We are all aware of well-being and the importance of eating healthy, getting enough sleep and practicing mindfulness techniques to help us live a peaceful and stress free life. But since the lockdown due to Covid we saw ourselves being confined to our homes for over a year and because of that we have all become increasingly aware of our surroundings. We have in essence cocooned ourselves in to a hiding place from the outside world and the importance of interiors has never been so apparent!

There’s a lot to be said for the environment you live in. While you might not directly realise it, your home can have an immediate and long-lasting effect on your mental health and wellbeing. From the colour down to the decor, your home should be an extension of you and the things that make you happy.


How long do you spend indoors? The answer will shock you! According to the National Human Activity Pattern Survey, it's 90% of our time, and with the lockdown restrictions it could be a lot higher! This really really does highlight the importance of creating an environment that promotes wellness.

Surrounding yourself with things that make you feel positive will increase your mental wellbeing, whether that’s a picture wall featuring all your favourite things; a drawing your child did, a family group photo or a painting you bought on your holiday, looking at these daily will sure promote a happy feeling.

The link between the creative industries and the benefit that art and aesthetics has to our wellbeing has always been apparent and is well documented. But what is apparent, especially now, is the need for this to be applied to our own homes, with the growing design trend of wellness focused interiors.

Biophilia is the phrase given to the positive connection that we seek from nature and other forms of life, our inherent human connection to the natural world in short.

What has emerged from this is a design trend that takes into account this connection we need from nature, aptly name Biophilic Design, the ethos is to find innoventive ways to harness this affinity of nature to the home. This way of design has been proven to inspire us, boost our productivity and even contribute to a stronger sense of well-being.

This design ethos states that it's necessary to bring the outdoors in and create indoor environments that reference nature in both obvious and subtle ways. Obviously daylight and getting outside with nature has long been championed to promote mental wellbeing so it makes complete sense!

Embarking on a wellness journey is a process of searching for the appropriate “tools” to make you a healthier and happier human being, plus discovering your own effective methods to use these “tools” for continued growth and development.

The outside world can be often recreated in your own home by filling your home with plants and flowers to really make the difference to your mood. However it’s more than just the addition of a pot plant or two! Natural light, vegetation, good air quality, living walls, natural textures and materials will provide a positive impact.

Moulding elements of these together will produce an environment that will provide full health benefits. Tormar likes to keep the natural grain of the wood in the design as much as possible and enhance the wood design.

The natural wood grain on the headboard of the Rushworth would really sit well with an overflowing Spruce o the side tables, bringing the outside in, in ways that sit really well together.

Natural light also pays a major part in home design, something so simple of letting in natural light into your home has been proven to increase health and wellbeing. Many studies gives us the proof that it improves productivity, alertness and your mood – it can affect our physiological or psychological states.

Additionally daylight inhibits the production of melatonin, which ensures that we get tired when it gets dark. Tormar are aware of the health benefits of natural light and they wanted to design the new Melton Work Pod in a way so that as much natural light floods the work space.

 

It should come as no surprise that color can have a strong impact on the mood of a room and how it makes you feel. Color is difficult to discuss as it is largely a matter of personal taste.

The different colours that are used in interior design can really effect the environment and can either overstimulate or under stimulate your space. Lighter colours are considered to by airy and can make rooms feel larger and even brighter. Darker colours are considered to be more refined and make rooms feel more intimate and warmer.

There are some colour groups that are more or less generally accepted: and this will help make it easier when deciding what hues to use with your décor. Neutrals are black, grey, white and brown. These colours can establish a balance when using passive and active colours. Active colours like yellow and pink are bright and can excite the mind along with boosting creativity. Passive colours like blue and green are cool and can calm the mind and help with mental focus. But ultimately having fun and painting your home in colours that make you happy is the most important thing.

The biggest impact is, in fact, the little things. Clutter – shoes piled up at the entrance, wardrobes stuffed with clothes we haven’t worn in years, the dinning table without much space for actually having a meal. These things have an impact on our mood, our relationships and even on our sleep. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to focus when you’re in a room or home surrounded by clutter? Having a messy environment isn’t going to help you in any way. It plays on your mind without you even realising.

Keeping things simple can help when dealing with clutter, finding ways in which to ‘hide’ things that aren’t needed all the time. Storage and shelf units are your best friends when it comes to organising a clutter free home. Tormar are soon to launch a selfing system that is completely flexible in shape and size. Which means you can organise in a super flexible way, to fit in with your needs.

However with interiors, you can stick to the rules and be aware of what elements will enable an environment that promotes positive well-being, but ultimately surround yourself with things that make you happy. If you love the way a stool looks with a pile of your favourite books on it, then that’s its purpose! If you want to hang up drawing done by you son, daughter, nephew or niece then do that. If it puts a smile on your face and you feel uplifted then that’s great! Just have fun!