When our homeowners embark on their custom home design process, there is always one question that we start by asking: "How do you want your home to make you feel?" This usually prompts a long conversation about many, many things… from lifestyle habits to family dynamics to space planning to color preferences to desired layouts to entertaining tendencies to architectural styles to just about everything else. The question is designed to get at the very heart of WHY our homeowners are building their custom home and HOW they envision it being used for decades to come.
More often than not, our homeowners want their main living spaces to evoke a certain feeling, while also wanting other specific spaces to evoke very different feelings. It is the work of our homeowners’ dream team (custom builder, architect, and interior designer) to figure out how to give each space its own “identity” while ensuring the entire home still feels cohesive. And that is actually a really fun undertaking. For example, it is quite common for a homeowner to want their Living Room to make them feel comfortable and connected, their Primary Suite to make them feel peaceful and refreshed, their Study to make them feel focused and productive, their Game Room to make them feel energetic and vibrant, their Dining Room to make them feel elegant and sophisticated, and so on.
In all of these cases, there are many tools at our disposal to influence the feeling of a space. From more permanent features like windows, countertops, tile, and trimwork (baseboards, beams, moldings) to less permanent features like light fixtures, paint color, furnishings, window treatments, and accessories (décor, textiles, artwork, etc.), a space can be strategically designed to influence our mood. Even incorporating specific scents and sounds can invoke particular feelings. Read on to learn how you can create spaces that make you feel:
- Peaceful and Refreshed
- Energetic and Vibrant
- Comfortable and Connected
- Elegant and Sophisticated
- Creative and Artistic
- Focused and Productive
Then let your imagine run wild as you think about how you want YOUR home to make you feel!
Peaceful and Refreshed
Peaceful and Refreshed
The most sure-fire way to create a space that makes you feel peaceful and refreshed is to minimize clutter. This is easier said than done, of course, so try to incorporate furnishings or built-in cabinetry that is NOT all open shelving. For the unavoidable clutter of family life, hide it away behind solid cabinet door fronts (or mesh wire or opaque glass inserts) that will obscure the cabinets’ contents from view. This can help your mind to feel calm and not overstimulated.
Be sure to invite a lot of natural light into your space through windows and skylights. However, if you live in an urban area, or simply want the option to turn down the visual “noise” of the outside world, install window treatments that can obscure your vision to the outdoors and can also provide you a bit of privacy. This sense of calm, privacy, and quiet can do wonders to put your mind at ease. If you are limited on windows in your current space, bring in light by incorporating calming nature-inspired artwork, multiple sources of adjustable lamp lighting, and painting your room in cooler tones like blues, greens, or soft neutrals. In fact, studies have shown that blue hues actually lower our heart rate when compared to other colors.
Finally, incorporate soft textures, a slightly weighted throw blanket, and subtle scents like lavender, jasmine, or vanilla. Don’t forget to work in some indoor plants as well; after all, they are nature’s original air-purifier!
Energetic and Vibrant
Energetic and Vibrant
If you’d like your space to make you feel energetic and vibrant, the first thing to do is arrange your layout (of walls, furniture, etc.) to maximize easy flow and minimize “roadblocks.” Having to navigate awkward or unnatural pathways within a space can actually drain our energy, leaving us with less to channel towards other people or endeavors
Decorate your space with plants, art, and interesting pieces that bring you energy or make you “feel alive” when you’re in their presence. Swap out dull lights for brighter ones, especially if the space is low on natural light. Incorporate a variety of textures and interesting materials. Finally, embrace warmer colors and deeper tones in this space, as they can serve to elevate your heartrate and “get you going” a bit. Overall, pay close attention to what brings YOU energy, as it can be quite different from person to person.
Comfortable and Connected
Comfortable and Connected
There are countless studies that suggest that close interpersonal relationships keep us happy throughout our lives. And the link between happiness and longevity is very strong, so why not create a space or two in your home that enhances feelings of comfort and connectedness?
Start by focusing first on layout. Is easy flow from one space to the next enhanced? Is it possible to carry on a conversation or feel someone’s presence even if you happen to be in two different spaces? Configure your walls and furniture in a way that promotes conversation, communal eating, or enjoying a favorite activity together.
Next, be sure that every item of furniture in your space is comfortable. If there is a particular chair that no one likes to sit in, replace it with one that you all love instead! The goal here is to incentivize connection by maximizing comfort. Part of that means that no piece of furniture can be too “precious” in this space. No one feels comfortable in a space with furniture they are afraid to mess up.
Lastly, be sure to decorate with stuff you and your family members really love. That means lots of family photos, shared mementos, sentimental objects… anything to bring up fond memories of your time together. And of course, if you want to foster connection, have items on hand for guests to enjoy, like throw blankets, snacks, coffee, or a deck of cards!
Elegant and Sophisticated
Elegant and Sophisticated
When you want a space in your home to feel elegant, avoid chasing the latest trends and instead shoot for timeless sophistication. To achieve this, focus on elevated simplicity and restrained detailing. Incorporate rich color tones, smooth metals, and a variety of textures, but all with a high level of intentionality and moderation. With lighting, layer in a mix of natural, ambient, accent, and task lights to enhance the mood and draw attention to the details of the room. Installing dimmer switches is key in this space. Use warmer bulbs if you’d like the space to feel inviting and cozy or cooler bulbs if you’d like the space to feel fresh and vibrant.
Achieving a sense of symmetry works wonders for eliciting elegance as well, so keep this in mind when determining your room’s focal point, layout, furnishings, and accessories. Keep reminding yourself to embrace the mantra “quality over quantity” for sophisticated spaces. Having fewer, higher-quality features or pieces in the room makes each one stand out more and keeps the focus on the overall feeling of the space. Above all, your diligent commitment to timeless elegance in this space will create a lasting impression with your loved ones.
Creative and Artistic
Creative and Artistic
Designing a space that fosters creativity and artistic inspiration starts with thoughtful choices in color, lighting, and organization. Opt for colors that energize and inspire, such as warm earthy tones or vibrant hues like rich oranges. Take it to the next level with vibrant florals, murals, plaster walls and ceilings, or geometric designs with organic shapes that can be found throughout nature.
Natural light is ideal, but if that’s not available, use warm, adjustable lighting to create a cozy yet stimulating atmosphere. Surround yourself with items that spark your imagination and arouse your soul —artwork, plants, meaningful objects, favorite quotes, or a vision board filled with ideas. Keep the space organized but not overly sterile; a bit of creative chaos can encourage spontaneous ideas. Comfortable seating and a large workspace are musts, as is easy access to tools, supplies, instruments, or whatever materials are needed at the moment creativity strikes. Above all, inject your creative and artistic personality throughout the space.
Focused and Productive
Focused and Productive
Designing a space that promotes focus and productivity requires a balance of organization, strategic planning, and minimal distractions. First, ensure that the space can be closed off and is somewhat secluded from the hustle and bustle of your home’s main living areas. Minimize clutter in the space to avoid excessive stimuli that make your brain work harder than necessary to think clearly and stay on task. Choose calming colors like soft blues, greens, or neutrals, which can create a sense of stability and focus. Incorporate natural elements like natural light or plants such as rubber trees, snake plants, or dracaena for their air-purification qualities. Being connected to nature lowers blood pressure and decreases cortisol (stress hormone) levels, allowing for greater capacity for concentration.
As is always the case, good lighting is essential—natural light is ideal, but if that’s not an option, opt for bright, cool-toned artificial lighting to keep you alert. Invest in clean-lined furnishings and storage solutions, as well as an ergonomic chair and desk to support good posture and lower fatigue. Minimize noise distractions with noise-canceling headphones or a white noise machine and keep essential tools and supplies within easy reach to maintain workflow efficiency. You can even incorporate scents like sandalwood, rosemary, eucalyptus, and peppermint which are known to stimulate clear thinking. Above all, simplify the space.
If you’re embarking on your custom home building journey and not sure how best to start, simply begin by asking yourself the question… How do I want my home to make me feel? This will prompt some very important conversations and existential reflections that will undoubtedly lead you to better understand the WHY and HOW of your future home. With this purpose fully conceptualized, your vision will become easier to explain to your custom builder, architect, and interior designer. Then, with this vision clear amongst your dream team, your custom home process and finished product will be ideal for you and your family.
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