EcoCreative Design

It is scientifically proven that the average person spends between 90% to 93% of their time inside built environments. With the large amount of time a person spends inside built environments, a home needs to have spaces that can promote healthy behaviors to the occupants. Design should have familiar items that the occupants enjoy. Rooms in your home should be designed to create feelings. The living room may be the game room or audacious party room full of laughter. Where is the exercise area? Is there a room to inspire creativity or reading? Where is the “go-to” space for calm and self-care?

Every home style is different since it reflects the unique characteristics of the owners. It can tell their life story. There could be an item from a grandmother born in another country. A home can display the personalities and interests of the occupants. Most people have items from childhood or from special events displayed in their homes. These familiar items are part of who a person is. These spaces in a home can complement the owner’s lifestyle. A hobby room with model air planes, exercise room, or a herb garden in the kitchen.

What feelings do you have in your home? There can be a color, or an object or a view in your home that makes you feel a certain way. One person told me that she sits by the large living room window looking outside at the branches of the trees blowing in the wind to help her feel calm. Another person I talked with mentioned that her kitchen made her feel happy. She must have some good memories. People have said that the kitchen is the “heart” of the home. So true for my Italian mother who was always in the kitchen cooking enough food for twenty people no matter how few people she would be expecting.

If you dared to walk into the kitchen when she was cooking, watch out! You could find yourself cutting some onions, peeling potatoes, or making the stuffing. Her kitchen was an adventure with laughter. The more the merrier for a delicious Italian meal.

There are basic things we know a home will provide. It can be a shelter from harsh weather. A boundary to keep the owners safe from animals or unwanted guests. A home always has multiple spaces with different functions that are needed for daily living. More often than not, one room can have multiple functions. A laundry room for washing clothes, a bedroom for sleep and for doing homework, and a living room to read a book, play chess or entertain guests.

I had one room in my home where I could go to for relaxation and read a book. I didn’t think about a hobby or an activity room to become more engaged. Research suggests that when a person engages in an activity they enjoy and remove themselves from everyday activities, they begin to relax and have less stress. There has recently been more interior design focus on solutions to promote the health of people for a more productive life.

Every home can have a “go to” space for self-care like the picture to the left. The chair is nestled besides the fireplace below a bookshelf stuffed with a pillow and a blanket. A special place to get away from mundane routines and become engaged in a fun activity. Spending more than thirty minutes a day in a relaxing space can help to decrease stress. Mentally engage in an enjoyable activity that brings joy. Think of what words you could use to describe this space you can all your own. Cozy. Snug. Soft. Unwind. Tranquil. Are there familiar things that could be added only for you to enjoy? Something from a special event or trip. What hobby could you work on? Calligraphy. Puzzles. Coloring books. Journaling. Origami. The list is endless. Your life is valuable and your health is important. Don’t forget to laugh.