During a pandemic and a time when home-based work is the norm, we tend to spend most of our time at home. So why not make the most of it? Why not make an effort to optimize our living environment for maximum comfort, productivity, and day-long zeal? Why not strive to elevate home ambiance to a whole new level? The great thing about revamping your interior and the ambiance in general is that you don’t need to invest in any major renovations—although you could if you wanted to.
No, what you can do is simply introduce some creative and tech-based changes to your living environment that will make you more productive during the workday, and more relaxed in your downtime. Let’s take a look at what these changes could look like, and talk about tech, furniture, and some interior design psychology.
1. Start With Some Smart Changes
First things first, keep in mind that technology not only serves a functional purpose in your home, but it can also have a profound impact on your living environment as a whole. From those handy IoT devices that you can control with your voice or smartphone, all the way to the smart lighting, cameras, sensors, and your work tech, there are many ways you can leverage smart technology in your everyday life.
The key here is to create a living environment that works for you, and allows you to be more productive throughout the day. This is especially important when you’re managing clients, customers, and work relationships with your colleagues from your home office, for which you need collaboration tools, communication apps, video conferencing tools, and more.
But when you’re simply doing chores around the house, you could do with a smart gadget in every room to lend a helping hand. While a robot vacuum cleaner can take some of the chores off your hands, a smart home hub in the kitchen can assist you with your grocery and to-do lists, cooking, and much more. These are the little quality-of-life technologies that can elevate the ambiance in your home.
2. Optimize the Lighting Scheme
When it comes to elevating the ambiance of your living environment, you need to focus heavily on the lighting scheme. That said, it’s important to note that there is no cookie-cutter solution here, because we require different lighting for different tasks throughout the day. When you’re cooking in the kitchen, you need bright task lighting, but when you’re lounging on an armchair, you may need diffused ambient lighting that won’t bounce off the TV screen.
And what if you’re working in your home office and need to be as focused and productive as possible? You need a mixture of the two, with the ability to scale the lighting on a moment’s notice. That’s why creating the optimal LED lighting often requires dimmers and smart light bulbs that you can control with your smartphone. This is a great way to scale the lighting for any task and optimize the ambiance in every room.
3. Carefully Select Furniture Pieces
Technology allows you to fully enjoy your living environment, but so does the interior design in general. The furniture you choose in every room will have a profound impact on the ambiance and the functionality of the space, which is why it’s so important to pick the pieces carefully.
You’re looking to bridge the gap between aesthetics and comfort here, and select the right furniture for every scenario. In the kitchen, you might choose some beautiful bentwood chairs that are both durable and comfortable. In your home office, however, you’d want to introduce an ergonomic desk chair that you can adjust to the perfect working position.
In the living room on the other hand, there’s nothing better than a beautiful pull-out sofa that can double as a bed, or has a hidden storage compartment. Think in terms of multifunctionality as well, and select the pieces that can serve many purposes in your home.
4. Focus On Symmetry and Geometry
The human brain loves order and symmetry. Symmetry is pleasing to the eye, it brings clarity to our minds and the space we live in, and it’s just pleasing to look at throughout the day. Chaos, clutter, and disorder are, on the other hand, detrimental to your work-life balance.
Firstly, make sure to declutter your living environment regularly. Next, consider some modern home design trends like using geometric shapes and symmetry to frame the design of every room, including your home office. While the theme in every room should follow a cohesive line of thought, make sure to bring in a single focal point to bring a little contrast to the space.
For example, you can introduce a sloped or oval sofa in the living room that’s otherwise dominated by square armchairs, coffee tables, and shelves.
5. Go Green To Create a Serene Environment
Last but not least, if you want to create a serene living space that’s both beautiful and functional, make sure to invest in a biophilic design. Nature helps us unwind, clear our thoughts, revitalize our body and mind, and become more productive whatever we’re doing. Whether you’re just relaxing, doing household chores, or trying to be as productive as possible, you need more greenery in your life.
You also need more natural materials in your home like wooden chairs and desks to complement the greenery and create a serene oasis in your home. This doesn’t mean that you need to turn your living environment into a rainforest, but it does mean that you should introduce at least one potted plant in every room.
Over to You
Now that we’re spending more time at home, it’s important to invest in our living environment. Consider bringing technology and creativity together to create a functional and beautiful design in your home, one that will allow you to be the best version of yourself whether you’re working, tending to chores, or binge-watching your favorite Netflix show.
