Home is much more than a shelter – it’s a place to rest, refuel, express and connect. Our spaces often overlook the need for design that actually improves mental and emotional wellbeing as opposed to simply providing comfort and functionality in aid of our physical wellbeing.
Here, light, texture, colour, and flow all come into play. At La Grange Interiors, we believe that design and wellness are not separate pursuits. When a home is considered from the inside out – with natural materials, mindful proportion, and a sensitivity to how people actually live – the result is a space that genuinely nourishes.
Whether you are carving out a quiet corner for reflection or rethinking an entire living area, here are some sound guiding principles to designing wellbeing into your home.
La Grange’s design philosophy – a natural conduit to wellbeing
La Grange Interiors has always championed a design ethos grounded in considered, mindful, and personal choices. Co-founder Sumari Krige’s approach to design is always intentional and favours texture, tone, and individuality – an approach she applies equally whether creating spaces for clients or sourcing products globally.
This philosophy aligns naturally with wellness-led design. Natural materials – aged linens, handcrafted ceramics, weathered woods, organic stone – are not simply aesthetic choices at La Grange Interiors. They are a means of grounding a space, of connecting the people who live in it to something slower, more elemental, and more enduring. Comfort is never an afterthought.
Key Design Elements for Wellness
The materials we surround ourselves with matter – not just visually, but physically. Eco-friendly, sustainably sourced materials reduce the presence of harmful toxins in the home environment, contributing directly to better air quality and long-term health. Equally, they offer an aesthetic warmth that synthetic alternatives simply cannot match. Warm timber, hand-thrown ceramics, woven fabrics, and stone bring the outside in, evoking a calm that is as sensory as it is aesthetically appealing.
Colour is among the most immediate influencers of mood. Warm ochres and terracotta, soothing green, and calming neutrals – the tones that recur throughout La Grange’s projects – are proven to reduce cortisol and invite relaxation. The key lies in balance: anchoring bold, grounding tones with softer, textured neutrals so that a space feels neither stark nor overwhelming.
Nature is key
Introducing plants, greenery, and living elements into the home is one of the most evidence-backed strategies for improving mental wellbeing. Plants soften hard architectural lines, introduce organic movement, and create a visual connection to the natural world that our nervous systems instinctively respond to. Where possible, design should also foster a physical relationship with the outdoors – through courtyards, garden views, or seamless indoor-outdoor transitions.
Texture is the dimension of design that we feel before we see it. The grain of wood, the nap of a wool rug, the cool smooth-to-the-touch feeling of stone – these tactile experiences engage our senses in ways that are deeply healing. Layering organic materials across a space creates sensory richness without visual noise, delivering that intangible quality that separates a house that is simply furnished from one that feels lived in.
Functional and mindful living spaces
Wellbeing in the home is not only an aesthetic concern – it is deeply practical. Spaces that function intuitively reduce daily frustration and stress. Multi-functional rooms that adapt to the rhythms of their occupants, ergonomic furniture that supports the body, and layouts that allow for easy movement and use – these are the building blocks of a home that works with you. Consider visual noise too – designing for mental clarity means considering storage as part of the architecture of a room rather than an afterthought, and being intentional about what earns a place on a surface. Equally, dedicated quiet zones – a reading nook, a meditation corner, a window seat – give occupants permission to retreat.
Visual balance for mental calm
A room that feels calm is, at its core, a room that feels resolved. Symmetry, proportion, and a considered visual hierarchy all contribute to this sense of resolution.
Balance does not mean uniformity though. A space can be beautifully layered and eclectic while still feeling cohesive, as long as the underlying foundation is sound and the space is unified by a consistent thread – whether that is a palette, or a material.
Ultimately, designing for wellbeing is an act of deep consideration – for how we live, how we feel, and what we need from the spaces that we occupy every day.