Why Home Design Matters

If you look at a lot of bachelor apartments, you probably already know that home design isn't a big deal to everyone. After all, some people think, it's just my house. As long as it's comfortable and reasonably clean, what difference does it make how I decorate it?

Well, if you follow feng shui you know the answer: it makes a huge difference! But even if you're not a feng shui adherent, there are many reasons that home design should be important to you.

Work With Your Subconscious

Science has shown how powerful an affect your subconscious mind has on your thoughts, attitudes, mood, and even health -- just do a web search for "reactions to stress" and you'll be astounded at what turns up. Given that, your subconscious awareness of your surroundings is extremely important.

When you surround yourself with images, colors, and styles that aren't appealing to you -- or even ones that you find merely indifferent -- you're having an affect on your subconscious. It's the difference between your subconscious saying, "Ahh, I'm home!" when you walk in the front door and another little bit of stress piling onto the day's load.

In other words, creating a comfortable surrounding for yourself is always worthwhile.

What That Means for Home Design

When you think home design, you might imagine a certain famous Martha and her ilk carefully dabbing stencils and paint along the ceiling. Don't worry: you don't have to get carried away. But following a few simple tips can transform even the drabbest apartment into a warm, welcoming place:

• Use colors that appeal to you -- if not on the walls, then on the furniture, or even in artwork, blankets/throws, and accessories.
• Surround yourself with comfort. Your home design should be about making a comfortable refuge from the busy world, not about getting into a design magazine.
• Display things of sentimental significance (usually, but not always, photos of friends, families, and fond memories).
• Always have something besides you alive in the house -- whether it's a goldfish, a plant, a cat, or a dog.
• Set five to ten minutes aside each day for getting organized: that tiny bit of tidying will transform your home design and you feel about the place.

These simple steps are the basics of home design. So don't worry: you don't have to go crazy with minute decorating details. Just make sure that your home design encourages a sense of peace and refuge, not business and worry!