Top 10 Ways To Create A Healthy Home

After the year we've had, many people are leaving cities in favor of a slower pace in the suburbs. Suburban areas like Westchester, New York, Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Hamptons are starting to attract a lot more residents who desperately want to escape the crowded city. If you're thinking about leaving the city life, we get it!! We've compiled some of our favorite healthy home tips to incorporate into your interior design to turn your home into the perfect urban sanctuary. A place of respite from the hustle and bustle that also supports all the comfort and convenience of city living.

1. Infrared Sauna

New York City and Los Angeles were once full of places you could go to detox and relax in an infrared sauna. Places like Higher Dose and Chill Space were the places I frequented to recharge and reboot. Infrared saunas are one of the most effective ways to detox - so why not put one in your home? Infrared saunas are safer to use in your home since they use light rather than conventional heat to warm the body. Some of the health benefits include detoxifying the body, sore muscle relief, clearer, and firmer skin, and improved circulation. We are carving out spaces to give our clients their own in-home saunas, which is a perfect way to take advantage of the less utilized space in your home. It's the perfect way for us to bring this luxurious experience directly to our clients' new homes outside the city.

2. Meditation Room/Home Gym

I'm questioning if I'll ever go back to the gym or yoga studio again. As we've all started working out digitally, the need to have a home gym or meditation/yoga studio to make up for not being able to run to Soul Cycle is now KEY. There are so many ways to customize your home gym to tailor it to your needs. Keep a mini wet bar stocked with infused waters, protein shakes, and chilled towels to ensure maximum luxury. For some of our clients, we have incorporated special technology such as heating units for hot yoga, aromatherapy, state of the art sound systems, LED lighting, and even putting in a UHD projector to stream classes like Peloton on the wall. We also encourage our clients to make this space feel custom to you- we like to incorporate special murals or vintage doors to truly differentiate this space for your specific taste.

3. EMF Protection

Even outside the cities we still have to live in a very connected world - but it's important to limit your screen time and to detox from technology here and there. Using Electro-Magnetic Field Protection in your home can help make a safer and healthier environment for you and your family. We're incorporating EMF protective fabrics and paints in our projects to help limit those fields from your system! Our team has been working to incorporate building materials with shielding properties in order to block these harmful fields from getting into the house in the first place, and our clients claim they can feel the difference. Simple things like earthing sheets can also make a huge difference, but the BEST thing you can do for your health is to simply walk outside in nature with bare feet.

4. Home Spa

Gone are the days when I'm meeting my girlfriends for a spa day. But we're bringing the space home. By incorporating things like a whirlpool tub, adjustable lighting, and even a spa cooler to hold face masks, beauty products, and fresh cucumber water- you can easily upgrade your home to feel like your favorite spa. Another great add on is a towel warmer so you can feel extra toasty after your soak. A few special add ons we have been utilizing for our clients include a custom massage room for their in-home masseuse, hot and cold-soaking tubs, and installing water purification systems to have the most refreshing experience.

5. Salt Water Pool

On a hot summer's day, having a pool in the backyard can be such a relief. A typical chlorinated pool is actually ADDING to your toxin load, so we recommend taking advantage of a saltwater pool. It's much easier on the eyes and skin and makes the water softer. It also usually ends up needing less maintenance in the long run as you don't have to keep infusing your water with harmful chemicals.

6. Lighting and Shade Control

Since our clients typically travel a lot (maybe not so much these days!) a smart home with lighting and shade controls is critical. There are a lot of different options out there, but I love any that can connect to your phone or AI device (such as Google Home or Amazon's Alexa.) This allows you to dim the lights or open up a window to let in that natural light with the touch of a button. A must-have in any healthy home design! We have found using whole-home lighting and air control systems to be wonderful energy and cost-efficient option while protecting your furniture, rugs, and art at the touch of a button.

7. Indoor Air and Water Quality

Clean air is one of the many perks of leaving the city. I'd recommend investing in an air purifier for your home to keep fresh air circulating and your mind fresh. We are currently installing whole-home alkaline water purification systems and air filtration systems to protect from viruses and toxins for our clients. Especially in today's climate, these are such important systems to include in your suburban home design, and we love being able to help our clients make their home safer and cleaner. 

8. Use Non-Toxic Products (furniture and decor)

So many people are unaware of the fact that toxins can live in their furniture and decor! As a LEED AP, I have the in-depth knowledge of construction and materials to incorporate as many nontoxic materials into our designs as possible. A good rule of thumb - look for furniture made from natural materials, such as wool, organic cotton, and bamboo. If you purchase anything painted, make sure it was made with non-toxic, water-based paint. And of course, using vintage furniture has the least effect on the environment.

9. Crystals

Crystals are not only beautiful accessories in your home, but many have healing powers that can make your home a true sanctuary. Selenite is one of my personal favorites, as it attracts positive energy and light in a home. This article from Business of Home does a great job of explaining a few other popular options so you can find the right crystals for your home.

10. Home Office

Especially with so many of us working from home these days, having a productive and relaxing home office is key! Pick a spot that has natural light and is away from the rest of the noise of your home. Since we also work on commercial design, we are experts in creating the perfect office space. Our favorite additions include custom built-ins to meet your specific needs, adjustable height desks, and tech integrations, including adjustable lighting, to make your office work for you. With everyone working from home, we also have been helping many of our clients set up commercial level video conferencing capabilities to use in their beautiful home offices.

Are you ready to make the move out of the city? We'd love to help you put together your urban oasis. Contact us to get started on your own healthy home!