How Our Interiors Affect Our Moods and Well-Being

We often strive to decorate, organize, and make our space our own, but we don’t usually consider the impact design elements, layout, or lighting have on our moods and well-being. 

We asked two experts to share insights on how your home’s interior affects wellness, and tips for small, but effective ways people can adjust their existing spaces to improve them.

Keep flow in mind when you design your living space

Colin Ellard, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist and design consultant at the University of Waterloo, studies neuro architecture and architectural psychology. He says environmental psychologists have looked at home interiors and their geometry to understand how the designs of spaces at every scale influence how we feel and what we do. 

“The way a space is laid out, and the way the areas of a space are connected to one another, will have an influence on how much time we spend in them and what kinds of things we do in those spaces,” says Ellard.

One concept researchers have discovered is the ideal locations in a space are those from which we can see and not be seen. 

“In evolutionary history, people preferred those kinds of spaces for pragmatic reasons like avoiding predators and being able to see where there’s food in a landscape. In the interior of your home, it’s more about that ephemeral feeling of comfort—being in a space where we feel the protective arms of something behind us where we can look out over the space and see what’s going on,” he explains.

For example, you typically wouldn’t put a comfy armchair smack in the middle of your living room; you’d put it to the side.

Annabelle Mastalic, principal designer and founder of ADM InteriDesign, Design Trends, Interior Designers in Calgary, Alberta, takes a holistic approach when working with clients. A former nurse, Mastalic assessed patients by looking at everything impacting their physical, emotional, mental, and social health. Now, she brings those skills to her wellness design work.

“There are so many unconscious things happening when we’re scanning the environment; we don’t think about it, but it’s how the body’s responding,” says Mastalic. “Colour, the layout of the space, how much natural light is coming in—all those things are affecting the body.”

Open-plan living, which tops many home buyers’ wish lists, can be a love-hate concept, notes Ellard. 

“There are good reasons for wanting to have an open plan: young parents like to be able to see where their kids are all the time, and it’s very nice for entertaining. But it’s not for everyone,” he says. “Depending on your personality type, you might rather have a space that has some cozy nooks and quiet refuges. The ideal is to have the ability to move from an area where they can see lots of areas of their homes, to quiet locations of refuge.”

Even homeowners who love the idea of open plan living need zones, adds Mastalic. 

“If you’re walking into a home and you want it to feel welcoming, safe, and comfortable, clearly defined spaces in open layouts are perceived as more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate,” she explains.

Pro tips: 

• Ellard suggests creating a nook with privacy screens, area rugs, or lighting to suit your needs.

• Mastalic says create a cozy corner by adding a custom window seat where you can relax with a book, or placing an armchair, standing lamp, and potted plant in an unused corner.

Select design elements that promote wellness 

Materials, textures, patterns, and colours will all evoke a certain feeling and mood in that space, says Mastalic. She also suggests limiting your palette to one or two colours and adding textural elements with rugs and throws to create depth and interest. 

“In a bedroom, for example, if the desired feeling is relaxation, tranquility and peace, I’m going to choose colours that are more subdued and calming versus something that’s energetic like orange or red,” she explains.  

While warmer colours are known to promote energy, that depends on how you pair them, notes Mastalic.  

“If you’re pairing complementary colours like blue and orange, that will feel a lot more vibrant and energetic versus colours that are right beside each other on the colour wheels. Blue and green will feel a little bit more subdued if you pair them together versus colours that are opposite of each other,” she says.

A fresh coat of paint in a mood-boosting hue—even just on one wall—instantly changes a space, she adds.

“Painting the ceiling adds another dimension; I just did a project with a client where we painted the ceiling the same colour as the walls. It looked stunning and automatically made the room feel cozy,” she says. 

Soft bedding and blackout curtains can help improve your sleep and overall health.  

“The heavier the blanket, the cozier it feels; the brain’s unconsciously processing that this feels safe,” she says.

Pro tips: If you want serenity, soft greys and muted neutrals reduce visual distractions, allowing your eyes to rest. Incorporating soft textiles like an upholstered headboard or fur blankets make spaces feel more comforting, inviting, and cozy.

Clear out clutter to restore calm

Piles of stuff spread out around a home can cause stress and create visual distractions, says Mastalic.  

“Get rid of anything you don’t need. Then, look at creative storage solutions like built-ins and little nooks where you can include shelving—anything that would make a space feel more organized,” she explains.

Because excess items remind us of tasks we need to tackle, donating unused items, organizing things we use daily, and stashing most things out of sight gives our brains a chance to rest and refocus. 

Pro tip: Use a mixture of closed storage with cabinet doors and open shelving above. Invest in furniture items that do double duty, such as an ottoman with a lid that can hold toys or side tables with drawers and shelving.

Bring in elements of nature 

Scientific evidence shows that biophilic design—bringing the outdoors in—significantly affects our moods, says Ellard.  

“One of the earliest pivotal studies in this area was conducted in a hospital. In the experiment, the scientist compared recovery in surgical patients who had a view of nature from their windows as opposed to those who didn’t. And there were differences between the two groups in terms of the time to discharge and the number of requests for pain relief,” he says. 

Since then, there’s been a movement about the importance of natural elements at every scale – from urban environments to home interiors, adds Ellard, who advises incorporating the patterns of nature into our spaces. 

“You don’t have to build a rainforest in your living room; a few house plants will work, and a view from a window is fantastic,” he explains. “Even if you have objects of art that incorporate patterns of nature, like landscape paintings, there’s some evidence it would induce a measurable effect not just on your mood but on your health.”

According to a study conducted in 2019 entitled, “Effects of Biophilic Indoor Environment on Stress and Anxiety Recovery: A between-Subjects Experiment in Virtual Reality,” biophilic design can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and lower your heart rate.

Increasing natural light, highlighting nature views and choosing natural materials like wood, stone, cotton, and linen, also invoke a healthy connection to nature, says Mastalic.

“Try to maximize the view of a window: Instead of heavy drapery covering a window, use sheers. If furniture is blocking part of the window, move it out of the way,” she suggests. “Wallpaper or even prints in artwork that mimic nature is going to have a boosting effect because we’re intuitively more responsive to things found in nature.”

Pro tips: Replace heavy drapery with sheers to allow more light to filter through. Potted plants, fresh flowers, or even textural branches in a vase can all boost wellbeing.

Tweaking our physical surroundings can improve our overall mental and physical wellness, creating pleasing spaces that help us relax, focus or recharge. With a little creativity, you can incorporate these ideas to make the most of your home.

-Credits: Realtor.ca (03/26/2025) Wendy Helfenbaum How Our Interiors Affect Our Moods and Well-Being