37 bhgrecollection.com | 36 | THE DISTINCTIVE LIFE® Volume 14 INTERIOR DESIGN HOW TO START DESIGNING A SENSORY-ENGAGING HOME So, how do you approach design that relies on more than visuals to engage the senses but doesn’t overstimulate with too much going on? First, stand in each room of your house with your eyes closed. How do you want to feel in the space? What do you expect to experience? What do you hear (or not want to hear)? How does the floor feel under your bare feet? Does each room smell the way you’d like it to smell? How does food and drink fit into these areas? ENGAGING ALL THE SENSES IN HOME DESIGN There are many ways to bring beneficial sensory elements into your home, from choosing the right flooring and fabrics to introducing engaging features like fountains and fresh flower displays. Here are some ways you can incorporate sensory engagement in your home design. WHAT IS SENSORY-ENGAGING HOME DESIGN? Sensory-engaging home design feels natural and makes us love living in our homes. It keeps the senses engaged but balanced, regulated and calm instead of dysregulated and frenzied. Good sensory engagement in a home appeals to several or all of our human senses: sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch. It promotes holistic well-being and creates an ambiance that offers more than mere visual engagement. When some homeowners think about design, they focus on the visuals and forget or remove the senses of scent, sound, taste, and touch altogether. They’re then left with a stripped-down and less rich version of what is truly possible in their homes. Sure, visuals are interesting, but engaging all senses provides a fuller and more enjoyable living experience. When you design a home to stimulate all the senses in the right way, you’ll feel calm when you should be calm and energized when you should be energized. For instance, a good sensory-engaging design in a bedroom relaxes precisely where the homeowner should feel relaxed. Done correctly, the design might include soft lighting and plush textiles that are conducive to sleep, Alternatively, lousy bedroom design overstimulates in places that should promote rest. As an example, incorporating too much technology or even home gym equipment into a bedroom will make it hard to unwind. Engaging all senses provides a fuller and more enjoyable living experience.
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