One of my favorite experiences is staying in a really nice hotel. To me, there is nothing better than walking into a pristine room with luxurious sheets and fluffy white robes. I almost never want to leave. I get this same feeling when I walk into a show home. The furniture is stunning and seems to be perfectly placed. I want to buy the house based just on that.
On the surface, one might think that it’s the material items within the space (the robes, the huge headboard or the beautiful sofa) that I am in love with. Although that may be a small piece of it, there is something bigger that happens, something I can’t actually see or pinpoint in a design magazine.
For me, it’s the feelings that I feel when entering those spaces that I truly fall in love with and ultimately, continue to desire. Relaxation, peace, order, luxury, freedom from stress.
Perhaps you can relate. Think of a place where you feel the most at peace. This could be a room in your house, your workplace, or even a yoga studio. Somewhere that you can go and just feel good.
Now think of an environment that causes you stress. It could be your office, your kitchen or your closet. This stress may show up differently for each of us but generally, it’s an overwhelming feeling of avoidance or not wanting to go there.
These feelings, whether the positive ones or the stressful ones, provide us with important information. It is common to want to ignore this information or focus on the material items that are within the space instead of the feelings and the information that they provide to us. So, we go out and buy the expensive sheets, fluffy white robes or all the organizers in our local home-goods store. But then we get this ‘stuff’ home and the feelings don’t come. Or they do, but they don’t last. Why is this? I bought the same robe that the hotel had!
This is Design Psychology.
Whether it’s a watch, a home or a school, design is psychological. And all of us are designing things—whether our work space, a kitchen renovation, or a party we’re hosting.
So instead of constantly dreaming of the next time you can go on vacation, run to the yoga studio, or buy the show home model, keep in mind that we can create these experiences and feelings at home, in our own space just by consciously and intentionally aligning with who we are and how we want to feel.
To learn more about Design Psychology or my coaching services, please feel free to contact me here.
