The role of the interior designer

You might think the role of an interior designer is to ‘dress’ a room and make it look pretty. Or that their job is knowing how to arrange a room beautifully. Of course, we do these things, but they are a minor part of the role. Interior design is much more than that, taking into consideration how spaces make us feel as well as how we use them. Since lockdown especially, people think of their homes as a safe haven and very often have an emotional attachment to where they live. Good interior design looks after the wellbeing element of a home and can encourage positive mental health. Here, I take a look at improving your mental health and wellbeing and through your home.

Psychology in design

You might not associate interior design with psychology, but scientific studies have shown that there are real psychological benefits to decorating and arranging our spaces well. For example, the colour of a room can have an impact on whether we feel calm, energised or even how much we are able to concentrate. Bringing in elements of nature can induce feelings of calm. Opening up a space can bring a sense of freedom, and creating a cosy corner can provide a snug and safe retreat.

Plenty of good seating around a central table instead of in front of the TV encourages social eating and open communication. Something as simple as designing a space where a parent has a clear sight line to where the children play while doing other tasks, reduces anxiety and can have a beneficial psychological result. Good design is proven to positively affect your mood and overall wellbeing.

Layout and function

You are far more likely to notice design when it is badly executed. Having to squeeze around furniture for example, or not being able to reach high cupboards. An interior designer will explore how you function in a space. This is particularly important for those with mobility and access needs, sight problems or those who are neurodiverse. For example, a clear open-plan space is excellent for someone partially sighted as it leaves less obstacles to be navigated. But someone who is neurodiverse, might become overwhelmed in a large space and need a smaller, quiet retreat  and rooms with a single function. It’s not just those with additional needs who benefit from a well-functioning room or home. Everyone feels better when their home works for them and their lifestyle and that’s what I strive for in my designs.

A place for everything

It is scientifically proven that clutter raises cortisol levels and causes stress. A few extra acquisitions here and there are unlikely to cause a problem and people vary massively in their views of what is tidy and untidy or how much muddle they can live with. But it’s hard to live well in a home that has things strewn around, whether that’s toys, gadgets, clothes or simply items that have no real ‘home’. Clutter can be distracting, can cause arguments and doesn’t help when we often lead busy and hectic lives and crave calm.

By taking note of how a family uses their home, an interior designer will provide clever and creative designs that encompass plenty of storage to keep all the clutter away from everyday life. This makes it far easier for everyone in the family to play their part in keeping a home clutter free, resulting in a much more calming and pleasant environment for everyone to enjoy.

Cohesion and balance

What I mean here is that the furnishings in a room or space feel like they belong there. That doesn’t mean everything needs to match, but that there is an understated similarity from one space to the next, so the rooms appear balanced and consistent. Cohesion is easy for the eye and mind to absorb. Our brains are wired to automatically seek out recognisable patterns so it stands to reason that a sense of harmony in design will allow people to feel calmer. That could mean a consistent use of materials in different items, a harmonic colour palette or furniture that balances out high or low ceilings or a small or large space.

Balance does not mean symmetry. Some people (me included!) do not enjoy symmetry in design, others love it. Balance is about the feeling of tranquillity a space can create.

Natural light

An abundance of natural light in a home is a proven mood enhancer. A lack of sunlight can trigger sadness or anxiety in some people, and everyone can benefit from a regular dose of good, natural light. Obviously, spending time outdoors is the best way to achieve this but many of us spend a lot of time indoors working, whether at home or in an office. So, maximising the amount of natural light that enters our homes is very important for our mental wellbeing. Natural light can help us to feel energised and motivated.

An interior designer will help you find ways to introduce as much natural light as possible into the home, whether that is by installing larger windows, bifold doors, skylights or by placing key pieces of furniture such as desks or sofas close to natural light sources. I love to design with the light in mind and take note of which way a house faces and how the design can utilise the light to its best advantage.

Choosing colour

Colour has the most impact on wellbeing in interior design is colour, and colour therapy has a history going back centuries. Some colours evoke certain responses, and many colours have a certain cultural significance too. This is why I have in-depth discussions about colour with my clients and it’s one of the things that people have the strongest reaction to in a design.

It’s not just the choice of colour that has psychological impact, but the saturation and brightness of a colour too. Lighter, paler and less saturated colours such as a rose-pink or a pastel-green induces relaxation. Deeper, darker and more saturated colours such as emerald-green can feel more intense or energising.

We also refer to warm and cool colours and these can even have a physical impact on us. In orange, yellow or red rooms we will feel ‘warmer’ than in a green or blue room which will induce feelings of being ‘cool.’

Incorporating nature into a design

In the modern world we spend too much time indoors, yet we are still hardwired to spend time outside in natural surroundings.  Modern living doesn’t allow for this as much as it did for even our recent ancestors, so it makes sense to try and incorporate as many elements from the natural world into our homes as we can.

Known as biophilic design, integrating daylight, free-flowing air, organic and natural materials and plants into our houses and workplaces is proven to reduce stress and anxiety and improve wellbeing, and in the workplace can increase productivity.

Interior designers can incorporate elements of the outdoors into any design. Simple things such as wooden flooring or furniture or scenic wallpapers with scenes of lakes and trees. Anything that reconnects us with nature.

How do you feel in your home?

As an experienced interior designer, I always start a consultation by asking how a space makes you feel. Does it feel like a good place to be? Or does it make you feel anxious, frustrated or even sad or gloomy? I’ll then ask how you want your home to feel. Calm and relaxed? Energised and motivated? Or do you want to feel comforted and secure? It might vary from room to room. It’s obvious that you want to feel more stimulated in a home office and calmer in a living room.

People don’t often stop to think about the ‘feel’ of their home because social media, magazines and TV programmes are all about the ‘look.’ Whilst this is important – our homes are somewhere we express ourselves – it certainly isn’t the be all and end all of interior design. The best interior design is very much about making the home a happier and healthier place to be.