Happy Home

One lasting effect of quarantine during the pandemic has been a closer look at where we spend most of our time: our homes. Pursuit of the bigger, better, best house on the block has become increasingly less important than creating an environment that offers its owners mental and physical comfort. In 2017, Architectural Digest referred to this approach as “emotional design” and, in the years since lockdown, it’s once again on the rise among people building, designing or redesigning their living spaces.

“The trend is rethinking design as something connected to human emotions and personal satisfaction,” says Jose Hernandez, founder and architect of Miami’s Luster Design Studio. “It emphasizes a client’s needs, skills and feelings to provoke an emotional impact on the mind and heart.”

The concept is subjective. What draws out an emotional response varies from person to person, which is why Deborah DiMare of DiMare Design also calls it “the psychology of design.”

DiMare, whose firm is based in Miami and serves an international clientele, says an emotional design approach requires a deeper, more personal understanding of her clients that goes beyond their tastes in decor. “In South Florida a lot of people just want turnkey and when you do a turnkey, you put in the furniture and you make everything look pretty and that’s pretty much it,” DiMare explains. “But when we approach it from an emotional standpoint, it’s very different.”

Both DiMare and Hernandez describe the planning stage of emotional design as intimate. “It’s a psychological, collaborative process from the very beginning and a time for open conversations so I can get an understanding of what makes them feel good,” Hernandez says. From there, it’s about marrying those elements with a proposed structure that also provides utility and effectiveness.

What informs an architect or designer is a full scope of the habitants’ lifestyles from morning to night. “It can be a list of endless questions that have nothing to do with design,” says DiMare. “I need to know your path from the moment you wake up. I need to know things like, ‘Where is the nucleus of your home? Where do you hang out? Do you live in a bed?’ A lot of people live in bed. For families, it can be the kitchen. If they have no nucleus that tells me they’re probably a little dysfunctional, which is also a starting point from where I can begin.”

Other dynamics that help an emotional designer include the habitant’s diet, height, weight, age, pets and allergies. If it’s a family with a range of inhabitants, the objective is creating a space that encompasses the needs of varying age groups with different practical and psychological requirements.

While it might be easy to dismiss emotional design as frivolous, DiMare offers an example of the profound difference it can make. “I was called by a family with a 6-year-old daughter who refused to sleep in her bedroom and they asked me to redecorate it,” DiMare recalls. “I went to the house and it was a lovely home. When I entered the little girl’s bedroom, the bed was as high as can be — about 36 inches off the floor — with a mirror directly in front of it. It was very ornate and very beautiful, but I saw right away why it was the worst idea for her.

“The room was just sensory overdrive. She’d wake up in the middle of the night, see the mirror and get startled. There were so many colors and textures and stark lighting and, again, it was beautiful, but it was not a calming space. She needed a room where she could decompress.”

In the end, a thoughtful emotional redesign was the answer. DiMare brought in a significantly lower bed, added a soft rug — which she says calms the nerve endings of the feet, promoting relaxation — and replaced layers of thin wool bedding with a thick, organic comforter to eliminate fuss and welcome coziness. The room was repainted in soothing shades of lavender and the lighting, a crucial component, was reconfigured. “There had been one bright white light, which I got rid of and added dimmers. I also installed a switch so that she could turn the main lights off and added a very small table lamp next to her.”

“When people have no control over their environment, it creates anxiety,” DiMare explains. “Something as simple as the power to control the light switch gives them a sense of independence which then relaxes the body.”

“And guess what? She started to sleep.”

Emotional design is also valuable to families with someone facing sensory or neurological disorders because it allows creating environments that don’t overstimulate. According to Autism.org, individuals with such conditions need a surrounding they can fully process to feel safe, comfortable and secure. That includes not just visual stimulants, but touchpoints and odors.

As with any home, a room for a child eventually no longer suits a teenager and a home for a working couple may no longer suit them as retirees, which makes emotional design an ever-evolving process. At each life stage, says Hernandez, the space is ideally updated.

For those unable to afford an immediate overhaul, it’s worth noting that effective emotional design can be implemented gradually, even if it starts with something as subtle as replacing animal-based products with vegan if that’s a new priority. A really great way to start an emotional design project, says DiMare, is to begin with a single room. “Baby steps are fine.”

An investment in emotional design is not for everyone, but it is worth being mindful of the way our surroundings affect our overall health, according to architect, interior designer and LEED Green Associate (who specializes in sustainability) Mary Takawi. In a 2022 thought piece for the website Medium, Takawi wrote that a well-designed space is linked to positive feelings of relaxation, connection and engagement. Poorly designed spaces — built with concrete or on dense hardscapes, for example — have been proven to raise stress, irritation, boredom and anxiety levels.

Overall, says Hernandez, the renaissance of emotional design reflects what he believes has been a shift in our cultural values. DiMare agrees, adding that her firm has seen requests for emotional design steadily rise over the past few years. “It used to be a really niche thing. Now, it’s much more mainstream,” she concludes. “I’ve seen a tremendous difference in people really starting to reassess their environment — especially with the rise in remote work — to prioritize a mentally and physically healthier home.” 

Doing Emotional Design On A Budget

Emotional design may sound like a luxury, but there are easy ways to start introducing it without a big spend. Here are some of DiMare’s top tips:

Add A Little Greenery

The fancy word for this is biophilic design. What it really means is enhancing a space with nature by decorating it with plants, which can easily be found at places like Costco or Target.

Find A Fragrance That Relaxes You

Smell has a physiological effect on us. Orange, for example, helps with sleep, while other citrus scents like lemon act as stimulants. DiMare recommends essential oil or soy-based candles, both of which are cost-efficient and carry big impact.

Trust Your Senses On Paint Color

Ignore whatever hue might be trending and pick one that speaks to you, says DiMare. With lighter colors, painting the ceiling the same shade as the walls gives the room a softer, larger feel. If you’re doing an accent wall, keep it subtle. A harsh contrast can be disruptive to a room’s flow.

Create A Joyful Space In Every Room

Have an element in every room that brings you a little bit of instant happiness, whether that’s a framed photo of loved ones, fresh flowers or a bright table centerpiece. If it’s the first thing you see as soon as you enter, it will help boost your mood.