
Do the aesthetics of your home inspire you?
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French writer Stendhal once remarked how “Beauty is the promise of happiness.” Today, research shows that beauty – be it the art hanging in your home, the colors of your walls, and other domestic aesthetics – is also directly connected to decision making, emotion, mental health, and self-perception. While many perceive “beauty”, a subjective concept that unfolds differently in every person’s living space, as a sort of luxury, it can also improve your overall happiness if care is taken to improve the aesthetics of your home.
In an article for the Huffington Post designer Dylan Kendall wrote, “Architects and interior designers agree that space has a very real impact on how we feel,” explaining the power that architecture and design have on a person’s well-being. Kendall goes on to explain how neuroscientists and psychologists have also researched the ways that aesthetics influence personal happiness and productivity; significant amounts of scientific research supports the artistic standpoint of designers and artists.
With this in mind, interior and home design is a form of art that brings people the same kind of joy and inspiration that walking into a museum, or an architecturally remarkable place, can similarly deliver. Although not all of us can afford to live in a luxury apartment or home, it is interesting to consider how fantastically designed spaces influence the people that live within them. According to Catherine Yang for the Epoch Times, newly remodeled penthouses at the Azure in New York City recently received “makeovers by award-winning interior designers James Rixner and Bjorn Bjornsson.” Douglas MacLaury, senior vice president of the Carl Mattone real estate group that helped develop Azure, explained that the collaboration with the designers is part of the development group’s core philosophy. Not only are these condominium-style homes considered “luxurious” because of their size and location, but because they are also impeccably designed.
Kendall explains, “We now know that the way light enters a room, the colors we choose for our floors and walls, and even the shape and texture of our furniture and home accessories all work together to influence how we feel and how we perform, both consciously and subconsciously.” Although each person will have a different emotional response to the aesthetics of a home or space, it is important to identify the things that you respond most positively to, as they may be directly impacting your happiness. Whether you’re living in a luxury high-rise, an artist’s loft, a tent, a duplex, or an apartment the size of a glorified closet, there is no doubt that aesthetics matter.
How have you designed your own living space? Do its aesthetics calm and inspire you?