Wellness Focused Interiors and Architecture

So last week I spoke about the first principle of Wellness focused bathroom design. This week I will focus on the  second principle, Materials, 

Now there are certain materials that just won't work in a bathroom such as a carpet. That might seem obvious to some but I have seen carpet in bathrooms and I have also  seen the array of issues it carries  such  hygiene  and sanity problems, so carpet in a bathroom is a complete no-no 

  When selecting materials  I split them into primary and secondary materials. The primary being the floor, walls and the ceiling. For me, there are only really 2 options open to bathroom design and primary materials. They would be Laminated wood and Tiling. As a wellness-focused design practitioner, my bathrooms are always going to have wellness as the foundation in which the bathroom is designed and constructed. 

The aim is to use materials that aren't only better for your health but also eco-friendly and sustainable.

 In my bathroom, I have chosen ceramic floor and wall tiles which were locally sourced. When selecting materials there are a few things you might want to consider for your wellness-focused bathroom 

 Material ingredient: The material's impact on the health of the users of the bathroom 

 Environmental Profile: This measure the impacts of a construction material, product or building system throughout its life – not only during its manufacture, but also its use in a building over a typical building lifetime. This includes its extraction, processing, use and maintenance and its eventual disposal.

Zero  VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds that can be released in some construction and finishing materials 

Material Sourcing: The sourcing of raw materials, intermediates, additives, coating materials and third party products and it's the assessment concerning, safety, health, environment and security

 Social Responsibility: social responsibility  is defined as organisations or individual taking responsibility for the impact their activities have on society, in this case, what is the impact of the materials used in your bathroom have on the health and wellbeing of other people globally 

 Ceramic titles met most of the criteria so that was the obvious choice for primary material.

 Secondary materials are the materials you will use for your bathroom furniture   such as cabinetry, vanities, shelving, 

 I  have kept the wood theme going and chose a  luxury handcrafted reclaimed wood cabinet. The shelves were second-hand glass shelves. 

 Using recycled glass is ok, but please be conscious of the energy that goes into making the glass reusable. 

I also wanted to have a biophilic element to the design so I introduced a plant wall. I like to bring as many natural elements as I can into a design,  while still being eco-friendly and sustainable .. Plants and Natural light are the cheapest and easiest ways to do this.

The exterior affects the interior 

One of the fundamentals of creating wellness-focused interiors is to understand the climate you are in as the climate may dictate the materials you use in your design, what wall covering you use internal wall structure etc. :

Wellness Focused Bathroom design : Fixtures and fitting

It was not that long along ago bathroom design consisted of a basin, piping. which was hidden by some sort of pedestal you could buy from any retail home store or hardware store, this was pretty much the standard. Fast forward to 2021, things have changed a lot. Now you want something that is going to be modern and maybe, over the top.  In the design I've created I've used quite a dramatic tub, made from locally sourced  FSC wood.

 Sink 

Incorporate the sink into a vanity unit  if you have enough space, If not, attaching the sink straight to the wall to give a minimalist look works well,. I've decided to attach the sink straight to the wall with movable storage underneath Floating vanity units look great and I would say are becoming more popular.

Tub

 Next is your freestanding tub, I know the choice for this type of tub can be dictated upon by the size of your bathroom.  You can see in my design the bathroom is quite spacious, however,   you can fit a freestanding in some challenging spaces  It also allows you to bring curves into the bathroom and not have that  'boxy look' with rectangle bath frame attached to a wall.  This does not have to  cost an arm and a leg either, just be prepared to shop  

Remember: Be mindful of your water consumptions when using your bath ..

Hardware 

When selecting hardware (The jewellery of any room) you want taps and showerheads that reduce water consumption.  There are many on the market at the moment, they look beautiful and are cost-effective in the long run 

You might want to think about installing thermostatic taps for the shower. They allow you to  reach the desired temperature much faster, which means you  miss out on  annoying changes of temperature while showering and the temp remains consistent 

 Water-saving systems can also be set up in your home for all water consumption. So instead of ( or as well as ) addressing how much water you are using with the hardware, you can have a system set up so that water is being recycled in your home, recycling greywater

 Toilet   

When it comes to the toilet which, I do not have in my design, because my design is a feng shui and Pher Shefat design and traditionally the toilet has its own room in both of those wellness philosophies.

 Think about getting a dual flush toilet or depending on your level of commitment to sustainability you could invest in composting Toilet or incinerating Toilet

If you must have your toilet in your bathroom, try to keep it away from your wash areas and keep the toilet seat down at all times, as toilets can release  fumes that can be quite toxic 

When it comes to lighting and creating wellness-focused interiors the first layer of lighting is extremely important, this is natural light. Unfortunately, we are not all in a position to have an architect design a building with wellness-focused, principles implemented and create a design that provided the best exposure to natural light and still able to minimize glare.

So how can we make the most of the interior space to improve lighting quality? 

 Lighting creates mood, enhances materials, and energizes a space and us, it is one of my favourite elements of interior design. Natural light keeps are body clock in synch.  We are all clued up on  Vitamin D production being stimulated by natural light( along with balanced levels of minerals ), however,  we may not all be aware that natural light helps to regulate and stimulate our Circadian rhythm, our built-in body clock. 

 Natural light helps to heighten Serotonin Levels, which keeps us vibrant upbeat and assist with digestion processes. When creating wellness-focused spaces, you need to make sure you have adequate natural light entering the space or ability to make the most out of the natural light you do have. 

One of the easiest ways to make the most of the natural light is to turn your room into one big light bulb by using reflective paints ( ZERO VOC please  ). 

Keep walls white or very very light, you also want to consider flooring and furniture that will reflect light. 

Mirrors are also great to use,  by strategically  placing a mirror so that it allows light entering a room to be directed to darker corners is a cheap and quick way to add more light 

Internal glazing can help with a dark hallway while still creating a separation of space.

Another awesome way to bring light into space is to instal  a sun tunnel or sun pipe  these are great  for dark corners and internal rooms 

 A simple way of bringing light into space is adding glazing above a door, this will brighten an otherwise dark hallway. 

Some of these ideas are inexpensive and some will have you dipping your hands a little deeper into your pocket, but remember your health is your wealth 

 Hope these ideas are helpful 

What feelings do the colours generate with you ?

Minimalism : Clearing Space / Declutter 

Minimalism is a lifestyle. it is the idea that interior design is a counter effect of the busy life of consumption we have built up around us. Its foundations are in editing your life and your space therefore only keeping things that hold some sort of purpose and importance in your life. Studies have shown that minimalised homes encourage mental clarity and calmness. The ancient arts of feng shui and Pher Shefat both have the principle of only having things in your home that serve you purpose and are beneficial to your overall wellbeing

Minimalism is not about living in bare cold rooms, it is simply a way of organising your life, that allows you to take control of your home and being deliberate in your choices by only having the truly wanted and needed in your space.

Simplify your home, will help you simplify your life You will be able to appreciate what you do have, don't look at it as a sacrifice, but an opportunity to appreciate and make the most of what you do have. More stuff tends to equal more confusion. it has been proven chaos caused by clutter can have implications on focus and the ability to process information. The clutter is in your space is competing for your attention, it's simply distracting.

Take 3 easy steps today to declutter your space

1 have an inbox for all paper that comes into your home. When paper enters your home have an inbox for everything then select a day to go throw the inbox and pop what is not needed in the recycling and quickly file what you do need away.

2 Get rid of duplicates: Walk around your space and look for items that are so similar you could do without one or get rid of duplicates .. Get a box and whatever you have doubles of donate one to a charity shop or if broken or not in proper working order, look to recycle or even repurpose if you can.

  Best Eco-Friendly and Wellbeing, Paints For A Wellness  Focused Home 

Lakeland Paints

Sherwin-Williams Harmony

Natura® - Benjamin Moore UK

Old Fashioned Milk Paint

Clare Paints 

Organic Natural Paint 

Little Greene Paint and Paper 

Spirt of the Ocean