We spend a great deal of time in our homes. We work, play, sleep and lounge in our homes, spending hours each day with our families, friends, and loved ones. For many of us, time spent at home has only increased since the pandemic. We rely on our homes to be healthy places where we can feel safe and be safe.
How healthy your home is depends partly on its design. Good indoor air quality, sufficient light, a comfortable temperature - all of these features are controlled by the way your home is designed. You can make your home a healthier space by making intentional design choices during your next home construction or remodel.
To make this happen, start by creating a goal. Know which features are important to you, and talk to your contractor about these features during the design phase. Aligning yourself with a professional Connecticut contractor that knows how to create wellness at home through design is important.
Exposure to daylight is important for regulating mood, boosting your body's immune system, and regulating your sleeping habits. There are many ways to bring daylight into your home.
Glass patio doors. Large glass patio doors provide a view of your property and allow daylight to enter your home. While many homes are built with sliding glass doors, variations on the standard design (such as multi-panel doors and bi-fold doors) can allow more light into your home and provide more expansive views.
Skylights and sun tubes. Skylights and sun tubes allow more daylight indoors and can be helpful for illuminating parts of the house that are otherwise somewhat dark. If you're concerned about allowing too much unfiltered sunlight into the house, modern skylights come with shades that can be drawn to control the amount of light that enters your home. Sun tubes are similar to skylights, but only emit diffuse natural light, rather than direct sun.
Maintaining good indoor air quality is important. Clean indoor air can improve productivity and clarity of thought, can stop the spread of viruses and illness, and can prevent problems like asthma attacks. Modern homes are designed to be energy efficient, which means allowing the home to "breathe" as little as possible. This can make maintaining fresh, clean air in a modern home a challenge.
For some homeowners, makeup air systems are the solution. These systems help bring fresh air indoors. Every home needs vents to expel undesirable air, like humid air from the bathroom. When old air is expelled, makeup air systems replace it by drawing fresh air from the outdoors.
Air brought in through the system is heated or cooled to match the temperature of your home. These systems help create a cross-breeze and also help maintain healthy indoor air quality.
Installing ergonomic features in your home can improve safety and comfort. Examples of ergonomic features that you can install during your next remodel include:
Adult height toilet. An adult height toilet is slightly taller than standard residential toilets, for a more comfortable experience. Adult height toilets are often used in designs focused on aging in place, but adults of all ages find adult height toilets to be more comfortable and beneficial.
Pull out drawers for easy reaching. Deep, low to the ground cabinets are the areas where pots and pans are often stored at home. Retrieving pots and pans from these cabinets can require users to get down low, and may even require heavy pots and pans in the front to be removed. Installing pull out drawers makes retrieving pots and pans much easier.
Slip resistant floors. Slip-resistant floors can help prevent certain accidents in the house. This is especially important in rooms like the bathroom or kitchen, where slips and falls can be common.
Acoustics that support a comfortable interior. Hard floors made from wood planks or tiles are common now. While there are many benefits to hard floors (easy to maintain, durable), hard floors can also create echoes that create a less comfortable indoor environment. There are many ways that your home design can dampen these echoes for a quieter home. Installing features like rugs and curtains can help absorb sounds. In addition, ceiling tiles made for residential structures are available and can help create a more calming environment.
Minimize clutter. Clutter can create stress and may lead to accidents when it gets in the way. During your remodel, get organized and put clutter where it goes by working with your contractor to design functional storage spaces. Install a walk-in closet, a lofted storage area, or semi-custom cabinets, so you'll have a space to put clutter.
Colors impact mood. Use colors to turn your home into a place where you can feel at peace. Choose muted colors like sage green and gray-blue to create a sense of calm. Mix and match these colors with neutrals to create a more complex and interesting palette that you can enjoy.
Repaint your walls and choose furnishings that match your color scheme. Don't forget to paint the samples of the colors you like most on your walls before making the final color selection. To help maintain healthy indoor air quality, ask your contractor to use low-VOC or no-VOC paint during your renovation.
There are many resources online about building and maintaining healthy homes in Connecticut, but you can also make your job easier by working with a contractor that has experience building and remodeling healthy living spaces. See the Litchfield Builders free download about hiring a contractor in Connecticut for your upcoming home building or home improvement project.