Design principle 6 - Sense of wellbeing

Design Principle 6 - Sense of Wellbeing

How a home makes you feel is hugely important, and there are many design choices you can make to increase the sense of wellbeing in a home.

Sense of Wellbeing

• Firstly consider the senses. What you see, what you can hear, what you can smell, the taste of a welcoming drink when you arrive, as well as the texture and touch of the materials around you.
• I like to think of the generosity of design, creating a strong sense of welcome and invitation to people when they enter your home.
• On a practical level, I will always consider how sound and acoustics will work within a home. Avoid too many hard surfaces within a room, as this can create echoes and make it uncomfortable to talk. Instead, make sure to include soft furnishings to dampen the sound. Curtains are great for absorbing sound in a large space, and consider rugs or carpet on the floor.
• I love to have music on at home and especially like to play it while I welcome guests. Be sure to think ahead and position the wiring correctly for the speakers you want to include.
• Think about how a house feels when you walk around barefoot; underfloor heating gives stone floors a lovely warmth, while layering rugs in each room provides softness underfoot.

Sourcebook

• Sonos