With Melbourne quickly coming into winter, the chilly mornings and evenings bring with them many joys, such as snuggling under warm blankets to watch a movie or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate as you unwind with a book after work. But for many, winter comes with its own set of challenges, especially for those suffering from joint and bone disorders like arthritis.
During the colder months, prioritising our physical well-being becomes even more important. One way of doing that is by investing in furniture that promotes health and comfort. From choosing furniture that works for all seasons to closely looking at the ergonomics of the chairs you buy, let’s discuss how furniture can contribute to the overall wellness of your living space.
How Design Improves Mental Health
It’s no secret that your surroundings affect your mental health. White, open spaces with good lighting promote mental and emotional well-being. This is especially important during the dreary Melbourne winters when every iota of natural light counts. In the winter, when natural light is difficult to find, investing in large windows and sheer curtains or bright sources of artificial lighting can help compensate for the lack of sunlight.
Similarly, another way to experience the healing effects of nature is to bring the outdoors in through houseplants, furniture with earthy colours and materials, and biophilic designs in home decor.
Here are some ways you can use design and furniture to make your home a haven of wellness.
- Balance Work and Play
With hybrid work arrangements now the norm, it is important to have designated workspaces in our homes. During the pandemic, many of us fell into the trap of working from anywhere in the house, whether from our bed or the dining table. What this did was eradicate the boundaries between a space to work and a space to relax, pushing our brains to be in work mode constantly.
Designate a work area in your house and resist the urge to work from anywhere else. Invest in good, ergonomic home office furniture in Melbourne, such as an adjustable desk, a swivel chair with lumbar support and a well-lit space to prevent work fatigue, including back pain, neck strain, eye strain and other postural issues.
- Turn Your Bedroom Into a Sanctuary
Your bedroom should be your haven, a place where you go to relax and switch off from life’s stressors. From investing in furniture and mattresses that support your back to choosing colours that evoke positive emotions and eliminating devices from your bedroom, there’s so much you can do to ensure you get a good night’s sleep when you turn in. Adding blackout curtains, a white noise machine, and a thermostat that keeps your bedroom at the optimal temperature for good sleep (15-19C) can all aid in preserving your health this winter.
- Focus on Ergonomics
Ergonomics should be at the front of any furniture-buying decision this winter. Studies show that poor posture causes several complications, such as back pain, joint degeneration, spinal dysfunction, rounded shoulders, apart from a whole range of health issues.
Any couches you purchase must be the right height and firmness and provide the right amount of support to your back and knees. This is especially important during the winter, when barometric pressure drops and tendons, muscles and tissues expand, causing pressure on the joints, resulting in pain. We also spend more time indoors on our couches during the colder weather, which is another reason why prioritising ergonomics is so important during this season.
- Choose the Right Colour Palette
While summer colours are usually bright, bold, and colourful, winter calls for more subdued, rich jewel tones or warm fall colours. Swap out the yellow throws and green cushions for toasty, chocolate brown hues complemented with a deep blue or an earthy red to make your living spaces even cosier. Colours that evoke a sense of nature have been known to promote calm and wellness, making this an incredible palette for the winter months.
- Select Natural and Sustainable Materials
Finally, another way of bringing the outdoors in is to choose furniture and decor made with natural materials like rustic wood, stone, marble, sisal, wicker and more. When the weather is cold, you are naturally spending less time outdoors, which can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Organic materials like wooden flooring, leather corner couches, ceramic tables, rattan lampshades, and an abundance of indoor plants can help reconnect you with nature, bringing peace and tranquility to your winter days.
With EOFY sales just around the corner, now’s the time to start thinking about any furniture or décor upgrades your house might need. When selecting new furniture for your house, make sure to consider the above to ensure your house stays warm, cosy and ideal for the chilly Melbourne winters.
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