SAN FRANCISCO – Modsy, an online interior design service, partnered with a research firm and a social psychologist to learn how home design can affect wellness.
The company looked at four design styles: contemporary, country, transitional and maximalist. For people who said their homes had good design, more than 55% said their home made them feel calm, and 53% said the home design made them feel more organized.
People with country style in their homes are the most likely of all design styles to feel calm in a well-designed space, followed by those with coastal style. And, 70% of people with rustic elements in their space chose cozy as the way they feel in a well-designed space.
Despite a majority of people saying that good design makes them feel cozy, Modsy found that the most popular design styles aren’t going to get them there. The top four styles — mid-century modern, contemporary, traditional/classic and transitional — aren’t generally cozy in nature.
The survey also found that both rustic and mountain styles are very comfortable and often have an inherently cozy feeling.
And, the living room is the best place to unwind and indulge in some pampering time, according to the survey. This is also the room where participants report feeling the happiest.
The bedroom is the second most popular room to unwind and feel happiest. As it happens, 87% of participants reported having a TV in the living room, compared with 48% in the bedroom. Since so many people watch TV shows or movies to unwind these days, this could also point to why more people are using the living room as a space to unwind.
Survey participants said the color they love to use in their homes the most was blue. Modsy’s designers said it’s always been a popular decor color among their customers, and many people associate blue with a feeling of calm. White, green, black and brown rounded out the top five favorite colors to use when in home decor.
“I love using bright shades in accent pieces such as rugs, pillows and art. When you incorporate bright colors in this way and balance them with rich neutrals, such as natural leather and wood tones, you have a space that feels warm and welcoming without an overwhelming use of color,” said Alessandra Wood, Modsy vice president of style and design historian. “For a more sophisticated look, I normally avoid a white base plus pops of color and instead lean towards more saturated neutrals to create a richer look.”
Modsy asked participants which factors were most likely to impact their decisions when designing or redesigning a room in their home. Aesthetic appeal topped the list, followed by a desire for flexibility within a room. People are looking for spaces that are designed for versatility, whether that’s added storage or space for hobbies, distance learning and reading nooks. This revealed that, while people care about the style of their space, making their homes work with flex spaces is of high importance.
“We view design resilience as the ability to respond to a catastrophic event but resilient design is also about creating design that can withstand change that is both lasting and adaptable, which is what we’re seeing with the increase in flex spaces,” said Lindsey T. Graham, UC Berkeley, social psychologist. “Historically, resilience is discussed in relation to architecture and engineering, but there’s a shift happening at a more individual level. It’s important to think about how your space can stay adaptable, how you can make it multi-functional and how it can accommodate you over time.”
Modsy shares results of survey on how home design can affect wellness