25 Aug 2012 Wellness by design
by RaeLynn Callaway
Have you ever noticed a feeling of warmth when you go into certain homes? Or how you feel a sense of calm and happiness?
In designing a home and decorating it, too often there is no consideration of the practical function and wellness of the homeowner. Most homeowners don’t even realize how much their home affects their emotional wellness or why. Many approach their home design by choosing objects and colors that simply look attractive or by choosing an existing pattern or theme to follow.
I have found that fulfilling the homeowner’s emotional needs is not just “decorating” based on aesthetics. Your environment affects your behavior, and that is no different in your home environment. Good design should promote personal style, inspiring and reflecting the homeowner’s spirit, while also aiding in their emotional wellness.
In this article I wanted to feature Dr. Ray and Debbie Clark’s home. As the medical director of Phases, a geriatric psychiatry unit in Dardanelle, Ray knows first-hand how important home environment is to mental health.
“I deal with patients that are suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Ray said. “Older people don’t feel ‘at home’ as they transition to nursing homes, and this causes high anxiety. Many people don’t understand how very important their home surroundings are to them and their families.”
As a physician who deals with the stress and anxiety of others, it was very important to Ray and Debbie that their home be a place where Ray could relax and decompress from his day.
“As well as wanting our home to be comfortable for entertaining friends and family, it was also very important that it was functional and organized,” Debbie said. “I am always multi-tasking, and the way my work area is set up, I can be working on Ray’s billing while also keeping the laundry going and fixing a meal for the boys. Having a place and area designated for certain things and activities keeps me organized and contributes to my mental wellness.”
Ray added, “One of the things I like most about my home is that it is so quiet. Living on the golf course gets us away from the noise pollution.”
When designing your next home or redecorating, what you surround yourself with affects your behavior and your mental wellness. Your home says a lot about who you are as a person and can be a reflection of your character and priorities.
Life is too short not to enjoy coming home!
Designer tips:
- The overall design of a home is important on the outside as well as the inside. Don’t forget about curb appeal.
- Color is a key tool used to create emotionally healthy homes. Hues are very important. The darker the color’s hue, the more pronounced the calming effect is said to be.
- Use colors and accessories that remind you of fond memories from your past and childhood. This helps create a pleasant mood.
- Remember when picking a bathroom color, don’t ever paint a color on the wall that you wouldn’t wear. When you look in the mirror, you want to look great!
