Our quest to create happy homes
Interior design is not just about making homes pretty. Aesthetics are extremely important in our industry but if it doesn’t feel like home, we don’t consider our job complete! We always design with the occupant in mind so the end result is an adaptable, functional and a beautiful home that oozes personality and reflects it’s owner.
Since we do this all day, every day for all our lovely customers, we already have a pretty good idea of the recipe for a happy home. So, when we read that Resi (the UK’s leading architectural service) had completed heaps of research to dig deep into what makes a happy home, we were excited to check that our ingredients were scientifically backed up. Spoiler alert: we were totally getting it right, with a few welcome and pleasant extra surprises!
Learn more about our design services by clicking the big, orange button below.
Resi’s report: The Science of a Happy Home
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Resi have been busy, and when we say busy, we mean surveying 4000 UK residents and putting together a 51 page report on what makes a happy home.
We suggest you read the entire thing, however, we understand that you’re very busy people (which is one of the reasons we started My Bespoke Room in the first place), so we’ve condensed and pulled together the main takeaways from this incredible report, for your speedy viewing pleasure, and to bear in mind when designing your home.
If you can put any time aside, you can read the entire report by clicking the button below.
Resi findings: The six qualities of a happy home
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Through a national research study, which focused on what it means to be happy at home, Resi identified six qualities that describe our homes. These six qualities give us a focus around which we can, for the first time, have a national conversation about how our homes perform for our wellbeing.
If happiness at home is the end goal, the evidence we have shows that efforts to design, build and create homes should focus on these qualities:
- Security: Providing shelter, safety & stability.
- Adaptability: Meeting changing needs.
- Connectivity: Providing spaces to interact.
- Nourishing: Providing healthy conditions.
- Relaxed: Makes us feel at home.
- Mirrors: Reflecting who we are.
Want a bit more explaining? Yep, don’t worry, coming right up…
A secure home
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Human’s have a basic need for a safe shelter, unfortunately, this security is still not guaranteed for everyone today. Security is both physical and emotional – we need to feel physically safe whilst having peace of mind when we’re at home.
We believe that when you design a home and make it your own, it feels more secure and acts as your very own safe haven to wake up in and return to each day. ‘Home’ is as much a feeling as it is a location and this is where ’empathetic designing’ comes in. We aim to make our designs feel good for you, as much as they look good to the eye.
Living spaces that nourish us
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Nourishing homes need to protect from or enhance physical elements by optimising light, sound and ventilation. Natural light, a sound proofed and peaceful space and good air quality are imperative for not only our comfort but our health too.
Lighting is always at the forefront of our minds when designing your homes; we aim to enhance the natural light you have access to whilst layering it with the right artificial lights for you and your house. As much as we love creating outrageously stunning designs, ultimately, your home needs to be liveable and therefore that’s paramount for us. Plus, who says your home can’t be outrageously stunning and ergonomically friendly? Certainly not us.
If you follow our posts regularly, you’ll know we’re a sucker for indoor greenery. This isn’t just because of how fabulous plants look in the home, but it’s also for how blooming brilliant they are at aiding a healthy life. Plants purify the air, reduce stress, aid focus and improve mood. Fantastic little multitaskers.
Fancy a home that is simultaneously outrageously stunning and nourishing? Book a free, no obligation phone consultation to be a bit more ‘in the know’ about our services and how we could specifically help you.
Homes that evolve with us
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Our homes must be designed so they can adapt to meet our needs, now and in the future. We don’t use the rooms and spaces in our homes equally and therefore the ability to change layouts is more important than the size of the rooms because the home is therefore more able to support the multiple uses and functions that each space can host.
‘Broken plan’ layouts are becoming more and more popular, as it’s a way to incorporate multiple uses into a large, open plan space. Suddenly a living/dining/kitchen is now a living/dining/kitchen/workspace/play area/social hub of the home.
Additionally, with more and more people working from home or working flexible hours, we are seeing heaps more dual-function rooms, such as guest rooms that double up as a home office.
We are people and people’s needs, hobbies and lives in general are constantly changing, therefore homes need to be able to adapt and evolve with you and your family, especially when you have growing children in the house!
A relaxing oasis
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Relaxed homes are spaces that make us feel calm, comfortable and at ease. Resi found that when they asked people to describe their homes in relation to our home personality traits, those who describe their home as relaxed were more likely to report higher home satisfaction than any other home personality trait. Interesting stuff, albeit not exactly surprising.
In terms of where we can switch off and relax, Resi’s data identifies living spaces and bedrooms as the spaces to focus on – and that’s exactly what we do! This comes back to the functionality thing – we hate to sound boring but this is a super important part to consider when we receive a new room design brief.
Our design process kicks off with an initial phone call between you and your professional, dedicated designer. This is so they can dig a bit deeper into your style, needs and intentions for the use of the room. It’s imperative we find out how you want the room to feel as well as how it looks.
Check out some of our previous room designs for inspiration on your style and what kind of ‘vibe’ you’re looking for:
A well-connected living hub
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We need places to switch on and be sociable and spaces that connect us to the outside world. Resi found that ‘sociable’ is a home personality trait which is strongly associated with home happiness. This means that people who describe their homes as sociable are more likely to be happy at home.
The spaces that matter most, on average, to our home happiness are private gardens, balconies and open plan spaces. All these spaces can enhance our feelings of connectiveness.
Connection to nature and the wider outside world are also important. You can almost feel our comment on indoor greenery brewing, can’t you? Well, a great way to connect with nature is to bring the outdoors inside with plants and flowers. Urban and indoor gardens are becoming increasingly popular, and we don’t see this being just a one time ‘fad.’ Feeling in touch with nature, especially in busy towns and cities, is imperative for our wellbeing.
A reflection of ourselves
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Ok, this is a 2 birds, 1 stone post because yes, actual mirrors in the house are super beneficial: they bounce light around a room, add heaps of style to your decor and can make the space look larger and lighter. However, this is more about your home being a mirror of YOU.
Homes that mirror us are reflections of our values and personalities; our intrinsic selves. Resi found that 81% of those most happy at home say their homes reflect who they are, while just 7% of those most unhappy agree. A focus on our intrinsic selves is important if we are to avoid conspicuous consumption by investing in short-term trends, as opposed to our own long-term needs.
To design a home that reflects who you are, start by asking simple questions such as ‘what about your home feels most special?’ or ‘what do you like to do to relax?’ or ‘how do you host?’
In summary
This is why we ensure our designers are friendly, personable and empathetic so that they can get a real insight into you and your home, to make sure your designs reflect your personality and create home updates that you absolutely love, and will love 5, 10, 15 years down the line.
Chat to one of our friendly team about your upcoming home update and how we can help you achieve your happy home.
Need help transforming your child’s bedroom? Our designers are all highly experienced, qualified and down right lovely. Here’s how we match you:
