How to live the good life from the comfort of your own home.
Sustainability has long been at the forefront of home design. But more recently sustainability has morphed into wellness. Indeed, did you know that architects and interior designers can play a considerable role in people’s daily health? This is especially crucial given how much time we’re spending indoors now.
There are several factors to consider: better water quality, temperature regulation, noise reduction and maximising light, but here we’ll take a look at a few of our favourite ways to instil wellness into your home …
// Artificial light is just as important as sunlight. A good lighting scheme will help make the most of your house during both night and day.
Natural Lighting
Historically, a dark house or dark room is one of the biggest complaints we hear when embarking on a refurbishment. The lighting in a room can really impact the way we feel in our home. The good news: designers are now utilise more natural lighting techniques then ever. Helping to make happier and more productive occupants, and on the plus side also saving you energy.
At Katriona Alice Designs, we love to work with skylights, glass sliding doors and we also recommend exploring circadian lighting in your home. We work closely with environmental factors and artificial aids to bring as much natural lighting into your home as possible.
Top suppliers :
Window dressing solutions - Silent Gliss, Thomas Sanderson
Skylights of every shape and size - Velux
Glass sliding doors with a brain - IQ glass
// We all know pets can relieve stress and anxiety but did you know that house plants can too?
Bringing your Garden Indoors
There are a wealth of benefits to filling your home with plants: houseplants are good for your health; they regulate humidity and increase levels of positivity – it’s proven that seeing greenery and nature can help us to feel more relaxed! What’s more, an indoor garden can be a source of refuge from the outside world, it can help to enhance your mood and gives us something to nurture.
For those of you that worry about keeping a plant alive, there are a heap of options out there. It’s worth spending a little time researching what plants are best for each kind of environment, but we highly recommend starting with an easy plant like a succulent if you’ve never looked after a plant before!
Top suppliers :
House plants online - Albert and moo
Dried and fresh flowers online - Bloom on
Local & regional garden centres - Leckford Farm Shop, Homebase
// Sheep's wool makes for a soft, sustainable and hypoallergenic material without breaking the bank.
Natural Materials
Natural materials emit few (if any!) toxins, can improve air quality and evoke that ‘just relax’ feeling when you get home. Not only that, but it’s proven that they can make your home healthier and more comfortable. Natural materials also have the benefit of being sustainable, and just as the definition says, sustainable products are meant to last.
But what kind of materials should be used to make for a sustainable and wellness-boosting home? Luckily for us, there are a plethora of options. You could consider bamboo fabrics and flooring, solar panels, natural wool rugs or lime-based paints. All of these items can be bought locally – and local products are extremely sustainable for your shipping costs!
Top suppliers :
Paint brands - Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Edward Bulmer
Fabric suppliers - Kvadrat, All Bamboo
Local artisan and decorator - Newmans Decorative Living
// Not all noise reduction products are ugly!
Peace and Quiet
I’m sure we can all relate to the frustration felt when we hear ear-splitting building works, the squeal of a rubbish truck or the roar of a bus whoosh by. It induces stress! For city dwellers, this seems a way of life, but fortunately no matter where you live, there are ways to change the acoustics of a space.
You could consider wind proofing your door with a draught excluder; using a layer of blackout curtain to absorb night time noise and glare from your windows; reduce noise resonation with a rug or carpet; muffle noisy neighbours with a full book case; use sound absorbing panels or ornamental ceiling pendents to reduce internal noise transfer – there really are endless options and we promise that a peaceful home helps with a peaceful mind.
Top suppliers :
Noise reducing pendants and panels - Buzzi Space
Affordable carpets and rugs - Benuta
Draught excluders - Sophie Allport, Wayfair
At Katriona Designs, we specialise in providing a bespoke service with exceptional design solutions, placing sustainability and wellness at the heart. We take pride in working closely with our clients to ensure our designs and builds are tailored to each individual client’s needs. So, if you’re looking to chat about natural materials, enhancing light in the home or creating a space that encourages well-being, get in touch – we’re here to help!