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Design A Healthy Home: 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing

Oliver Heath

Top 10 Best Quotes

“This basic evolutionary concept has been developed over the years into what we now know as biophilic design, which offers a set of three core design principles that aim to improve our connection with nature: Nature in the space: bringing real forms of nature and ways to connect to natural systems into your space... Natural analogues: including references to- or representations of- nature, taking inspiration from its forms, shapes, colors, patterns, and textures... Nature of the space: mimicking the spatial qualities of natural environments to enhance or evoke human responses.”

“If a texture looks inviting, we take this as a "haptic invitation" (an appeal to our sense of touch to have a positive tactile experience).”

“…certain times of the year your [allergy] symptoms are worse, and this will give you an insight into whether pollen or molds trigger your body's reactions; for example: March to June: tree pollen June to August/September: grass pollen August to October: weed pollen Fall: outdoor molds The pollen count is highest between 5 and 10am and at dusk...”

“Whole-home heat recovery systems... extract stale, moist air from any room with water use, such as bathrooms and kitchens, then extract the warmth from it to preheat the fresh air being brought back in. The fresh air is run through filters before being pumped into all living spaces in the home. It can also be used to help cool a home during warmer months. This type of system is expensive and requires good duct runs, but is very effective.”

“When it comes to lunchtime... we gather to eat a bowl of fresh soup every day. At some point mid-morning, the question "what soup shall we make today?" will have arisen... The soup then gets made in our office kitchen by the volunteer of the day, and devoured around the meeting table amid much conversation and debate!... It feels wholesome and nourishing in more ways than one; we get health from our meal, and well-being from our sense of community.”

“When it comes to interior design, all too often we use it as a way of expressing our identity, to show our style, status, power, or wealth. These are all extrinsic, or external, considerations. What if we were to turn this around and instead take an intrinsic approach, drawing on what matters most to us, making every design choice an opportunity to improve our physical and mental well-being? What would it look, feel, smell, or sound like? Could your home make you feel better?”

“We have seen that humans have an inherent attraction to timber, and we find its presence comforting and calming. It seems that investing in a wooden bed frame may well contribute to getting a good night's sleep.”

“We all belong to three types of community: - A social one with friends and family, including online. - A geographic one based around locations like buildings or parks. - An ecological one that connects us to all life on the planet, and bonds us with natural places like beaches, forests, and urban parks.”

“Try to make sure... that you have somewhere in your house where you can do a workout, whether that's yoga, core-strength exercises, or an online class. If you know you have the space, it's harder to make an excuse as to why you can't fit a bit of movement into your morning, lunch break, or after work.”

“There is also color temperature to consider, measured in Kelvin or K. This measures the color of light across the color spectrum, which will have an impact on your body's physiological response to it.”

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Book Keywords:

design, office, wood, air, molds, no-excuses, lighting, seasons, allergies, sleep, connectedness, style, ideas, heat, soup, texture, lights, exercise, biophilic, systems, home, community, nature, interior-design, pollen, bed

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