I read an article this morning that explored how visual aesthetics can impact our brains and physiology, and I was thrilled to see that basic, fundamental scientific proof backs up a concept that I have strongly believed, and promoted, for years!

During Milan Design Week, Google partnered with scientists from John Hopkins University to illustrate how different aesthetic experiences can impact our health and wellbeing. A Space For Being consists of three rooms with subtly contrasting interiors and is designed using the principles of neuroaesthetics, which explores how visual aesthetics impact our brains and physiology.

I have always been a firm believer in what I do as an interior designer. Yes, because it’s what I do so naturally, I ought to be strongly aligned with my practise! But more importantly, I believe that interior design and how you feel in your home will affect your mental health and overall wellbeing. Ivy Ross, Google’s VP for hardware design told Dezeen,

“What you choose to surround yourself with affects your wellbeing and your body, and the fact that neuroscience is now proving that is thrilling to us.” — Ivy Ross

 

Well it’s thrilling to me too! A Space For Being simply underlines that what designers do and the choices you make in your environment matter, and they do affect you whether you are aware of it or not! Each of the three rooms was designed by Suchi Ready and the furniture used came from a Danish brand, Muuto, enabling the experiment to have a common aesthetic. This prevents personal taste influencing visitors’ reactions and allows the results to come purely from the sensory triggers. Each visitor is equipped with a wrist band that measures physical and physiological responses, such as heart rate and skin conductivity. Here are the three spaces:

The first room, Essential, is designed as a warm “womb-like” space. Image & Text Credit: Dezeen

The second room, Vital, is designed to be more playful, boasting vibrant colours and beams of light that criss-cross the space. Image & Text Credit: Dezeen

The final room, Transformative, boasts an elegant, minimal design. Image & Text Credit: Dezeen

Based on the results of your sensory band, the science will provide what spaces you felt “most comfortable” and “at ease” in, which I think is incredible! The experiment also highlights that no two people are the same and will react differently to colours, furniture and textures. This is why we dress the way we dress, because we all are completely unique people and your home should reflect that!

“You can change your environment, and you can create spaces that suit your needs, and that’s a conscious decision.” — Suchi Reddy

Take our transformation of a mid-terraced London home as an example! This renovation illustrates how a homeowner immediately benefitted as soon as he considered fundamentals such as colour, function, form and aesthetics. You can see the before and afters in full article here, but for the purpose of the blog post, below is one of the before / after images illustrating the dramatic transformation:

Not only did we want to give the property a aesthetic makeover, we wanted to also inject value for the homeowner and maximise the available space. We did this by gutting out the entire home and installing hardwood flooring, bespoke shelf and cupboard units in empty recesses, incorporating multiple lighting sources with dimmers, factoring in many more sockets with USB plugs, investing in a durable quartz countertop, better kitchen appliances and so much more! We even built a porch with a separate door which not only provided  more of an entryway, but also a functional place to store shoes and coats!

Before, the client’s space was cluttered, dated and old. Varying lighting, sounds, scents and textures, will stimulate your senses in different ways and enhance your existence! And, when form meets function in a space is aesthetically pleasing and comfortable, a person’s mood, health and overall wellbeing will be heightened — it’s as simple as that! There is now scientific proof to back me up on this! Since good design can have either a positive or negative impact, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this space organised and clean?

Does this space fulfil a function?

How do the colours make me feel?

Do I have too many belongings?

Do I have enough space?

What doesn’t work for me?

Am I comfortable?

Am I happy?

Most importantly, do I look forward to going home at the end of the day or going to work in the morning?

Depending on your answers to these questions, you may wish to consult an interior designer to either book in a colour consultation or an in-depth meeting to see if there are other ways to maximise space, understand what is making you happy / unhappy and how to change it.

We offer a 30 minute complementary consultation either in person or remotely and would be delighted to speak to you about your concerns to create a home as unique as you are! Get in touch today, we would love to hear from you!