There's No Place Like a Healthy Home for the Holidays

This year is already coming to a close, so that means the holidays are just around the corner! This year has been a challenging one, so let’s spread some holiday cheer by following some simple, yet meaningful home design ideas to brighten up the holidays.

Reconsidered Rituals

Part of having a healthy, happy home is creating family traditions. An easy practice anyone can start implementing is home decorating for the holidays. No matter what your family celebrates, it is fun getting into the winter spirit! Decorating can be anything from fashioning a homemade wreath for your front door to making your own candles for your menorah. Many of us are celebrating the holiday season differently than we have in the past, creating an opportunity to incorporate new traditions. Exchanging ornaments and a handwritten note is a special way to connect with loved ones you may not be able to see in person this year. This simple act may help you feel closer to family far away!

Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice

Fabricating handmade winter decorations is a great activity for your entire family! A fun and simple idea is to string together your own felt garland. Felt balls can be found in nearly any color imaginable to match your family’s needs. So whether you want red, green, and black for Kwanzaa or blue and white for Hanukkah, the options are endless! Felt garland is not only pretty to look at, but is made from wool, an inherently renewable and recyclable material. We like sourcing wool from small sustainable farms where the sheep are treated like family.

Choosing decorations inspired by things you love all year round will help your decor seem more personal to your family. If you're a bird lover, use this as a starting point when decorating. Look to local artists or online shops who make bespoke decorations that fit the holiday theme of your choice.

If your family celebrates Hanukah, you may want to opt for beeswax candles for your menorah since they don't produce any toxic chemicals or soot. Or if you’d rather use a vegan alternative, there are now organic vegetable wax candles made specifically for menorah’s!

The Serotonin Schedule

Decorating for the holidays early may alleviate stress and anxiety. According to Business Insider, psychologists have found that those who decorate early are much happier because it helps you tap into the holiday excitement before everyone else and leaves you feeling less stressed come Christmas time. Additionally, you can use this time of year as an opportunity to slow down, tend to your home mindfully, and take that time to appreciate and enjoy your home design. Take stock of what you have, and cull any items for donations that no longer serve you. Connecting with and expressing gratitude for your home is a great first step of decorating that may be a grounding and mood-boosting experience.

The Indoor Forest

Biophilic design goes hand in hand with holiday home decor. Biophilia is our innate desire to be close to nature–and biophilic design aims to make healthy and comfortable interiors by meaningfully incorporating natural elements into our home design and work environments. A large component of holiday home decor is foliage. Greenery can be anything from a leafy garland on your mantle to mistletoe in your hallway. This holiday season, try decorating your home in more natural elements such as pinecones, nuts, and branches. If you live near a woody area you can forage for these items yourself, or if that isn’t an option for you, look to your local farmer’s market or nursery for help. Your house will feel like an organic winter wonderland full of crisp natural scents and foliage that's unique to your home.

Your incorporation of nature doesn't have to stop once the holidays are over - you can enjoy the benefits of biophilic home design all year round! Kale Tree Shop, founded by Sarah Barnard Design, is a great resource for nature inspired home goods. Each product takes inspiration from the natural world, ranging from abutilon wallpaper to ginkgo leaf wall sconces to upholstered chairs influenced by the silhouette of a great dane. Biophilic home design elements can bring joy and warmth to your home, no matter the season!

The Holiday Hormone Connection

Decorating for the holidays is not only fun, it can contribute to spikes in your dopamine levels, which is a hormone that boosts feelings of pleasure. One factor that leads to these enjoyable feelings are the bright lights and colors. Chromotherapy increases happiness and boosts your energy levels. Another prominent factor at play are all the cozy scents that come from Christmas trees, eucalyptus and pine scented candles, and homemade treats. So this year you may feel extra gratification when putting out holiday décor knowing that there may be real health benefits!

As you begin to prepare for the holidays, remember the importance of creating traditions with your family. Although the holidays may not be quite the same this year, surrounding yourself with winter décor that you thoughtfully sourced, may bring you some needed joy this season. So remember, think handmade, look to nature, and surround yourself with home design elements that make you happy, and you’ll have a beautiful winter wonderland right at home.

The Sarah Barnard Design family wishes you all the warmth and happiness!

Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah’s work has been recognized by Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Real Simple, HGTV and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Is That Vegan? – An Insider's Guide to Vegan Home Design

The family cat is protective of her new favorite spot on the new custom linen bedding of this coastal guest suite.

Whip up a slice of avocado toast and pull up an ethically-sourced chair, because everything you wanted to know about vegan home design lays ahead. What we know as modern veganism has been a growing movement since 1944; defined as “the principle of the emancipation of animals from exploitation by man.” Vegans do not eat meat or animal byproducts as an expression of their respect for the autonomy of all animals and may extend this practice into other facets of their lives. While veganism is familiar to most as a dietary lifestyle, many vegans and non-vegans alike strive for home solutions free of animal byproducts. Often made with fewer harsh chemicals and natural plant-based materials, vegan interior design options can benefit anyone concerned about the welfare of animals and the health of their home and family.

An antique iron doorstop rests on a carved mango wood coffee table. Plants are the perfect finish to a vegan home.

Vegan home design is about creating a happy and healthy space that respects the lives of people and animals alike, and it’s no surprise it’s caught the attention of the creative thinkers in Hollywood. Known for their activism and progressive ideas, starlets and screenwriters alike to gravitate toward vegan home design. Sarah Barnard explains, “It’s a common misconception that demand for vegan interior design has been a recent phenomenon, but in my experience, environmentally responsible living has been a consistent interest in the industry.” When it comes to Hollywood personalities, Barnard adds, “My clients value ethics and aesthetics. They’ve always been interested in healthy home design stemming from a love for animals.”

Living area full of organic, textural and lush materials.

Despite its long-standing popularity, there is no doubt that vegan home design has begun to garner mainstream attention. When asked about the increase in visibility Barnard elaborated, “While people have had an interest in vegan interior design, the resources hadn’t caught up until fairly recently. For a long time, vegan homeowners had to compromise their beliefs for a beautiful home—that’s not the case anymore… We have the technology.

Barnard’s firm has worked with a roster of vegan celebrity clients and is no stranger to accommodating the grueling lifestyle to which many Hollywood stars commit. Animal rights activism aside; artistic, sensitive, and compassionate people need recuperation time and space that embodies their healthful ideals within their home and studio environments. The solution for many of them is a space aligned with veganism.

Bespoke cabinets in American walnut are paired with deep green granite countertops.

Hold the quinoa. What exactly is vegan interior design? Many fabrics and finishes on commercially made furniture come from animals or their byproducts. Vegetarians may allow animal byproducts like wool or beeswax when the animals are treated kindly, and the fibers are processed organically. However, most vegan clients desire truly vegan interiors, spaces free from all animal products.

 Many vegan clients take it to a higher echelon of sustainability by rebuking any products containing animal byproducts. Fabrics like silk may be out—but they make space for innovation of new plant-based products. “Just because it’s vegan doesn’t make it healthy by default.” Barnard’s firm works closely with responsible manufacturers and local artisans that care deeply about animals and the environment, and she warns of the danger of low-quality human-made materials, “Many vegan kinds of leather are made from chemical-rich synthetic materials. Non-toxic materials that are safe for clean indoor air do exist, one must know where to look.”

Plants and art pieces inspired by nature, like these delicate coral inspired wall sconces, are especially healthy additions to a vegan home.

An excellent way to ensure a product is vegan is to inquire with the manufacturer. Sometimes, a product that may appear vegan at first glance may contain with an animal byproduct like beeswax or a harmful chemical. It’s an intimidating task to take on alone and all the more reason to work with a professional designer who understands the unique needs of a vegan lifestyle. Research is the first step, but Sarah reminded, “Interior designers have access to trade resources when it comes to finding out what ingredients are in a specific piece of furniture. It’s time consuming and diligent work, but the tradeoff is existentially rewarding.”

Silicon Valley start-ups have been exploring using mycelium, or mushroom spores, to grow durable leather products, and the small silkworm is beginning to play second fiddle to luxurious banana silk fabrics. In a world quickly shifting toward a more sustainable future, Barnard analyzed it as such; “This is a growing pattern. It makes perfect sense: a happy, healthy, vegan home contributes to the ease and enjoyment of one’s life. This is a natural progression for people who care about animals, their health, and environmental responsibility. As a home designer, I create spaces that help my clients express their values and passions. As more people embrace their connection to nature, interior designers will have more opportunities to push the envelope and create breathtaking, innovative vegan homes.”

recycled vanities make fast friends with wall mounted mirrors made from salvaged barn wood.

Bringing in plants, rocks, and other finds from nature is a simple way to introduce sustainable, vegan practices to your home, but working from the ground up with a designer is one of the only guaranteed ways to completely customize a home for vegan sensibilities. Increasing numbers of homeowners commit to environmental responsibility are paralleled by opportunities to work within the vegan framework. Big names and flashing lights may have put vegan interior design on the map, but it’s the dedicated designers and passionate followers of vegan culture who will continue to carry on the torch.

If you are considering going green, contact a knowledgeable interior designer to get started! For every conscious choice, we make, the planet thanks us for our consideration.

Your furry companions can also benefit from cozying up in a vegan friendly interior.

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.

How to Design Your Home for Conscious Living

Living consciously means embracing what you love. It’s living in alignment with personal values and making choices accordingly. As a philanthropist and former first lady, Michelle Obama said, “I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values – and follow my own moral compass – then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” However you express it individually, it’s what you appreciate and brings you joy. Being aware of what nourishes you, be it animal kindness or human welfare, awareness can offer you a clear path toward designing your home more consciously.

Our values are as unique as each of us. It’s evident in our daily lives that our taste in food, color, and careers vary, but more subtly, our ethics are just as diverse. Whether you prioritize being healthy, sustaining our planet, and equality for all, living consciously is well within reach.

Wherever you are on this journey, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. If you’re beginning, consider making future purchases aware ones. If you’re buying a pillow or rug, find one from a cruelty-free source or a craftsperson who is conscious of their impact on the planet. If you’re ready to embark on a deeper level of commitment, assess an entire room or your whole house. If that seems daunting, hire a designer who aligns with your values to make substantial changes to transform your home into a sanctuary. An experienced home designer will work to express what lights your imagination on fire. A home designer takes the stress off your plate so you can focus on the beauty and big picture while they take care of the minutia. They can help push your bravery into the limelight, so your house can be what you envisioned.

Conscious living requires little to no sacrifice. For example, being vegan does not mean trading in personal luxury. You can bring quality and opulence into your home while honoring the welfare of the person fabricating your sofa. By making informed decisions, we can improve the conditions of workers of Vietnam, and help a single mother supply artisan handcrafted goods to anyone in the world, while supporting her children financially and emotionally. However, with such freedom and availability, we also have information overload. In design, it takes knowledge and experience to create a harmonious space that matches your preferences. Look for designers and artisans who specialize in handcrafted goods, or sustainable products. Because there are so many options, it truly helps to have a skillful designer evaluate the myriad of choices and to verify legitimate sources.

As you design your life intentionally, you convey to those around you what you love, which then draws more of what you want into your life. Being intentional in your home design choices will be reflected in all areas of your life. “You are your choices,” according to German philosopher Sartre. Generously expressing personal truth brings abundance to your life. A home that resonates with positivity brings more vitality to the physical body and uplifts family and friends. A home with thoughtful design works symbiotically to achieve goals and allows energy to flow into projects with passion. For those who are clear about what brings them joy, their spaces radiate it.

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.