Wellness by Design: Interiors Tips & Tricks

Feature: Long Read

Words by Emilie Dock

Consider your home: does it fill you with joy? Is it a place of rejuvenation, retreat and recreation? If not, it might be time for a redesign. Believe it or not, surrounding yourself with beauty is backed by neuroaesthetics – a veritable science that explores the positive affect pleasing interiors can have on the brain. But it doesn’t take a scientist to perfect it.

Look to the realms of colour, texture, lighting and nature to consider how your surroundings make you feel. Furnish your home in a way that resonates, rather than following trends you're not invested in. The more visually appealing your surroundings are to you, the more you will truly feel ‘at home’.

LETITIA FITZGIBBON, HEAD OF HARRODS INTERIOR DESIGN

"A big part of being happy is being inspired. We all collect things that we love, and now is the time to let them shine! Make your collection a part of your interiors by investing in how it's arranged."

More Than a Feeling

Did you know that tactile stimulation triggers oxytocin and lowers cortisol levels, reducing stress and anxiety? Rough and smooth, hard and soft – make your home work on every sensory level. Look to velvet, wool and linen; brass, cork and wood. Any material that invites you to reach out and touch it. Then mix and layer to your heart’s content.

Really bright sitting room with sofa and multiples plants

It's Only Natural

If you’re a fan of plant-filled rooms, garden views and natural materials like cotton, rattan and linen, you’re feeling the lure of biophilia. Meaning ‘love of life’ in Greek, biophilia proposes that humans need a connection to nature to thrive. Not all of us enjoy sweeping mountain vistas from our living rooms, but we can incorporate nature into the home with plants, natural textures and materials, water features and curved silhouettes, and feel the benefit.

LETITIA FITZGIBBON, HEAD OF HARRODS INTERIOR DESIGN

"Plants with curved leaves – rubber trees, bird of paradise, Philodendron – promote wellness by breaking up the harsh lines created by furniture. Position them in central spaces to create a sense of calm."

Table with breakfast and a bright window

Table Talk

Laying the table, be it for yourself or your household, sets the intention to stop, sit and appreciate the food you’ve prepared. If you're dining with others, it encourages you to share an increasingly precious moment of togetherness. And as for saving the best crockery for guests, why deny yourself the pleasure? Every meal can be ‘special occasion’, if you choose to make it so.

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