How to Lay Out Your Home for a Longer and Healthier Life

Your home is your sanctuary, a place where you can relax, create, gather, and feel safe. Don’t underestimate the link between behaviour and design. The layout of your home influences how you move and feel within your space. If your floorpan is poorly laid out and not providing sanctuary, it creates stressors on the body which negatively impact physical and mental health.

The first study to come out showing a connection between design and health was an article by RS Ulrich published in 1984 in the journal Science titled, “View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery.” He found that patients with a view to nature used less pain medications and recovered more quickly than those whose window looked onto a brick wall. This study not only was the start of evidence-based design in healthcare, but brought widespread attention to the fact that design affects behaviour and our physical environment directly impacts health and longevity.

With a growing interest in wellness, it’s now accepted that our homes can actually enhance our wellbeing in very real and tangible ways. And that’s the idea I want to share with you in this months design/story. If you’re building a home or planning a renovation, then you have the luxury of giving careful consideration to the layout and form of your home. But don’t worry if you have no plans to build or renovate, there are easy simple changes you can incorporate to create a layout and overall feel that contributes to wellness and longevity.

Furniture Placement and Decor

A 2016 study published in the Architectural Science Review concluded that most people feel better in rooms with round contours and curved edges. Our brains are hardwired to perceive angles and jagged shapes as danger. The nervous system processes these cues quicker than our conscious awareness. Designing homes that include architectural details such as arches, curved plaster ceilings and spiral staircases bring a sense of comfort and safety.

Typically though, our Canadian homes are square boxes so we have to look at other ways to bring in this softness. Moving furniture slightly away from the walls creates flow and adds dimension. A pair of chairs facing each other on a slight angle improves comfort and creates a feeling of safety, thereby lessening stress. These little gathering nooks also promote better conversation and deeper connection, which is a key factor in aging well and living longer.

Simple changes such as swapping out a rectangular coffee table for a rounded one will also help to lessen those harsh angles. Choosing rounded chairs, circular decor items and art with organic shapes will go a long way towards softening a space. Don’t underestimate the power of textiles. Area rugs with swooping patterns, toss cushions with swirls and draperies in a Jacobean or Paisley pattern will bring softness and curvature to a room, allowing our bodies to relax and decompress. And the interesting thing is our brain reacts to these visual clues subconsciously and our bodies respond accordingly, all before our thinking brain kicks in.

Relaxation Spaces

Having spaces in the home that restore balance and assist in recovering from the pace of modern life is a number one design request these days. From steam showers to saunas and cold plunge baths, I’m getting calls for spaces that support health and quality of life. Many new homes are incorporating these wellness amenities. In future it’s predicted that wellness focused spaces will become a standard feature in home design.

If you wish to create a wellness area, bathrooms are probably the easiest place to start. It’s a lovely quiet place to unwind and enjoy some solitude while reaping numerous health benefits. Whether a bath or shower, warm water causes blood vessels to dilate which improves circulation and can slightly lower blood pressure. Take a cue from spa culture and embrace sensory recovery with with relaxing scents, soothing soundscapes, clutter free counters and plush towels. Installing dimmers to create soft lighting and investing in a good rainfall shower head are a few simple upgrades that can give a cookie cutter bathroom the same benefits as a full on spa bathroom. If budget allows, add some natural elements such as a stone sink or wooden panelling.

Quiet rooms are another wellness trend that’s taking hold. First seen in workplaces, schools and airports, the idea of having a space with little sensory stimulation has migrated to the home. While we all don’t have extra rooms waiting to be converted, consider tucking a comfy chair into a peaceful corner of a room. And here’s a big one, give thought to removing the television from the main living space. Too often I see living rooms set up around the TV instead of designed for connection and conversation. If connection is made by gathering to watch television, then consider hiding the TV in a cabinet or included as part of a built-in. A frame TV is another way to lesson the impact of the big black box.

Repurposing Rooms

Many times I have gone into a client’s home and helped them repurpose their rooms. It used to surprise me how clients would complain about lack of space and wish they could do a renovation or move to a larger home. Yet they had formal living rooms or designated dining rooms that weren’t being used. It never occurred to them to change the purpose of a room. Every family goes through seasons, and we have different space requirements during these seasons. Don’t be bound by a room’s original purpose.

I know when my three boys were young, every few years I repurposed rooms and created spaces that supported the life we were living at the moment. Play spaces were turned into music rooms which then became homework spaces. When homework started being done in bedrooms, we had a space for gathering and playing games. Eventually the house became quiet and I created a reading and conversation room for adults. Homes are adaptable and spaces can be repurposed without doing structural changes. Adding the appropriate furniture and just naming a space for the new purpose will change the flow of the original layout.

Other Home and Health Considerations

This design/story is only a small sampling of how to design a home for optimum health. Factors such as air quality, natural light, material selection, biophilic design and universal design features are all important considerations for a home that promotes wellness and longevity.

Final Thoughts

A well designed home should restore you and work with your natural biology to promote wellness and longevity. Emerging scientific research shows that the spaces we live in shape how we age. Our nervous systems are wired to be constantly scanning the environment for safety cues, which will heighten or lessen stress. I’m not promising you a well designed home will make you live forever, but our environments can be set up to support stable energy, balanced hormones, regulated circadian rhythms, low inflammation and nervous system calm. Designing your home as a sanctuary to support health will enhance your quality of life and ultimately your longevity.

Design Nerds:

​I want to share with you some of my favourite books and websites that explore the relationship between health and design. For further reading and a list of additional resources, check out my design/story “Why Minimalist Design May Not be Good for Health and Wellness.”