The science of a happy home

If I asked you what were the 6 ingredients to a happy home (maybe not when you’re in lockdown), what would you say?
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Recently I came across some research that might be of interest. It’s based on a UK scientific study of 4000 people by Resi, an architectural studio, that revealed ‘The Science of a Happy Home’. And it is so good to see it reflects the research I shared in my book This is Home.

Our homes for most us are where we spend most of our time and a huge amount of our money either owning, renting and maintaining them. However, there is often a disconnect between how we design and use our spaces to positively influence how we feel. And of course who we live with has a huge impact on our experience of home too and no two homes are the same so identifying happy homes challenging.

SECURE
This means the home needs to provide us with shelter, safety and stability, both physically and emotionally. We want security and peace of mind when it comes to our homes.
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NOURISHING
Provide us with healthy conditions. We want to be able to optimise light, sound and ventilation. Indoor air quality is important too. People like to be able to control their comfort levels depending on their preferences. Interestingly, happiness levels are affected by the view to outside rather than sunlight level.
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ADAPTABLE
You may know that we don’t use all rooms and spaces in our homes equally and spend much more time in some than in others. So we need our homes to be able to flex to meet our changing needs. We are happiest when we can adapt our home to our changing needs now and in the future. 92% of those happiest at home agree that their house can meet their current needs. The ability to change layouts is more important than the size of our bedrooms.
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RELAXED
Relaxed homes are places that make people feel calm, comfortable and at peace. People who describe their homes as relaxed are happier within them than those who use any other personality traits, such as organised, balanced or sociable. About half of us relax most in our living rooms, and about a third in our bedrooms.
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CONNECTED
Spaces to interact and allow us a place to socialise with our family and community are so important for well-being too. We want to be able to connect with others in our home, the outside world and with nature. The spaces that matter the most to our happiness at home in this regard are private gardens, balconies and open-plan living spaces.
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MIRRORS
We want a home that reflects who we are. We’re much happier if our home reflects our values and personalities. About 80% of those who are happiest at home say their home reflects who they are. The report showed that following trends is overrated. When making design decisions focus on how your home meets your needs or help you express yourself for long term satisfaction.
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Do you agree? What makes you happy at home? Which one is the most important to you? I think number 6 for me. My home needs to be reflect what’s most important in my life. But 5, 3 and 2 are big ones too.

If you’d like to learn more insider insights, tips & tricks to designing and decorating your home, come join the Design + Decoration Masterclass.