How to Design Your Home Around Wellness and Lifestyle Zones
joy of nesting
Whether you’re aware of it or not, your home supports and enables almost
everything you do like preparing healthy meals, working from home, working
on your most important relationships, getting a good night’s sleep, tending to
your appearance and wardrobe, pursuing hobbies, down time and much, much more.
everything you do like preparing healthy meals, working from home, working
on your most important relationships, getting a good night’s sleep, tending to
your appearance and wardrobe, pursuing hobbies, down time and much, much more.
Above Via Doug Atherly
Homes of the future are going to reflect easier to clean surfaces, areas that are more activity driven and will be more focused on wellness related topics like exercise, relaxation and healthy meal preparations.
How your home feels and works
is as important as how it looks. If everyday life around the
home doesn’t feel right, if maintaining your home is a challenge, if you’re not
able to be highly effective while there, if finding things is next to
impossible, if putting things away is like running a gauntlet it’s definitely
time to do some work. Consider utilizing my free download Healthy at Home which provides you with an outline and clear action steps to making your home a healthy foundation for you.
How your home looks is very important of course, but even more important is how it feels to
you, how it functions, how it supports, rejuvenates and inspires you. If your
home isn’t supporting the many facets of your life, and if you find planning a
home overwhelming just thinking about it, maybe it’s time to take action before you’re completely burned out,
rather than after!
Here are some design concepts that will help simplify things
for you. If you fail to plan, plan to fail right? That’s a huge concept in my
own life and nowhere is it more evident than in the potentially snowballing “mess”
of our own home! Hang with me here.
Image Via House of Pictures
Planning Around Wellness and Other Lifestyles
Think about your values or
the things you stand for. What are the one to three things that are stand outs
to you and the people living with you? Do you value design, art and fine music
above all else? Or are travel and the memories and mementos collected while
traveling a bigger priority? Or are wellness, eating right and exercising your
top priorities? Or do you have a large family with high needs for organization?
the things you stand for. What are the one to three things that are stand outs
to you and the people living with you? Do you value design, art and fine music
above all else? Or are travel and the memories and mementos collected while
traveling a bigger priority? Or are wellness, eating right and exercising your
top priorities? Or do you have a large family with high needs for organization?
Each of these scenarios
creates different priorities in the home and require planning. Your lifestyle
should always be addressed before decorative decisions are made. Surprisingly,
each of the above mentioned scenarios will play a small role in the home’s
overall aesthetic.
creates different priorities in the home and require planning. Your lifestyle
should always be addressed before decorative decisions are made. Surprisingly,
each of the above mentioned scenarios will play a small role in the home’s
overall aesthetic.
For an art lover, wall space
and often times floor space is highly valued for displaying art and for areas
to view and appreciate them. Less pattern on the furniture and floors. More
emphasis on each individual piece of art. White walls. Ebony hardwood floors.
Modern furniture.
and often times floor space is highly valued for displaying art and for areas
to view and appreciate them. Less pattern on the furniture and floors. More
emphasis on each individual piece of art. White walls. Ebony hardwood floors.
Modern furniture.
For a large family, kid
friendly surfaces such as patterned flooring and fabrics; washable paint
finishes; and large, sturdy and comfy furniture.
friendly surfaces such as patterned flooring and fabrics; washable paint
finishes; and large, sturdy and comfy furniture.
Can you see how this could
work for you? What would your one main theme be? What do you value? Be
careful designing your entire home around hobbies. Hobbies come and go and usually,
they’re only valued by one person in the home! So if you love dolls and if you have
other people living in the home with you, planning your home around your doll
collection is not fair to the other household members! Just as planning a home
around golf would be unfair too. For hobbies, see the next concept on planning
your home in zones.
work for you? What would your one main theme be? What do you value? Be
careful designing your entire home around hobbies. Hobbies come and go and usually,
they’re only valued by one person in the home! So if you love dolls and if you have
other people living in the home with you, planning your home around your doll
collection is not fair to the other household members! Just as planning a home
around golf would be unfair too. For hobbies, see the next concept on planning
your home in zones.
Planning Around Activities or Zones
Planning your home around connecting, rejuvenation, work or studying, exercise, or hobbies means less preparation and making fewer decisions. And fewer decisions such as having a capsule wardrobe or
following a workout DVD means less
stress and that’s incredibly freeing in today’s world.
What about having zones
in your home designed around individual activities? Today’s homes have media rooms, exercise and wellness rooms, home offices, hobby rooms
and even recording studios! Having rooms serve one main activity or grouped
activities saves time from collecting various equipment and props that must
otherwise be stored elsewhere. It saves decision making about where the
activity will take place and what you’ll need for it. It can even add more joy
to the activity when the space is specifically designed around it.
Planning your home around connecting, rejuvenation, work or studying, exercise, or hobbies means less preparation and making fewer decisions. And fewer decisions such as having a capsule wardrobe or
following a workout DVD means less
stress and that’s incredibly freeing in today’s world.
What about having zones
in your home designed around individual activities? Today’s homes have media rooms, exercise and wellness rooms, home offices, hobby rooms
and even recording studios! Having rooms serve one main activity or grouped
activities saves time from collecting various equipment and props that must
otherwise be stored elsewhere. It saves decision making about where the
activity will take place and what you’ll need for it. It can even add more joy
to the activity when the space is specifically designed around it.
The idea in these two first
concepts is to make decision making easy for you. In interior design, there are
hundreds if not thousands of decisions to make and worse yet, tens of thousands
of choices! No wonder design is such a stressful industry. So the first thing
we pro’s do is narrow the playing field by determining lifestyle, aesthetics, a
color palate, scale, metals, wood finishes, things the client wants to keep and
work around. All these things narrow down the amount of decisions we have to
make.
Here are some home features to watch for in the future.
Home office
Home schooling areas
Mother in law quarters
Separate casitas for adult children moving back home
or extra bathrooms for quarantining family members
Designated areas for Zoom based business and school activities
Home schooling areas
Home gyms
Media/game rooms
Pools/Saunas/Jacuzzi’s
concepts is to make decision making easy for you. In interior design, there are
hundreds if not thousands of decisions to make and worse yet, tens of thousands
of choices! No wonder design is such a stressful industry. So the first thing
we pro’s do is narrow the playing field by determining lifestyle, aesthetics, a
color palate, scale, metals, wood finishes, things the client wants to keep and
work around. All these things narrow down the amount of decisions we have to
make.
Here are some home features to watch for in the future.
Home office
Home schooling areas
Mother in law quarters
Separate casitas for adult children moving back home
or extra bathrooms for quarantining family members
Designated areas for Zoom based business and school activities
Home schooling areas
Home gyms
Media/game rooms
Pools/Saunas/Jacuzzi’s
Planning Around Comfort, Safety and Convenience
The concept is not as simple, nor is it a new one. For people who are infirm, who have
growing disabilities or even small physical challenges. This is called Universal Design and it’s an
industry standard. This includes conveniences such as extra wide hallways and
doors; one level living; rocker style light switches; lever doorknobs; lever
style faucets; level flooring material changes from area to area; sufficient
overhead task and ambient lighting; abundant natural light; home security
features, et cetera. Extra attention is also devoted to the kitchen,
appliances, counter heights, storage and more.
growing disabilities or even small physical challenges. This is called Universal Design and it’s an
industry standard. This includes conveniences such as extra wide hallways and
doors; one level living; rocker style light switches; lever doorknobs; lever
style faucets; level flooring material changes from area to area; sufficient
overhead task and ambient lighting; abundant natural light; home security
features, et cetera. Extra attention is also devoted to the kitchen,
appliances, counter heights, storage and more.
Here are some of the amenities
in a well-designed home:
in a well-designed home:
Abundant window space and
beautiful views
beautiful views
Media rooms and great audio/video/security
systems
systems
Comfortable, well made
furniture, particularly for seating and beds .
furniture, particularly for seating and beds .
Art and quality accessories
like rugs and lighting
like rugs and lighting
Well stocked library
Well designed kitchens/equipment
and “smart” appliances to make meal prep easier and more pleasant
and “smart” appliances to make meal prep easier and more pleasant
Wine cellars (however, drinking
in moderation and even abstaining altogether is a huge facet of a healthy
lifestyle).
in moderation and even abstaining altogether is a huge facet of a healthy
lifestyle).
Home gym/spa/sauna
Ample storage/built-ins
Adequate ventilation and air
quality/air purifiers
quality/air purifiers
Filtered water for bathing
and drinking
and drinking
Indoor plants and flowers to
oxygenate and cleanse the air
oxygenate and cleanse the air
Sound absorption
Zen is In
Bringing home the calm is a little easier with good clean scents, pretty green views and tidy, organized surrounding.s
Zen is In
Bringing home the calm is a little easier with good clean scents, pretty green views and tidy, organized surrounding.s
A dysfunctional home affects
everyone and every aspect of your life and most homes are dysfunctional to one
degree or another. Like everything else in life, you get out of your home what
you put into it.
My Favorite Zen Moments
My yoga mat. Just seeing it in the corner is a wonderful visual reminder of the great care I give my body.
My essential oil diffuser. I love Young Living lavender. Lavender is a classic French scent. So clean. So balancing. I’m relatively new to oils but I must say what a calming effect it has on me. I also love Rose Absolute essential oil from Doterra. I first discovered the power rose has over our moods while smelling my garden roses. You get a nice little mood elevation after a few sniffs!
Lighting scented candles. I love high quality soy candles. Less expensive candles have cheaper scent ingredients. At night, candles are so warm and reassuring.
Mood music. I love Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Pink Martini and Rod Stewart songbooks for creating moods around the home. I especially love to decorate to music!
The views of my gorgeous gardens from the living room and patio. Just sitting with an iced tea, book in hand and enjoying the scents and views of the outdoors is enough to fully balance me.
That’s it for today! If you need a little extra help, read further. I’ve got a launch coming up for my virtual design classes later this summer, and that means some fun extras and special pricing! So stay tuned for announcements!
everyone and every aspect of your life and most homes are dysfunctional to one
degree or another. Like everything else in life, you get out of your home what
you put into it.
My Favorite Zen Moments
My yoga mat. Just seeing it in the corner is a wonderful visual reminder of the great care I give my body.
My essential oil diffuser. I love Young Living lavender. Lavender is a classic French scent. So clean. So balancing. I’m relatively new to oils but I must say what a calming effect it has on me. I also love Rose Absolute essential oil from Doterra. I first discovered the power rose has over our moods while smelling my garden roses. You get a nice little mood elevation after a few sniffs!
Lighting scented candles. I love high quality soy candles. Less expensive candles have cheaper scent ingredients. At night, candles are so warm and reassuring.
Mood music. I love Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Pink Martini and Rod Stewart songbooks for creating moods around the home. I especially love to decorate to music!
The views of my gorgeous gardens from the living room and patio. Just sitting with an iced tea, book in hand and enjoying the scents and views of the outdoors is enough to fully balance me.
That’s it for today! If you need a little extra help, read further. I’ve got a launch coming up for my virtual design classes later this summer, and that means some fun extras and special pricing! So stay tuned for announcements!
Live beautifully, eat
beautifully.
beautifully.
Shiree’
November 1, 2019
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