The Healing Power of Home: Sustaining and Nourishing our Bodies and Minds

Custom kitchen design by Sarah Barnard, Photo by Steven Dewall.

As we collectively navigate this new way of living, I am thinking of you and your family and wishing wellness and security. With so many unknowns, I am grateful for the sureness of a community that uplifts with compassion, resilience, and ingenuity, and offers inspiration to forge forward. 

During a time when our world feels new and uncertain, our studio is drawing on the core foundational beliefs and principles behind our approach to home design. We create spaces that support health, emotional security, and wellness, that is the bedrock of our work. These ideals go beyond our creative process and into our working methods of designing homes. As a studio, we are building upon many of the systems we've previously had in place.

Bespoke American Walnut kitchen cabinets paired with handmade ceramic tiles by California based artisans. Interior design by Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP. Photo by Steven Dewall.

Our studio has always aimed to work with local artisans and craftspeople when possible, and value these relationships now more than ever. Many supply chains are experiencing disruptions throughout the home design industry. We are working together with trusted vendors to source materials and find creative solutions during this difficult time. 

In our homes, this time has offered an opportunity to examine our routines, and to look at our needs. Health, functionality, and wellbeing informed our process before the spread of COVID-19, and these factors are more crucial than ever as we continue to build supportive spaces for you and your family through mindful home design. 

Interior design by Sarah Barnard, Photo by Steven Dewall.

Many of us are facing challenges in caring for our loved ones, evolving and uncertain circumstances with work, homeschooling children, and maintaining our physical and emotional wellbeing. In addressing these struggles, we are turning to our homes for solutions, realizing more than ever the need for multi-functional and high performing living spaces. 

Our regular team meetings are an opportunity for the studio to brainstorm and problem solve collectively, and recent conversations frequently turn to personal solutions for managing this time at home. We wish to extend this conversation to our community and clients and offer some of our favorite approaches for adapting our home design to these changing times. 

Colors inspired by nature create the palette for this traditional home. Interior design by Sarah Barnard, photo by Steven Dewall.

HOME HEALING QUICK TIPS

• Structure your spaces for ease of movement, connectivity, and peace of mind. Move your workspace in front of your favorite exterior view. 

• Open your windows and cross-ventilate your home any day weather permits to improve indoor air quality and enjoy the mood-lifting benefits of watching birds and butterflies. 

• Scoot your coffee table to the side for extra room to play and exercise, and set it up with floor pillows for a new homework station for children. 

• Move your favorite painting to the room where you spend the most time, whether it's a home office, kitchen, or nursery, and enjoy the beauty and transcendence of art. 

• Use your occasion dishes more often, and if you're spending more time than you'd like inside the kitchen, bring your cutting board to the back yard. 

• Think about how your home is supporting your physical health and invest in materials that benefit indoor air quality. Be mindful when bringing new items in your home, avoid air fresheners, and fill vases with aromatic mint and rosemary. 

• Make sure your bedroom is supporting your sleep habits by clearing out clutter and adjusting lighting to meet your needs. 

• Carve out time with nature, even if it is tending to a favorite indoor plant or watching hummingbirds in your garden.

Be resourceful, get creative, trust your instincts, and listen to what your mind and body needs, and mold your home to fulfill those needs. And you can always call us if you need some ideas. Our studio and local craftspersons are here to serve. 

While we discover methods to care for ourselves, we have learned the necessity and power of turning to others for support and assistance. We offer our support by helping create functional homes so that your safe place is also your ideal space. 

We hope that this time to reassess, rearrange, and reconnect, can carry us into a healthier and more positive future, supported by homes that sustain and nourish our bodies and minds. 

Sarah Barnard, WELL AP, and LEED AP designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that connect deeply to nature and art. Empathy and mindfulness are the foundation of her practice creating healing, supportive environments that enhance life.

Meet the Bedroom that Feels Like a Hug

Award-winning Interior Designer and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Ones to Watch Scholar Sarah Barnard has unveiled a happiness-inducing home design project— the bedroom that feels like a hug.

“We need a safe, restorative space to help our bodies rest and recharge,” says Barnard. A hug has many of the same characteristics, it makes us feel secure and comforted, and when we let go of the embrace, there’s a rush of oxytocin that leaves us with a sense of lightness.

Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that acts on the brain’s emotional center, promoting feelings of contentment, reducing anxiety and stress. When you hug often, your level of oxytocin increases, which strengthens social bonds. Hugging also stimulates dopamine and serotonin production in the body. Dopamine is a pleasure hormone that’s part of the brain’s reward mechanism, while serotonin is responsible for maintaining mood balance.

The jumping-off point for the bedroom was the curvilinear bed frame, an award-winning design by Autoban, carved from American black walnut. Its silhouette mimics the action of hugging, and the interior is lined with purple velvet, blending the natural texture with dark, feminine styling. To further the feeling of intimacy, Barnard chose a non-toxic, king-size organic coconut mattress topped with a reversible duvet in a custom, color-blocking scheme.

The word ‘phantasmagoria’ is scrawled across the wall behind the bed — a neon homage to the images that flicker by in our dreams. The client, a self-proclaimed bookworm, chose the word herself after much deliberation. High-pile black carpeting delivers a softness underfoot, and layered window treatments allow the client to sleep undisturbed in total darkness. “Window coverings serve many purposes,” says Barnard. “Not only do they block out sunlight and create privacy, but they add a decorative element to the room that unifies the composition.”

The two-tone wall color, a marriage of plum and lavender, envelops the space. These hues were intentionally chosen to saturate the formerly bright bedroom, establishing a cozy, cocoon-like atmosphere. “The ceiling color extends to the walls, linking the two colors together in a way that the sharp ceiling line never could,” explains Barnard.

Hanging above the bespoke American Walnut nightstands are a pair of cloud-like pendant lights that emit a soft glow. A wall of concealed storage eliminates visual clutter, which can heighten our anxiety levels and impact sleep quality. Upholstered benches at the foot of the bed and by the entryway provide a comfortable spot to rest or dress in the morning.

It was the client who initially requested the space “feel like a hug,” which Barnard describes as a “brilliant explanation of what good bedroom design should do.” The revamped primary bedroom, a physical embodiment of a hug, provides all the comfort, safety, and well-being her client needs to settle into a restful slumber and wake up feeling warm and fuzzy.

See the rest of this home here Featured in LA Dreams Magazine

Park View Pied-à-terre: Primary Bedroom

This primary bedroom is perched high above a lush city park. Inspired by antique furnishings, most of the furniture in this home was custom made of sustainable materials by local craftsmen. Pairing contemporary elements, such as the geometric inlaid headboard with antique furnishings and fixtures creates a design both modern classic. Solid bronze drawer pulls made by French artisans compliment the locally made antique reproductions. The vintage Austrian wall sconces (c.1960) add a subtle warmth to the crisp white space.

The French Country stylings are balanced with both rustic and minimalist tendencies giving this primary bedroom a cozy and contemporary feeling. A portrait painted by artist Brian Johnson sits atop a custom desk made in petite proportions. A Himalayan rock salt lamp adds warming illumination to the compact workspace. Elemental accents and organic materials are the basis for this environmentally conscious primary bedroom renovation.

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.

Photos by Chas Metivier

Ocean View Penthouse: Contemporary Kitchen Style

Maple cabinets and natural granite pair with stainless steel hardware in this ocean view penthouse kitchen. The light maple cabinetry maintains a spacious, airy feeling in the petite modern kitchen. Matching barstools turn a kitchen cut-out into the perfect breakfast nook. The adjacent custom built-in desk provides a tidy corner for paying bills or reading recipes on the web.

Natural wood, rattan and stone accessories make this modern kitchen lively and fun. Cable system track lighting illuminates the natural stone counters and floors. The architectural cut-out around the stove beautifully integrates the kitchen with the rest of the space allowing for more natural light.

The kitchen seamlessly flows into the adjacent dining area where a custom table of chrome and maple sets against a wall of mirrors. Tillandsia plants make a perfect centerpiece for beachfront dining. This modern kitchen design fully utilizes the compact space while preserving an open and integrated feeling with the rest of the penthouse.

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.

Photos by Brad Nicol