WELLNESS ROOM DESIGN 101

Wellness rooms in both the workplace and residences are becoming popular and more necessary. What's a wellness room? It's a space to take a pause from the stress of daily life to meditate, work on a craft, practice yoga, relax, and get healthier.

There are many factors to weigh when creating a wellness room. You will need to consider your wellness room’s primary use, the type of lighting, flooring, and wall finish, as well as the amenities to be provided. First and foremost, the materials and furniture specified should be non-toxic, with no formaldehyde or VOC's.

If the wellness room is for your own personal use, the design can express who you are and what makes you unique. If it's for employee use within an office space, it can be more neutral so it appeals to a number of people. If this is the case, it's recommended to get employee feedback on what it is they want before starting design.

An empty room with plain white walls is less likely to help you de-stress. This, however, doesn’t mean that you should fill your wellness room with unnecessary accessories. Keeping your wellness room clutter-free will prevent you from getting distracted.

Color plays a significant role in stimulating the eye and the mind, since studies have proven that colors can influence human emotions. Specific colors are considered to have healing qualities and can help create a cozy and nurturing vibe. Warm colors evoke a relaxing and homey feel, perfect for those who are looking into breaking away from artificial lights.

Be careful when painting your wellness room white. Many white tones could be warm and inviting, while others are too stark and harsh for relaxation. A warm off-white shade is fine when you want to paint your wellness room white; other neutral alternatives include creamy beige or dove gray.

Green is an excellent color to look at when you want to rest your eyes. Green has also been proven to be helpful in soothing anxiety and is closely associated with optimism. Blue is also the perfect color when you want to evoke a peaceful ambiance since it reduces stress and creates a sense of tranquility and order.

Ultimately, color schemes are only guides when designing a wellness room. It still depends on what kind of vibe you want to elicit—whether it’s a warm and cozy relaxation room, a fresh and neutral room for meditation, or a balanced mixture of both.

Lighting is perhaps one of the most important but overlooked aspects of space. Many of us don’t get enough natural light, and this is a health risk. The amount of natural light is an important consideration when designing your wellness room, but make sure that the lighting level can be adjusted. Ideally, a wellness room should receive a lot of natural light with the ability to darken the space with black-out curtains or shades. If you’re looking into a more ambient relaxation room, you could opt to put warm, dimmable lamps inside.

Furniture in your wellness room should be comfortable. Use seating made of fabrics that are soft and plush. Recliners and massagers also work well. In wellness rooms specifically targeted for relaxation, remember the tips we’ve discussed above regarding color. The furniture should coordinate with the overall design scheme ideally. Curved lines, as opposed to straight lines, create a more psychologically soothing space.

If you’re preparing a meditation room, it’s better to substitute the couches with plush rugs and thick mats instead. You can experiment with texture as well if you want a more dynamic experience for those seeking a few minutes of quiet mindfulness. Accessories like scented candles are also a nice touch when setting up the mood in your wellness room.

When it comes to wall finish, do not be afraid of having an accent wall. Use texture and interesting but soothing wall finishes. Remember that neutral colors are always the safest bet. The most important thing to remember is still your comfort and well-being.

Flooring is another design aspect to consider. Plush furniture goes well with laminated wood flooring. Wooden floors are also easy to clean. Supplement your choice in flooring with a throw rug to warm up the space.

In the case of fitness spaces and yoga rooms, a different kind of flooring is more appropriate. Typically, fitness gyms have interlocked rubber mats as flooring, which serve as a cushion during exercise. However, remember also that you may sweat a lot during exercise. Make sure that the flooring is easy to clean and disinfect. Rubber wears out quickly, so be prepared to do maintenance and replace them as needed. Storage for things like towels will be an excellent addition if you have the budget and space.

The ideal wellness room is private and secure so you can freely “turn off” and recharge. Using indoor plants also goes a long way in improving the overall ambiance of a room. A little bit of nature never fails to create a relaxing vibe. Additionally, plants improve the air quality inside the space. Other specialty features can include soundproofing, a bathtub, infrared and near infrared lighting, oxygen therapy, an air filtration system, lighting that supports your circadian rhythm, moist or dry heat, a Himalayan salt wall, a living plant wall, a sound system, and more. The sky is the limit and is only dependent on your priorities and your budget.

We spend 90% of our time indoors. The spaces we inhabit have an enormous effect on our lives. The time has come to elevate human health and comfort to the forefront of building practices and reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet, but for people as well. Wellness-focused design harnesses the built environment as a vehicle to support human health, well-being and comfort, and involves specifying appropriate lighting, materials, products, furnishings, air and acoustical systems, color palettes, biophilic design elements (connecting architecture and nature), outdoor-indoor space integration, space layout, and more. As architects, we have the required technical knowledge as well as creative design skills necessary to design healthy, functional, and beautiful interiors. As experts in the biological and psychological effects the built environment has on people, we design spaces that truly enhance people's lives while being mindful of the project budget.