There’s no place like home – 5 tips to design for wellbeing

There’s no place like home. That’s certainly true for us here at Dickins, where home is at the heart of everything we do. The homes we let in Edinburgh are frequently the owner’s main home or their much loved second home. We want our guests to feel at home, the moment they step inside the front door.

In this blog we’re sharing 5 tips from our homes on how to design with wellbeing in mind, so that your home can be as cosy and happy as can be. We’re often spending far more time at home than we used to. Homes need to fulfil more than one purpose, like being an office as well as home, so creating an atmosphere we love and bring us joy as well as improving our sense of wellbeing has never felt more important.

There’s no place like home – 5 tips to design for wellbeing

1. Give your senses things to enjoy.

Give your senses things to enjoy. Think about how your surroundings reflect how you want to live in your home. Books offer exploration and contemplation. We think that books make a home and homes without them tend not to feel homely. Rugs and paintings give cosy warmth and texture as well as softening the sound of voices.

Garden Cottage – the books, rugs and art, create a sense of cosiness.

You know that you’ll be able to find a book to read from those bookshelves and curl up in one of these comfy chairs in Garden Cottage and feel completely at home.

Art and sculpture is beautifully displayed in the sitting room at The Curator’s Hideaway

Art is clearly loved and important for the owners of this charming home, The Curator’s Studio . You can spot that they are animal lovers too, with all the animal sculptures in this happy room.

2. Create nooks and cosy corners

Cosy corners and nooks are much loved places in homes. Maybe that is because of the feeling of safety and comfort they create. We often shy away from sitting  in the middle, preferring the edge. But we can make the middle as enticing, by creating cosy nooks.

The beautiful textiles and wall of books, some of which the owner designed, make The House of Letters a home to enjoy and savour.

The vintage textiles and delicious array of beautiful books make this library snug in The House of Letters, the perfect cosy corner to curl up in. House of Letters is so beautiful, it recently featured in World of Interiors.

Don’t you love a sofa by a dining table. You can imagine lingering over lovely meals around this table.

A sofa by a dining table is a wonderful combination, inviting comfort for lingering time spent together.

3. Add more softness for comfort

Cushions, blankets and rugs all add to a sense of warm and cosy comfort. Being able to wrap yourself in a blanket is especially attractive this winter, as we all turn down the heating but need to keep warm too. If you don’t have a sofa, then make a chair your cosy place with cushions and beanbags to rest your feet on.

4. Use different lighting in different areas.

Steer clear of the single pendant in the middle of the room. If you have a dining table, hang it directly over that and then use floor or table lamps by the sofa. Make sure there is good light to read by next to your cosy chairs and sofas.

There’s a great mix of pendant lighting over the table and natural light in this beautiful home.

The owner of our beautiful home on Thistle Street is an interior designer and she’s got the mix of lighting just right. Great pendants over the table for when you’re eating, or indeed working.

Clever use of different types of lighting makes the most of this space.

There’s a clever use of different types of lighting and mirrors in this converted stable in Rothesay Mews. Indeed, it’s impossible to imagine a horse ever living here!

5. Make the most of natural light.

Integrating as much natural light as we can into our homes, makes the most of the light we have. That’s especially important in northern climbs. Natural light reduces the need for artificial light inside too. Make sure your windows are clean so there is no impediment. That helps with solar gain too!

This home makes the most of natural light and the soft, cosy touches which make it so homely.

Our wonderful home in Doune Terrace, ticks lots of boxes on the homely vibes front. The sitting room is a beautiful glazed room, letting the light flood in and there are cushions, rugs and textures to create a cosy feel.

We hope that these five simple tips will help you make the most of your home environment and design for wellbeing. After all there’s no place like home! If you’d like to come and stay in any of the homes we have highlighted, then please get in touch with us and we’d be delighted to help find you your Edinburgh home from home.

Thank you for reading.

Best wishes,

Louise Dickins