If you do not love walking through your front door after a hard day at work to the pleasures of your own personal sanctuary, then maybe it is time to take a look at the latest field of home décor, called neuroarchitecture. This new concept in managing and creating pleasurable spaces in your home takes into consideration how light, space and room layout all affect the physical and psychological well-being of the people who live there. Here are a few ideas on how to improve your home interior décor to create a more healthy, positive environment for your family.In the Living Room
Since the living room may be the room in which you and your family spend the most time, feelings of contentment can help everyone feel less stressed about their day. Neuroarchitecture research suggests that selecting furniture with soft, rounded edges instead of sharp, pointy or hard edges can work toward creating a more nurturing environment that promotes feelings of contentment and well-being.
If key pieces of furniture, such as your couch, look soft, round and inviting, you will feel more relaxed and less stressed. If your space is small, instead of stuffing in a large couch and loveseat, set a more comfy tone by considering the placement of small sofas or a few larger stuffed chairs. Since neuroarchitecture is linked to a primitive part of the brain, seeing soft corners instead of sharp edges will actually make you feel safer in your own environment. Reducing stress for your family can have overwhelmingly positive physical effects on everyone, and that leads to happier, healthier living.
In the Kitchen
Another principle of neuroarchitecture encompasses the kitchen and its relationship to feelings of comfort. The kitchen, the center of a home, provides nourishment, warmth, protection and socialization for a family. If you can cook and prepare food with your back to the wall so you are facing others with whom you can easily interact, all the better. If your back is turned toward the hustle and bustle that is going on behind you, it causes anxiety, fear and stress because your brain is more likely to produce adrenaline and cortisol. When you face others while you prepare food for them, you feel more in control, more relaxed and have more feelings of enjoyment.
If you have an island in your kitchen, prepare food there while interacting with friends and family. If not, try to at least have a view of a window or the entryway into the kitchen so you can see your family and friends when they enter that space.
Refresh Your Space
A home that elicits happiness and positive emotion is a home in which everyone would like to live. If you have been living in your home for a while, change things up so the environment doesn’t get “stale” or uninspiring. Move a couch to face the window so you can see outside into nature, put your bed on a different wall, or swap furniture from different rooms to create a fresh perspective.
Practicing a few simple principles of neuroarchitecture can go a long way in helping everyone in your family become less stressed and more positive. In the long run, less stress means more happiness and less health-related issues such as managing weight, high blood pressure, heart disease and other ways we all allow stress to affect our physical and emotional well-being.
Teresa Stewart writes for those interested in creating ambiance with shadows, lights and shapes in their home decor. While researching psychologically pleasing furniture, she found that small sofas offered at SofasandSectionsals(dot)com are presented in a variety of shapes and sizes. Because each piece is customizable, multiple selections of color and texture are available for fabric coverings to suit any personality and style of decor.
