Boost Your Mental Well-Being With the Right Home Design

If you read our recent piece on wellness trends for 2021, you’ll know that a sense of ‘calm’ is at the centre of many people’s health goals this year. And that’s understandable, seeing as we’ve all been running around in a constant state of distress for about a year now.

For those of you keen to level up your mindfulness game in the coming months, Pinterest has pulled together a list of some of the more popular approaches to self-care and mental well-being. The social platform has highlighted that redesigning your home is a particularly popular way to get the positive vibes flowing.

According to Pinterest, research indicates that “physical space is strongly connected to mental health”. From elements like natural light to soothing design trends, folks are really finding joy in transforming their homes into a bit of a zen zone.

Reportedly, searches on Pinterest for Japandi “a hybrid minimalist design trend that takes the modern flair of Scandinavian design and combines it with the timeless elegance of a Japanese aesthetic” has spiked by 100 per cent recently. Neutral colour palettes in earth tones have increased three times over, and searches for “modern mudrooms” (a space where you can leave shoes and outwear when entering the house) have jumped up by two times the interest.

So, what other calming design trends are climbing up the ranks?

Here’s what Pinterest had to say:

Hygge (Danish)

You may have heard of this one. This Danish concept related to, “a mood of cosiness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment” is still having its moment. The Pinterest team shares that “visually, the aesthetic focuses on natural and organic materials, candles, lighting, fireplaces and comforting spaces, while making use of those neutral colour palette earth tones”.

Friluftsliv (Swedish)

Friluftsliv is a Swedish design style that “means free air life, and encourages people to incorporate an appreciation of nature into their life”. This concept is big on “embracing the outdoors” as a means of maintaining your wellbeing, so the design often looks at ways to “bring the outside indoors”.

Wabi Sabi (Japanese)

“The acceptance of imperfect things, and recognition of their beauty”. This too is connected to nature (as many things that inspire happiness are). Pinterest states that “modern mudrooms are a perfect example of this” aesthetic that “usually features organic shapes and materials”.

While we’re talking relaxation, another trend that’s picking up steam on Pinterest is the Swedish Fika. This is not design-related, but it’s an interesting self-care act, nonetheless. A Fika is, in its simplest terms, a Swedish coffee break that’s focused around spending “quality time”. So, once you’ve got your design plan sorted out, maybe give yourself a Fika or two, yeah? Sounds like a pretty sweet habit to adopt, if you ask me.