING YOUR HOME:
- The only people you need to impress are the ones living there.
A pretty space designed to impress the neighbours is not necessarily going to make you feel good when you are in it. Remember… you live there, they don’t.
- Before you create a space, ask yourself how it will be used.
This is one of the first principles of design – taking into account a room’s purpose, who uses it and what they use it for. So if your children do their homework in the living room, you need proper lighting and a desk or work station where they can be comfortable and productive. Ensuring that it’s possible to undertake a task in any room will promote your wellbeing.
- Think about the layout of the room.
Every room needs an uninterrupted flow. When furniture is in the wrong place, it can affect you physically as well as psychologically. There of course many Feng Shui principles and practices, but a few to follow that will promote your wellbeing: ensure no one has their back to the door, windows are not blocked and energy can flow freely through the space, keeping your energy fields aligned.
- Choose colours for wellness.
Colours impact your mood and behaviour, and normally the last consideration is how it can emotionally and mentally support you. When you choose colours that make you happy, or promote relaxation, or slow down your heart rate, it’s easy to see how you can use colour to achieve wellness and your specific #SoulGoals.
- Make every space a reflection of your personality.
Your home should be a reflection of the people that live there. Choose colours that bring you joy, choose personal items and photos that represent YOU. The moment you walk into a room, you should feel positivity because you are personally connected to the space.
- Contain the clutter.
Minimalism is also a holistic approach to interiors as it’s so beneficial to our mental wellbeing. Every home needs proper storage. Clutter has a negative impact on your health as it causes stress which can lead to physical illness. Keep clutter to a minimum and you’ll feel lighter, calmer and happier.
Making it a point to consider how you feel in a room, rather than simply focusing on how the room looks, is a great starting point for making holistic design changes that bring you happiness.
Natalie xx
