5 interior design tips for a healthy home
Health and happiness are cornerstones to wellbeing at home—here’s how to create a soothing space
Text: Grace Ma
Never before has health been so important when it comes to home design. Not only physical health, but mental and emotional too. Jeremy Tay, Director and co-founder of Prestige Global, feels that a healthy home is designed to fit the lifestyle of the people living inside and enable them to relax and recharge comfortably. It also means creating “free-from-harm living environments” with features such as odourless and anti-microbial paints, and environmentally friendly materials on cabinetry, such as those with the National Green Building Standard certification.
Darren Neo, CEO of landscape consultancy Vertical Green, adds that a healthy living space should be free of harmful toxins while being conducive for small social gatherings without stress factors such as glaring lights and bad ventilation.
Here are a few ways to create a soothingly healthy home:
1. Prioritise proper lighting, ventilation and hygiene
To prevent unnecessary strain to the eyes, studying, reading and work areas should be well-lit, preferably with natural light,” says Tay. “Beds should also never directly face the air-conditioning as you may fall sick easily due to the continuous cold air flowing directly towards you.” For hygiene purposes, bathrooms should not directly face communal spaces such as the kitchen and dining areas.
2. Choose non-porous materials for countertops especially in the kitchen
Marble may be heat-resistant, but it is a porous material that is vulnerable to staining agents such as wine, juice and oil. Kate Deng, co-founder of interior design firm Mr Shopper Studio, says, “Food particles may seep into the marble and get trapped, harbouring bacteria that may prove to be harmful in the long run.” If you really want a marble top, ensure that it’s professionally sealed on a regular basis and choose a polished surface instead of a matte countertop finish as it will make the sealing easier. She also recommends alternatives such as Dekton, which has an aesthetic marble-like finishing while being non-porous and stain-resistant.
3. Check the labels of your furniture
Avoid harmful materials such as synthetic latex or those with chemical flame retardants and formaldehyde. There are plenty of natural materials in Asia that are eco-friendly, such as bamboo and rattan. For outdoor home furniture, teak is a good bet. Its high natural oil content and tight wood grain make it a durable material that is resistant to the weather and pests such as termites.
4. Make your spaces flexible
Maintain privacy and encourage bonding at the same time with dynamic rooms that can adapt to different family member needs and activities. Deng suggests creating sections in an otherwise open living space with the use of curtains or moveable panels so a child can have a play date while grandparents are watching TV in the living room. These boundaries can be removed later for family activities such as mealtimes or movie nights.
5. Go green with efficient foliage systems
Green walls have been trending, especially with the Singapore government encouraging the cultivation of edible plants. A good foliage system costs a pretty penny, simply because the consequences of cheap solutions are heftier. Neo explains, “When site conditions are not carefully taken into account, the plants often become weaker and stressed, thus attracting pests. Systems that are not well refined can either collect too much or insufficient water, causing the plants to die. However, when done right, live green walls require minimal maintenance for the plants to thrive and become effective in improving the air quality indoors. This has become significantly more important as we spend more time at home.” Vertical Green has a HyGro Wall system with hassle-free automated irrigation and fertigation functions that support the growth of edibles vertically — perfect for moments of plucking and preparing salads with the family for bonding and encouraging wellbeing at home.
