What is Energy Based Design?
Energy Based Design is a philosophy rooted in improving health and wellbeing through thoughtful connection to nature, energy flow, and sensory elements in our living spaces. By aligning form, materials, and textures with nature, we can create homes that help us feel better, think clearer, and live more fully.
In a nutshell it is design for health and wellbeing.
How can you create a home that helps improve the wellbeing of you and your family?
Small changes can have a big impact. Here are some simple ways to improve your wellbeing at home;
Energy & Atmosphere
We all have an energetic exchange with our environment, ALL OF THE TIME.
But its an abstract, its intangible, it doesn’t have a form, it’s a feeling. You know that feeling when you walk into somewhere and feel a bit “blah”, or on the flip side a lot “wow”.
Next time you walk into your home, think about how it feels when you enter and if it’s not creating the mood you want, consider what you could change to help create the feeling you do want. Try this in all the rooms of the house, not just the entrance, and see what comes up for you and then think about what you might change.
Connection to Each Other
We are hardwired to connect socially and connecting as a family is perhaps the most connection of all so make space for shared experiences in your home.
Celebrate your favourite things by placing them somewhere you see them often, and have a think, room by room about what you don’t love or need that you could remove.
Connection to Nature
Connecting with nature is good for you – it is scientifically proven that nature helps calm our nervous system and promotes healing.
If you don’t have a view that looks out to Nature, think about creating some planting on a fence or wall that you look out to. Or add some indoor plants to your home.
Add texture, colours and patterns of nature to your spaces – perhaps in a wallpaper, or a fabric, even a duvet cover, it all helps.
Healthy Air Quality
A healthy home minimizes your exposure to toxic chemicals. It is surprising how much the things in your home, like carpet, paint and fabrics can impact your health, as they emit VOCs ( Volatile Organic Compounds).
Choose low VOC options (check with your retailer) and ask yourself if you really need carpet. As well as emitting VOCs, carpet can trap dust, allergens and bacteria. A natural carpet option may suit better than a synthetic one.
Colour & Mood
Colour deeply influences how we feel. Use a cohesive palette for the whole home so that it is harmonious and reflects how you want to feel in each space - perhaps energetic and vibrant in the kitchen and living spaces, but calm and relaxed in the bedrooms. I recently worked with a client to bring in Nature to their home using colours inspired by the Heaphy Track, one of their favourite places.
Think differently too about where to put colour, perhaps you could have the same colour ceiling and walls or use decals or elements of colour if repainting isn’t an option.
Balance & Adaptability
With our world of “work from home” it’s easy to let the boundaries blur between home and work and hard sometimes to switch off.
If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, can you make one? Think about the layout or flow of your home and see if you could carve out a space for work. One friend has their desk set up in their spare room’s wardrobe, so they can close the door and no longer see it.
Life isn’t static, and nor should a home be, it should revolve with your needs, so review your spaces every now and then and be prepared to change what is no longer working for you.
Your home is where life happens. Make it a place that truly supports your wellbeing.