Another trend: growing organic produce in your kitchen.Adds Call: “How many bumper molds sheet sets do you really need?” With fewer items and clear places to store them, he says, you “start creating this rhythm, and that makes you feel peaceful. Your air will be healthier, you’ll save money, you’ll need less space for storing cleaning products, and you won’t be buying disposable plastic spray bottles. They want to create living spaces where they will cook healthier foods, breathe healthier air and improve overall wellness. Besides counter-top and window-sill herb gardens, Huh says, consider adding cabinets with lights and soil for growing lettuces, berries and more. Those decisions out in the world are where you’re engaging and empowering yourself.” Put a bowl of fresh fruit on the counters, she says, and consider a calming colour scheme.”If clients want to scent their homes in soothing and healthful ways, Call advises using natural oil diffusers rather than synthetic fragrances.

“A red kitchen may be too intense energetically to be in there for long,” which may mean you’ll avoid cooking.And clearing out clutter can make any room more relaxing. She suggests they walk through their home and “check how they feel when they enter a room. Says Huh: “It’s cheaper to buy a horsehair mattress than some of the fancy foam mattresses. Call Designs, and New Yorkers Young Huh and Carolyn DiCarlo, recommend four general approaches to creating a healthy home.Here, three interior design experts, Jon Call of Palm Springs, California-based Mr. Look at labels.”DiCarlo often helps clients design just part of a room, perhaps a bedroom, as a personal space for meditation and reflection.Call agrees: “When I clean my coffee table, in order to oil the wood I’m going to take everything off of it,” he says. Whether it makes them feel kind of enlightened, whether it make them depressed.DiCarlo agrees: “Look to nature to inspire you,” she says, whether that means adding plants or swapping out synthetics for natural fabrics. You need plenty of open counter space, DiCarlo says, and “a balance between decluttering and also stimulation of healthy food choices. “It works by magnetically charging the surface of the cooktop, which creates heat.

Call recommends making your own natural dishwasher soap rather than using store-bought products, whose chemicals can leach into the air when the dishwasher is running and hot.Creating space for wellnessAlthough her background is in architecture and design, DiCarlo’s work with clients begins with the question of well-being.Conscious cleaning“The first thing I do when I go into a client’s home is talk to them about how they take care of their home,” says Call.Redecorating your kitchen can actually help you cook more.“Cleaning is really the baseline,” he says, “not only for insuring the interior is healthful but also to actively decorate your home.Ask a designer: 4 simple steps toward a healthier home., they don’t have to tell you what carrier oil they’re using,” Call says, “so I assume the worst, unless a company is really transparent.Because essential oils are mixed with “carrier oil,” read the fine print. People realize “they’ve acquired too much stuff in the last decade and now it’s making them feel unwell,” says Huh.And energy-efficient dishwashers conserve water. “We’re all much more concerned about where our food is coming from and being closer to good fresh food,” she says. “As much as you can try to bring in natural fibers and things that were painted or dyed or printed in a responsible way,” do so, she says. “You’ve got to be really careful with all the paraffins and waxes,” he says. When it’s time to put items back, he’ll ask: “Do I really need this remote control here? Is it time to ditch the candles?”

All three designers suggest switching to natural cleaning products. If you have a spare room available for that, Huh says, include a cabinet to store cushions, and create a space “that may sort of act like an altar piece or for burning incense.” A deep-cleaning session can inspire changes you hadn’t considered: Wash your windows, DiCarlo says, and consider reorienting your furniture to take advantage of a room’s natural light.”Curated kitchensHuh sees more homeowners converting from gas-powered ranges to energy-efficient, cleaner induction cooking.Clearing the airChoose paints that don’t “off-gas” toxic chemicals, Huh says, and sofas and mattresses that aren’t treated with chemicals that release unhealthy gases. You might save money at the same time. “In the U. Installing sound-deadening sheetrock can make a bedroom more soothing and healthful, especially in an urban apartment, she says. “There are no gases and no heat produced from the cooking,” she says. Call recommends learning to make small batches of cleaning products from a handful of items like white vinegar, baking soda and lemon oil.

Is it too big and makes them feel small, or too small and makes them feel cluttered?”Noting those responses can help you decide what changes are necessary and which rooms need attention.” New refrigerators with windows let you keep tabs on how fresh your foods are. But it’s not burning fuel.S. ne key way to create a healthier home is making sure your kitchen offers plenty of open space for cooking and meal prep, as well as natural light. (Photo: AP) Can your home help you get healthier? Interior designers say clients don’t just want help creating a more beautiful home anymore. He looks at how they’re cleaning their home and what products they use.“You could have the most beautiful home,” DiCarlo says, “but you could feel empty, lost and forlorn in it, and what good does it do you?”Many people are seeking a sanctuary area for relaxation and meditation, the three designers say.”