We belong to a generation that has experienced the impact of new technologies on our lives and on our relationships. We make video calls with family and friends on WhatsApp, we interact from miles away, we communicate through Instagram or Facebook and even our grandparents have learned to 'master' the networks, we telework, we shop online, we talk about hands-free hugs and many of us maintain a secret love relationship with Amazon prime-next day delivery.
This new world, although very practical, has changed the way we live our daily lives and how we perceive our surroundings. Today and more than ever, I am convinced that we will increasingly value the 'tangible', what we feel when palpating, through our skin and the power to activate all our senses: sight, touch, hearing, taste and the sense of smell.
Therefore, today on this post I will share some tips on how to create a home that awakens your senses, a home where you feel connected not only with the materials but with their origin. And when we design our home, we usually take into account aspects such as the cost of the investment and its aesthetic result, leaving the senses behind...
In order to prevent you from making this mistake, please find below my best tips to stimulate your senses from your home.
Sight
We stimulate the eye through light, colors, shapes and textures.
Our eyes responded to light, the sun light has benefits on the quality of our vision and the lack of it is the cause of early vision problems. There are surfaces and materials that reflect light, creating a special atmosphere.
Colors evoke emotions: blue tones evoke the tranquility of the sea, red drives us to act, yellow makes us happy, green 'regenerates'..., even a neutral color palette can transmit emotions using different shades and creating visual depth.
There are multiple ways to add interest and awaken your sense of sight, from creating accent areas or points of visual attraction, to the most basic of maintaining a clean and uncluttered interior.
Touch
Our body is able to decipher the difference between natural and artificial materials. From building materials (floors, coverings, worktops...) to rugs and carpets, textiles (curtains, blankets, etc.).
When we choose materials, there is much more than just the price per m2 aspect, we are defining how we are going to feel in a place. Experience for yourself the feeling when touching a material.
Natural materials often have added emotional values, for example solid wood provides warmth, beauty and it ages with style; natural textiles have the ability to envelop us as if it were a hug, authentic stones take us back to their origin...
Hearing
Sounds are part of our life. From the annoying WhatsApp message or the sound of the dishwasher, urban noise, to the sound of the wind and rain on your window, music and silence itself... and our brain responds differently to them depending on their vibration... There are sounds that make us feel stressed and fatigue us, but there are also sounds that make us feel excited and happy.
Some simple tricks to promote positive emotions through sound are: improving the sound insulation of your home, using decorative acoustic panels, choosing textiles that absorb vibrations or 'acoustic fabrics' is a whole world (carpets, curtains, etc... ), surround yourself with nature: plants act as a natural barrier to sound, they are very effective on balconies or terraces and also indoors. If you do not have the sound of nature nearby, you can place an artificial water source, or get used to listening to sounds of nature on your Spotify.
Smell
Smell is one of the most powerful senses. Smells alert us and insist on action, they can generate well-being or discomfort in us and take us back to moments in the past... For me, for example, the smell of eucalyptus reminds me of my grandmother who boiled it to aromatize her house, the smell freshly cut grass takes me back to my childhood... We can stimulate the sense of smell in many ways. Bringing flowers and plants to our home, through the aroma that your home has, in a good coffee or tea in the morning or a good wine at night... The smells that make up our home have an emotional response on us. Some practical tips to stimulate the sense of smell are: mitigate bad odours, use natural essences and herbs and ventilate daily...
Taste
A sense that we have quite developed. Who doesn't enjoy the flavour of a fresh tangerine or the texture of avocado? Our palate loves to try different flavours and textures, so your kitchen becomes an entire universe, the heart of your home. If you can, try to implement all the senses within this room.
Emotion
Emotional connections play a very important role in our lives. In fact, it has been proven that most of our purchases are emotional. That is why it has incalculable value in how we feel at home.
Discover a decorative object in an antique market, recycle a piece of furniture with sentimental value or collect objects from that special trip... Recycled or sustainable materials make us feel good, we value artisanal products for the work of the person who created them and we choose art that provokes an emotional response in us.
As you can see... when we awaken our senses, every moment becomes an opportunity to feel...
As an Interior Designer in Sitges, LADY J.INTERIORS can help you combine colors, textures, patterns, furniture, adapting your interior to your lifestyle and personal tastes and giving life to your home by combining all these elements in harmony.
