The 5 essentials for a happy home

Looking for your happy place? It turns out, you don’t have to venture further than your own back door to find it. Those favourite nooks at home are not only aesthetically perfect to you, but happiness-inducing too. The experts tell us why.

1. Colour me happy

GlamSwag founder and designer Rebecca Johnson says a feminine colour scheme played out in varying textures is what hits her happy spot. “For me, soft furnishings in pretty shades of blush, pale blue, lime and cream, with a dash of something gritty like khaki or ink, is essential for creating an interior with real style,” she says. “There is something very luxurious about a feminine colour scheme executed in premium fabrications. I love rich velvets, heavy raw linens, cashmere, and crisp 100 per cent cottons. It feels extravagant and looks expensive. To me, that equals true happiness.”

Designer Alex van der Sluys from Kip & Co agrees. “My number one rule is to always embrace colour!” she says. “It has a really positive effect on mood if you choose tones you love.” Van der Sluys says the key to good colour application lies in layering. “Don’t hold back. Add layers of textures in the form of mats, chunky throws and velvet bedding.”

2. Furniture with feeling

For interior designer Nina Maya, perfectly placed furniture is her secret ingredient for blissful living. “A statement piece that I love, find comfort in, or have a connection with gives me joy every day,” she says. “It could be a stunning occasional chair or striking pendant light. It really lifts my mood.” 

Maya says that pieces in sea tones are her go-to. “Shades of green and blue impart a real feeling of rest, calm and wellbeing for me,” she says. “Throw in clever design, natural light and cross ventilation throughout, and you have the recipe for a happy home.” 

3. Have plant life balance

“Living with plants is like a good night’s sleep,” says Dr Dominique Hes, of the Thrive Research Hub at the University of Melbourne, and a researcher who’s a part of Australia’s first virtual greening app, Plant Life Balance. “When you are happy it relaxes your brain, so you deal with conflict better and stress less, which makes you healthier.”

Dr Hes says that just one plant can improve indoor air quality by 25 per cent.

“Volatile organic compounds [VOC] are always in our homes,” she says. “Plants help minimise the toxic load, removing VOC from the air by absorbing the gases through their leaves and releasing oxygen into the air. Cleaner air means less health issues and mental health benefits.”

With more people living in apartments and spending time indoors, exposure to clean air and nature has become limited.

“It can negatively affect concentration,” says Hes. “Nature deficit disorder [a term created by Richard Louv from the Children and Nature Network] is a condition that adults, and especially children, can experience. Research shows connecting to nature can have an impact on calming the mind and the healing rate.”

Plant Life Balance includes various home scenarios that can be adopted into your home, including Child’s Play, for young families. “It’s designed to be kid-friendly and includes non-toxic plant species without the sharp-edged leaves.”

4. Art with heart

“Artwork for me is everything,” says artist Rachel Castles from Castles and Things. “It could be a million-dollar painting or a child’s drawing, either way it punctuates a room and dictates its true sense.”

When selecting art there is only one rule to follow, says Castles,. “Look for a personal connection,” she says. “Choose the piece that speaks to you the loudest, and the one you love the most.”

Let the room’s mood dictate its art.  “Its styling and palette doesn’t need to reflect the colours in the artwork,” she says, “instead let its mood reflect the nature of the art – whether it is playful or serious, organic or refined.  A playful space with lots of colour and texture teamed with a cute irreverent artwork can be equally as powerful as a more pared-back art piece in a strict colour palette.”  

5. Let in the light

Because Nordic design takes its cue from nature, harnessing natural light in the home is essential in Scandinavia. “Our winters are harsh and dark, so our aim is always to maximise natural light,” say stylists Josefine Nolan and Lisa Parkinson. “Our windows are always big enough to allow light to flood in during the day. We use a white and neutral palette inside to enhance the light and bounce it around. It elevates our mindset during those dark months.”

Pendant lighting is used to create zones and spotlight key areas of the home. “There is usually one suspended over the dining table or kitchen bench where everyone gathers,” she says. “It creates a warmth that invites us to linger longer. We love candles too for their beautiful glow and ability to evoke a warm atmosphere that enhances the feeling of comfort, intimacy and happiness.”