Transformative Homes with Mitchell Thompson Interiors

The Invisible Architecture of Emotion: Design Beyond Aesthetics

• Roy & Diane Mitchell • Episode 12

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How Can A Well Designed Home Impact A Persons Mood And Well-being? 

The connection between your living space and your emotional well-being runs deeper than you might imagine. This episode uncovers the fascinating science that proves what many of us intuitively feel: our homes profoundly shape our psychological state. Hosts Roy and Diane Mitchell, with their half-century of interior design experience, reveal how environmental psychology and the emerging field of "neuroaesthetics" inform their approach to creating truly transformative homes.

Dive into the sensory experiences that make a house feel right. Color and texture create what Roy calls a "flow" through your home that stimulates or soothes based on your unique sensory preferences. The conversation explores how strategic elements like fireplaces, water features, lighting variations, and even carefully selected scents can instantly elevate mood. What's particularly enlightening is understanding that many of these effects happen below our conscious awareness – as Diane observes, "You don't always have a conscious recognition of how you're feeling, but you know it when you see it and know it when you feel it."

The most touching segment centers on helping clients navigate major life transitions, particularly the emotional journey of downsizing from family homes to assisted living spaces. Roy and Diane share how incorporating meaningful personal items helps ease what can be an overwhelming change. Their approach demonstrates interior design's profound purpose beyond aesthetics – creating environments that support people through life's most significant moments. Whether you're facing a major transition or simply want your home to better support your well-being, this episode offers both scientific insight and practical wisdom for creating spaces that nurture the soul.

Ready to transform your home into a space that truly supports your emotional well-being? Visit MitchellThompsonInteriors.com to schedule your complimentary 30-minute discovery call today and begin your journey toward a more intentionally designed life.

To learn more about Mitchell Thompson Interiors visit:
http://www.MitchellThompsonInteriors.com
Mitchell Thompson Interiors

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Transformative Homes with Mitchell Thompson Interiors. Join hosts Roy and Diane Mitchell, the creative force behind Mitchell Thompson Interiors, who together bring over 50 years of expertise of residential interior design across the US. Are you navigating a major life transition, upsizing or downsizing your home, purchasing a vacation home or redefining your space? You've found the team to guide you so your home truly reflects your unique dreams. Stay tuned and learn how to schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call. Let's delve into today's topic.

Speaker 2:

A beautiful home doesn't just please the eye, it nurtures the soul. Roy and Diane unpack the emotional and psychological power of thoughtful design. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host, slash producer, back in the studio with Roy and Diane Mitchell, owners of Mitchell Thompson Interiors. Roy and Diane, how's it going today?

Speaker 3:

Well, how are you?

Speaker 2:

I'm also doing well, and that's great to hear. Now everyone wants to know how can a well-designed home impact a person's mood and well-being.

Speaker 4:

Sophia. We'd like to talk a little bit about the science behind this. In the field of environmental psychology, which has much of the deep research, researchers have studied the effects on behavior of certain environments, and this is everywhere, from hospitals to homes. And then more recently, there has been sort of an emerging field called neuroaesthetics. And what neuroaesthetics looks at is the impact on the brain of what we see and feel and experience in the environment around us. So, roy and I have some background in you know both of these fields of study and we use it in our design service, and the client doesn't necessarily know that that's what is driving part of the direction that we may take them, but it certainly is the foundation of a lot of the elements that we may choose.

Speaker 4:

And the thing about the impact of your environment is you don't always have a conscious recognition of how you're feeling and what your expectations are of a particular space, but it is one of those things that you know it when you see it and you know it when you feel it. So, when it comes to home design and supporting mood and well-being, you know we are humans. We have a range of emotions that we experience in our homes from day to day. We have good days, we have bad days. We have children who throw temper tantrums, we have teenagers who slam doors. We have we have, you know, wonderful parties, birthday parties, commemorating events. So your home has to have both energy and it has to have a restorative component.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I agree, yeah, well said Well thank you.

Speaker 4:

It's just what we do so that those are in the background. Those are the goals, those are the, those are the driving factors of what we're trying to trying to produce for a family, and obviously, their input in terms of who makes up the family and how they live in their home, where the home's located. They live in their home where the home's located. All of that comes into this whole big bailiwick of choices that we have to make with them.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's kind of color flow and texture flow that would be a good word for it. When your eyes go through the house and your sensories, the colors, what makes you happy? The same way with textures. When you feel textures, how do you feel when you touch certain textures? And that's. Everybody is different and that's by working with the client, finding out where they're at as far as their sensory touch, kind of like a massage. You know, someone touches you in a certain way and chills go up your bones. Well, it doesn't do it for everybody. It is totally different with everybody or most people.

Speaker 2:

Now, what are some common design elements that boost mood instantly, besides the texture?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, roy just talked about probably the two biggies color and texture. But you know, when you think of setting a mood in a home, a fireplace can be a big element and whether it's electric or gas or a wood-burning fireplace, it makes a difference to how you're going to experience that.

Speaker 3:

Water would be another one.

Speaker 4:

Yes, yeah, the sound of water, wood-burning fireplace it makes a difference to how you're going to experience that. Water would be another one. Yes, yeah, the sound of water. So something that kind of you know, boosts your hearing sense. And then, of course, there's lighting. You want to be able to have bright light for times of energy and quiet light for times of restoration. So I know we've talked a lot about light, but it is truly such an integral part of creating mood and balance in any kind of room. And then we also have scent. You know, we can use different scents in different areas depending on the mood that we want to set and whether people like candles or the scents that wick up the sticks, or we have, you know, actual scent dispensers that we can incorporate. So that's another element that probably isn't the you know, front of mind for most clients, but definitely comes into play when we're talking about boosting mood and well-being.

Speaker 2:

Now can you share a client story where design noticeably improved their well-being.

Speaker 3:

I'm going to say well, we could probably name off a couple. Which one do you want to go with?

Speaker 4:

Well, you know what jumps in my mind. First, we have done a few projects where we're moving a family, a couple generally a couple and then just mom into independent or assisted living and we just have a particular significance attached to that because it's such an important life transition, because you're not only leaving your family home, you're probably going someplace. Some people are moving because they're going across the country to be close to a family member. Then you're going into a smaller space and then you're going into a place where there are a lot of other people around which you're not necessarily used to. So, getting that room or small apartment right comfortable, homey, cheery- has been really important and taking meaningful things.

Speaker 3:

That sets them at ease. It's a big thing that they're taking their 5,000 square foot home, or 4,000 square foot home, and now it might be 600 square feet, or it might be 1,200 square feet and their whole life is upside down, so being cognizant of their feelings, how they live their life together as a couple, and then adding in the things that make them happy, which are could be antiques, it could be a tapestry, and maybe modernize that tapestry to make it flow with the rest of the room.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, Roy and Diane. I'm sure our listeners enjoyed the information that you shared today. We'll catch you in your next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day. Thanks, Sophia.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in. That's a wrap on this episode of Transformative Homes. Are you ready to begin the journey toward elevating your home and lifestyle? Visit MitchellThompsonInteriorscom and schedule your complimentary 30-minute discovery. Call Roy and Diane will explore making your vision your reality. Join us for the next episode as we continue discussing elevated lifestyles through the lens of interior design. One unique and exquisite home at a time.