How to Design Your Home for Daily Wellness

Designing a home for daily wellness is more than building a home gym or plopping your Peloton down into the corner of a room. It’s about creating a whole home that fully promotes and supports your physical and mental well-being. 

There are several obvious and not-so-obvious ways to do this, and you don’t need to hire a designer to get a good start. This week, we’re sharing our top tips for a wellness-inspired home. 

1. Increase Visual Space for Mental Peace

Clutter signals chaos in our brains. When items don’t have a place, they end up piling up on the kitchen island or on the entryway table. These piles lead to stress, whether it’s conscious or subconscious. Here are some tips for opening things up:

• Organize with baskets, bins, and multipurpose furnishings
• Create a designated playroom to clear the mess out of the main living areas
• Say good riddance to builder-grade built-in bathtubs and install a free-standing soaking tub
• Consolidate storage (e.g. combine several smaller cabinets into one large built-in or display cabinet)
• Rearrange furniture to clear sightlines from room to room
• Swap out low-hanging lighting for beautiful flush mounts
• Add full-length or oversized mirrors to reflect some extra light around your space
• Use color strategically, as shown below, to increase the perceived space in the room (we can help)

2. Focus on Quality, Sustainability & Toxin-Free

There are a few reasons that quality and sustainability can support your overall wellness at home. First, the less you have to worry about things breaking or getting ruined, the happier and freer you will feel at home. Second, by choosing sustainable materials, you are playing an active role in the protection of our planet, and I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t feel good about that.

And lastly, sustainable materials are almost always made with non-toxic finishes. This means that you will not be ingesting as many VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which have been shown to impact indoor air quality with potentially harmful results on health.

Note: It is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid VOCs entirely, but choosing sustainable products is one way to reduce the potential impact and keep your home eco-friendly.

Scandi Modern Project | Photographer: Vivian Johnson

3. Create Space for Your Wellness Practices

Wellness practices can look very different for each of us. Some common ones might include meditation, prayer, yoga, biking on your Peloton, painting or art, reading, journaling, playing an instrument, etc. If you have a daily practice that brings you peace of mind, by all means, make space for it!

Create a nook, a she-shed, or dedicate an entire room to your practice. Short on space? Put an ottoman in front of your fireplace, in a corner, or near a window and a cabinet with the essentials you need. 

Another creative space-saving solution? A hanging swing chair. Perfect for those early morning meditations or evening wind-down rituals. 

4. Remove Distractions & Irritations

In every room of your home, design should feel like it’s working for you, not against you. If there is anything that drives you a little crazy each day (even if you’ve become deaf to it), take care of it. I know there’s a good reason it hasn’t been done yet, but you are worth the peace of mind.

For example, do you still have moving boxes around? Get those into storage. Does harsh overhead lighting feel blinding at night? Add a floor or table lamp with warm lighting for quiet moments. Does chipped paint on the ceiling catch your eye every time you walk into the living room? Hire someone. Get a fresh new color in there.

All of these small things may not seem important, and honestly, they’re not. But when they nag at you every single day, it wears on you. By eliminating distractions and irritations, you will breathe so much easier. That is just as important to your wellness as daily meditation.

Photographer: David Duncan Livingston

5. Cultivate Indoor-Outdoor Living

The last one on the list… nature. Research studies have shown that views and access to nature can improve health and lower daily stress levels. Who doesn’t want that? 

The way I see it, indoor-outdoor living is about the ebb and flow of letting in natural sunlight while seamlessly stepping outside to enjoy it with ease. And all that Vitamin D definitely promotes wellness for the entire family, especially during the gray winter months.

Our favorite way to embrace the indoor-outdoor lifestyle? Installing NanaWalls. What’s a NanaWall? Keep reading… 

Our Favorite Products for Promoting Wellness

I know, we couldn’t resist. Our team has curated a few of our favorite products, perfect for easy living, daily wellness, and feeling your best. You have my full permission to splurge on whatever makes you happy. Feel free to send this to your spouse if he/she disagrees. 😉

1. Kallista Free-Standing Bathtub. Looking to level up your bathing ritual? This splurge-worthy soaking tub is worth every penny…and more. And it’s got style.
2. Tabitha Arc Mirror. If you’re planning to design a designated yoga studio, you’ll need a stylish mirror for perfecting that downward dog. We love this minimalist, arched mirror with a brass frame.
3. Melon Hanging Swing Chair. Creating a space to chill, read a book, or just hang out? Check out our favorite ultra-comfortable hanging indoor lounger. This is where you can find me after work.
4. NanaWalls. Redefine your space with NanaWalls, an innovative and customizable glass wall system – think bi-fold doors and moving glass walls — that effortlessly invites the outdoors inside. We love these!
5. Aesop Candles. Ignite your senses with the woodsy and earthy aroma of Aesop candles. Perfect for enjoying a restful evening at any time of the year.

With these items on your wishlist (too soon for holiday shopping?), we’re confident you’ll be on your way to a home that supports and encourages your daily wellness rituals. 

Looking to lighten your mental load even more and take “designing your home” off your to-do list? We can handle that part, too. Reach out to us here, and let’s chat.

Cheers,

Melanie