Mindful Interiors: The Impact of Thoughtful Design

Do you come home to a space that is chaotic and uninspiring? Imagine walking into your space and instantly feeling your spirits being lifted and helping you unwind after a long day. This type of relief is achievable through thoughtful interior design. Interior design goes beyond decorative throw pillows and attractive wall colors. It is about transforming and personalizing a space to inspire and uplift those who interact with it. Enhancing one’s mental well-being through color, texture, and overall design.

Some of the main features that can make or break a design are color and texture. Each in their own way provides more than just visual interest, but can evoke certain emotions and sensations from those who interact with the space. 

Colors

The color of the walls fabric, or furniture can affect our psyche more than we may realize. Warm colors such as reds, yellows, and oranges can create a sense of energy, excitement, and warmth as they reflect the colors of the sun. These colors are often found in spaces where people come to socialize such as a living or family room. On the opposite side of the color spectrum are cool colors such as blues, greens, and purples. These colors create a sense of calm and relaxation as they are often found in nature and are typically used in spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. Outside of the spectrum are the neutrals such as brown, beige, white, and gray that are versatile and can be used in any space around the house depending on the tone (bright, muted, warm, cool) of the color.

Textures

Color is not the only thing that draws our attention to a space but also texture. Rooms can contain visual texture within a space using color, pattern, shape and style. Texture can come in four different forms: rough, smooth, soft, and hard. Rough textures are heavier and more grounded, some examples would be brick, raw wood, and rugged stone. These are more natural materials and can create a rustic feel to a space. Smooth textures such as marble and glass can create a sleek and modern feel to a space and can make a room feel lighter. Soft textures like fabrics such as fur, cotton, and linen create a sense of warmth and coziness and like smoother textures are lighter in a space. Similar to rough textures, hard textures such as metals and stones create a sense of structure to a space. Like color, textures need balance to avoid being monotonous or overstimulating. Balancing hard, soft, rough and smooth textures within a space creates a certain feeling within each room.

Combine!

Color is not experienced on its own, but in relation to our environment. To create a calming environment a designer may blend cool tones and soft textures, for an energizing room a designer may choose warm colors and shiny/hard surfaces, and for a cozy environment a designer could choose natural textures and warm browns and beiges. Combining what we know about color and texture is how designers can effectively create a space that fits the desired needs and wants of the client.