Learn how to create a space that supports a calm, peaceful mental state, according to an interior designer.
Take a look around you. Whether you’re sitting at your dining table or sweating at your local Equinox Club, you’re surrounded by design. According to Lisa Staprans, founder of Staprans Design and author of The Soul of Design, these aesthetics affect how you think, act, and interact in this space.
Staprans’ love affair with design began when she traveled across Europe in college. An art history major at UC Berkeley, she walked through thousands of years of architecture with a keen eye for beauty. She began to wonder how the aesthetics of the space changed the experience of the humans who entered it. “This was back in the day when you could lie down in the middle of the Sistine Chapel and look at the ceiling, and no one would kick you out. I had the room to myself and I could look up and think,” she says.
Mostly, she noticed how calm and serene these spaces made her feel — and wondered how she could replicate that sentiment back in the U.S. “Having come from my family history, I wasn't exactly a very calm 17-year-old, and it really just made me feel like there was a whole different way of being in the world,” Staprans says.
After graduating, she moved to New York City and worked for Knoll, a design showroom. She intended to study architecture but found she had a talent for interiors. “My first project was a 60,000-square-foot house in upstate New York,” says Staprans. “I was 23 or 24. These things happened to me because I’m really good with artists. I've always been really good at listening, absorbing, and giving back. I can understand what a space needs and how the people in that space will be integral to the design.”
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Staprans never looked back. Years later, she’s traveled the world searching for bits of inspiration and the perfect aesthetic additions to her clients’ spaces. “If somebody has a vision, I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure it's authentic,” says Staprans.
Throughout her career, Staprans has kept one belief at the center of her career: Your space can affect your mind, for better and for worse. More research is needed to determine how your environment affects your mental and emotional well-being. Still, early studies show that design elements such as natural light, greenery, organizational systems, artwork, and intentional color schemes may help you feel at peace in your home and office.
Below, Staprans shares a few of her favorite tips for tapping into the neuroscience of design — whether you’re in your own space or far away from home.
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1. Create a moment
Even if you live in a tiny New York City apartment, you still have room for a “moment.” Staprans recommends clearing a corner and decorating it with nature or other visual components that scream “beauty!” to you. Something as simple as a branch in a vase can go a long way.
2. Bring home with you when you travel
Strapans always brings a piece of home with her when she travels. Her favorite thing to do is drape a decorative scarf over the sofa in her hotel room. Alternatively, she’ll bring an aromatherapy candle and her own bar of soap so that all the smells around her mimic her house. Finally, she loves to call the hotel ahead of time and ask for them to place flowers in her room before she arrives. That way, she can walk in and immediately experience the outdoors after a long day of travel.
3. Use plants to divide your space
Another small space tip: Use plants rather than shelves to divide your space. Maybe that means separating your kitchen and living room with fiddle leaf figs or hanging devil’s ivy from the ceiling between your bedroom and the rest of the space if you have a studio. This trick will bring the outdoors and indoors and keep your space airy and open.
4. Invest in high-quality light bulbs that mimic natural light
If you’ve ever spent time in a corporate office with fluorescent lighting, you probably already know that’s not the vibe you want for your home. Staprans buys light bulbs that match natural outdoor lighting for all her clients. That way, you can (almost) trick your brain into thinking you’re working beneath a tree or in a park.
5. Blow up a photograph or any piece of artwork that makes you calm
You may have a picture from a recent hiking trip or a piece of art you love. Staprans recommends choosing a wall, enlarging that image, and hanging it up so you can experience awe whenever you look at it.
