Friday 26 / April / 2024
There is no doubt that the style and interiors of any home affect our mental health. Other components affect us physically. It is about what we see and feel, and the sense of the ethereal. Millions have been working out of small apartments and houses that were not intended for full time work or habitation.
If the house was primarily used as a haven and home to raise a family, having several or all members present at all hours has no doubt affected relationships. A spouse retiring, or two, staying at home most of the day could result in tension if personal space is not addressed.
The same tight conditions and commotion from children at home all day due to school shutdowns means headaches and stress. Houses are planned for living per time of day! Even in a normal use of a house, many factors are in play when considering how one feels and thinks.
Consider an ‘open plan’ for a minute. When does that work best? What if the house is full of people? How do you decorate room by room when you can see into them all at the same time? How can you establish personal space, including sound isolation, when in an open plan house? A new house has a different effect on the body and mind vs. an older one.
Space, sound, light, view, heat/cold, scents, etc. all affect our daily lives inside houses or offices or hospitals or warehouses, public and industrial buildings. How we work, interact, play, talk, entertain, are governed by our spaces, colors, furnishings, effect of interior climate control, etc. minute by minute and day by day.
Dark spaces are depressing whereas abundant light is a positive effect. Older furnishings and dated accessories may also cast a gloom. One may feel more positive with forward styled design and interior space. A house on the outside is either an invitation, inspiration, or a turn off.
Landscaping, lighting, orientation to the sun, all mean that the house on the outside and spaces inside are going to act on your psyche positively or negatively. Outside, time of day, shadows, shade, trees, flowers, green grass, driveway, views impact thoughts and mood inside. Does the house have single or double pane glass?
It does affect how much noise comes through from the outside. Are interior spaces sufficiently ‘insulated’ from sound leakage? Much has been studied about these factors in the hospitality industry and too little learning has been applied unfortunately.The home is a very personal frame of mind. It can exalt your soul or bring it down.
Heights of rooms, views, adjacent spaces, the feeling of being squeezed or being allowed to ‘breathe’ are all important aspects of daily life. You can feel creative, positive, joyful, or feel gloomy and sad.In the current ‘shutdown’ effect, all the factors described above will affect your mental health.Flow of daily interior and exterior seasonal air movement, cooling and heating affects the body physically.
Most likely none of us lives in a ‘perfect’ house or perfect neighbourhood. We savour the best and ignore the worst. When things become unmanageable or difficult to bear, we move and seek the appropriate fix in either another resale that is a better match to our lifestyle or perhaps a custom home.
