Now, millennial pink hues and houseplants are a popular choice of décor in hipster coffee houses that are tucked away from the world. So much so that now interior design choices are becoming more and more ‘Instagram-worthy’. Even corporate workplaces have clocked on to growing trends such as industrial inspired interior design, with exposed brickwork and pipe lined ceilings becoming a trademark of many creative workspaces.
It’s thought that aesthetically pleasing interior design can have a positive effect on our in general well-being. Let’s take an in depth look at this with Precision Printing, specialist in offset litho printing, and learn how you can switch up the interiors of your own space to promote good wellbeing in yourself and others.
A tidy space can keep a tidy mind
Other than our usual daily routines, company we work for, our day to day tasks etc. the spaces that we live in and the environment we surround our self with can also dictate our mental well-being. In fact, as a contributing factor to wellbeing, our environment is perhaps most overlooked as it doesn’t seem like an easy one to change or link directly to feelings of negativity. There’s a lot of value in the saying ‘tidy space, tidy mind’ but the same concept applies to the appeal of a space and its visual elements are at the heart of this. With some clever interior design techniques, you can breathe a new lease of life into your own spaces.
Endless shades of productivity
In terms of the psychological benefits surrounding the matter, adding colour to your home is a good place to start. There is something dauting about an entirely white space, and while the minimalists amongst us mind find the crisp characteristic of this to be appealing, it is not the best idea for promoting good wellbeing or specifically, productivity. A study from The University of Texas established some rather ‘colourful’ conclusions, wherein participants carried out clerical tasks in rooms painted in white, aqua and red. The individuals found the most difficult room for blocking out ‘colour noise’ to be the white room, and the most errors were made when the work was carried out in the white washed space. The sterile nature of it could certainly be a contributing factor to this, and paradoxically, the ‘blank canvas’ did not elicit amongst the study participants. While the often defined as ‘phsychologically neutral’ shades of off grey and beige also fell into an association with gloom, many offices opt for these colours and it could be having a detrimental effect on employees sense of wellbeing while at work. The aqua room generated the most positive responses, and this supports the common viewpoint that low-wavelength colours work best for stimulating positivity — think soothing pale green hues and tranquil blues which naturally promote communication and calmness. Exposure to certain colours has even been found to contribute to chemical imbalances in the brain, emphasising just how important choosing the right shade for your interiors can be.
The link between our wellbeing and infrastructure in the home
A home is the bridge between our personal life and professional life. Things like family life and leisure are associated with the home, but what if the places that we spend our downtime in aren’t functioning as they should? There are ways to use interior design at home, and they can create a clearer separation between the reality of life and the time that we should be spending relaxing in our own private spaces. The home should ultimately be a hub for your family (or just yourself) to relax in, and by using your interior design to assign this concept you can create rooms that feel welcoming and that you enjoy spending time in. The idea of the ‘heart’ of the home is a good starting point, whether you choose your living room, kitchen or conservatory, there should be an area of your home that feels like the central point, where communication and quality time is spent. This space should feel appealing, and really you have the opportunity to fill it with everything you love.
Adding a pop of colour here and there around your home to create an old school style 70s vibe is not something you should shy away from! Including the odd vibrant houseplant around your home to entice a quirky jungle feel into your space is bound to have positive effects on your well-being! Many interior designers enjoy using only light fabrics, especially for features such as curtains as they can provide a translucent barrier between indoors and outdoors, making you feel closer to the natural world and allowing more light to enter a room. This is the perfect space for productivity, as dark, opaque rooms tend to create a claustrophobic feeling.
With the rise of the digital era emerging, everyone’s lives are moving at a quicker pace, making it almost impossible to have some downtime. As technology continues to dominate in many of our homes with things like google assistant becoming commonplace, it has never been more important to create a space in which you can truly escape from this. Take a quiet corner of your home and make it as calm and welcoming as possible, with soft furnishings along with books that you enjoy, but make technology exempt from this space: place a notepad somewhere in the area and use it as an opportunity to reflect. By creating this area and using interiors to associate a meaning with it, you can teach your mind to value downtime and promote a healthy sense of wellbeing that is not constantly overwhelmed by technology and the hectic nature of the realities of life.
With all this being said, is your home and work environment styled in the right way to help support your well-being and restore some zen? Or are some alterations required? Boost your productivity by adjusting your surroundings accordingly.
https://www.luxdeco.com/blogs/styleguide/colour-psychology-interior-design
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243749
https://www.fastcompany.com/3044601/why-you-should-never-paint-office-walls-white
https://www.quill.com/blog/office-tips/how-colors-affect-productivity-in-the-workplace.html