Interior decor tips to add emotional value to your home

Without us realising, the interior design of our house significantly affects our feelings and well-being as we are visually exposed and influenced by our surroundings, given the time we spend at home. Many factors contribute to how you feel and various elements will alter your mood but by making small changes at home from colours, layout and fabrics, your mood can easily improve and evoke positive feelings.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Reshma Chhabria, Founder and Creative Head at H II H, shared, “A home is a space of self expression. While a space can be designed by professionals a lot of care can be taken to establish a distinct identity of the people eventually using and residing in the space. Every space makes us feel something on a subconscious level, The most important question to ask oneself is how does this space make us feel.”

She suggested, “Great natural light flowing into any space tends to uplift all the corners, adding plants to heal and play an important role in the emotional quotient into the space. Light colour palettes or white spaces with bright happy accents fill up the space with radiance and cheer. Including pieces that are associated with memories of travel or have heritage value adds purpose to the space while creating a uniqueness like none other.”

Recommending soft warm textures in peaceful restful spaces like bedrooms while living and entertaining areas can be vibrant and bold, Reshma Chhabria said, “Small rooms can be comforting and provide a sense of shelter and intimacy, but wide-open spaces connect us back to the rest of the world. Hence if a change in layout is possible its important to create a medley of both intimate and cosy spaces and open, lively and breezy spaces.”

Adding to the list of interior decor tips to add emotional value to your home, Interior designer Misbah Kapadia, Founder and Curator of Design Konstruct, advised:

1. Organisation and storage – A well organised and planned area will always keep you relaxed and calm. Living in an environment which is untidy or cluttered will condition your mind to associate it with strain. So it is important to plan and avoid this possibility when building and designing your space. A comfortable environment will result in peace of mind. Decluttering your home and removing all distractions will improve your productivity and allow you to relax as you are free from a hectic space.

2. Function and perception of space – The residential space should fit your emotional needs. We need to judge the space and design, as well as arrange to its advantage. The perfect designs are the ones that combine the best aesthetics and function both. Adding accessories are great to style your home but do not overdo it as less is always more.

3. Colour – The psychology of colour is a huge spoken topic when connecting your choice of tone and your state of mind. Colour works as a stimulant for our minds and depending on what shade you choose; it will always highlight specific emotions and feelings. Lighter colors will feel more open and bright, the more white added to a hue, the more light it is able to reflect. Whereas darker colors give off a heavy feeling and can make you feel more enclosed.

4. Lighting – Dimmer lights can help achieve a relaxing environment which encourages comfort. We are more positive and productive when it’s daylight, so if you are fortunate, incorporate as much natural light as possible to maximize your well-being and mood.

5. Art and decor – Amongst all of the machine-made items in our homes, it’s always nice to have something that can effortlessly bring life back into a room. Art always helps us validate and recognize our emotions.

6. Fabric – Add light, air and elegance in the living room. The master bedroom is a great place to build comfort, this can be accomplished with warm textured fabrics and rich color. Soft textures, filtered and dimmable lighting, go a long way towards creating a comfortable, relaxing mood at home.

7. Other tips – Use plants in living areas to improve air quality, relaxation, inspiration, and focus. Add inspirational designs to every object, color and texture in your room for positive thought.