7 min read
Bringing Wellness into Your Home
Your home influences your wellbeing, whether you realize it or not. Here’s how to bring wellness into everyday spaces, one simple choice at a time.
WORDS Elissa Rose
In the past several years, our relationship with our homes has shifted. Many people now spend more time at home, with working patterns reflecting a very different world. That shift changes the role a home plays in our wellbeing. It’s no longer just where life unfolds, it’s where our health is shaped. Wellness design is often associated with major renovations, specialist terminology or the idea that you need to start from scratch to do it properly. In reality, wellness is far more subtle than that. It lives in the way a home supports you day after day, through light, air, materials and the small rhythms that carry you from morning to night.
Most of us already feel this instinctively. We notice the room where we breathe more deeply, the chair we return to without thinking or the corner of a space that feels calm even when the rest of the day doesn’t. Bringing wellness into your home doesn’t require perfection or a full redesign, it begins with making intentional choices and layering healthy change over time. Below, we explore each of the WLLW pillars through simple, actionable considerations you can apply at any stage, in any home.
Air Quality
It might seem surprising, but indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air we breathe outside, especially in homes that are tightly sealed, which is where ventilation can make a big impact. Air quality is fundamental to our overall wellbeing, as it has a direct impact on our sleep, energy and respiratory health.
What you can do:
- Open windows daily, even for a few minutes, to refresh indoor air.
- When it’s time to redecorate, opt for low-VOC and mineral rather than conventional paints.
- Use a HEPA air filter to cleanse the indoor air of dust, allergens and substances such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Water Quality
Research has shown that certain chemicals, including PFAS, can be absorbed through the skin while bathing. In other words, water quality isn’t only relevant to what we drink, it also matters for the daily exposure we experience through skin contact and inhalation.
What you can do:
- Use a water filter for drinking water.
- Consider shower or faucet filtration systems, which can help reduce chlorine and other common contaminants that may affect skin and respiratory comfort.
- Address leaks or damp areas early, as moisture issues can impact both air quality and materials.
Light
Light influences mood, focus and sleep, often more than we realize. Our circadian rhythms are the body’s natural 24-hour cycle that regulates sleep, energy and hormonal balance. When supported through thoughtful lighting choices, they can encourage steadier energy and more restorative rest.
What you can do:
- Allow natural light to lead where possible by keeping windows unobstructed.
- Use warm, low-level lighting in the evenings to support rest.
- Avoid relying solely on overhead lighting. Instead add lamps or wall lights for softer layers.
Nature
Even small doses of nature can have a grounding effect. The science behind the idea of biophilia indicates a strong connection between contact with nature and our sense of wellness. This isn’t simply about decoration, it’s the process of restoring patterns of light, texture and rhythm that the body recognizes as calming.
What you can do:
- Introduce plants into the home, particularly those which contribute to better indoor air quality.
- Use natural textures and materials with patinas that reflect the outdoors.
- Consider your color palette and incorporate earthy or marine tones reminiscent of the natural world.
Materials
Healthier materials choices are rarely about perfection. They are about understanding which decisions matter most, particularly in spaces where we sleep, rest and recover. Even a few thoughtful upgrades can meaningfully improve how a space feels to live in.
What you can do:
- Favor natural, low-toxin materials when making new purchases.
- Be cautious with finishes that off-gas, especially in bedrooms and living spaces.
- Choose materials that are designed to last and remain stable, rather than ones that are treated with chemicals such as flame retardants.
Space
A well-considered space supports how you interact within your home, which in turn influences your daily routine. A home that feels predictable, functions well, and is easy to navigate can create a stronger sense of calm and control.
What you can do:
- Notice where movement feels awkward or cramped and adjust furniture layouts where you can.
- Pay attention to where you naturally gather, rest or work and organize the room around those patterns.
- Pair open sightlines with places that feel protected, such as reading nooks or window seats.
Form
Form is about the products we live with every day, whether they’re sofas, bedding or joinery and lighting. It’s important to choose designs that balance comfort with performance and health. The goal is to invest in pieces that feel good now, and continue to feel good over time.
What you can do:
- Prioritize well made pieces designed for longevity and look for options that can be repaired or reupholstered over time.
- Choose furniture and fixtures that support ergonomic comfort, always considering how your body feels after extended use.
- Modular pieces or flexible storage, which can adapt to a changing home environment, allow you to adapt your furniture to suit your routine.
Comfort
Comfort is created through more than what we can see or touch. It’s shaped by temperature, sound, privacy and the sense that we can control our environment, all of which influence how settled we feel at home. Comfort is often designed into the background, but it’s one of the strongest influences on long-term wellbeing.
What you can do:
- Improve insulation where possible and keep indoor temperature and humidity levels steady throughout the day.
- Design with sound in mind by separating rooms by activity and adding acoustic buffers like bookcases, drapes or doors to help contain noise and support focus or rest.
- Use soft furnishings strategically, such as rugs, upholstered pieces and lined curtains, to reduce temperature swings and make rooms feel more consistent.
Body & Mind
Our homes shape how regulated, focused and rested we feel. A supportive environment helps reduce background stress and allows the body and mind to settle. When the home feels calmer, it becomes easier to think clearly, recharge properly and return to yourself throughout the day.
What you can do:
- Reduce sensory overload by limiting excessive noise, clutter and competing visual elements.
- Create simple daily rituals tied to your space, such as a quiet morning corner or a consistent evening wind-down routine.
- Allow space for rest without productivity attached, recognizing that mental recovery is part of wellbeing.
Community
Wellness doesn’t exist in isolation. Homes influence how we connect with others through gathering, hospitality or a sense of belonging beyond our walls. Thoughtful spaces make it easier to host, share meals and spend unhurried time with others.
What you can do:
- Create areas that naturally invite conversation, such as shared tables, comfortable seating or open kitchen spaces.
- Think about how your home welcomes others, from lighting at the entrance to places where guests can settle comfortably.
- Support materials, makers and practices that contribute positively to wider communities, extending wellbeing outward.
Wellness design isn’t about doing everything at once, or getting it ‘right’ on the first try. It’s about building awareness of what your home is already doing for you and where it could do a little more. When you approach your space through this lens, the changes don’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Over time, small upgrades such as the air feeling cleaner, the lighting softer or the layout easier to live in, begin to add up to a home that feels more restorative and aligned with the way you want to live.
Photography: Architectural Designer Rob Diaz in collaboration with Armadillo. Photo by Gavin Carter
