The intimate home

We don’t often think about it, but a key function of the roof over our head is to support social relationships and nurture intimacy. Designing with social function in mind is as old as architecture itself — the Victorian parlour and the triclinium (a room within the ancient Roman domus for elaborate dinner parties) — are just two examples.

Studies performed by Roger Ulrich within hospital healthcare settings demonstrate that interior design can significantly impact on the way we interact. For instance, comfy, flexible, movable seating and inviting spaces with attractive gardens encourage family members to socialise, while harsh lighting, uncomfortable chairs and draughty, cold rooms discourage it.

Regardless of whether you share with a horde or live alone and invite others into your inner sanctum, interior design can be tweaked to better promote social function. Fortunately, what works is largely intuitive. Anthony Ashworth, a holistic interior and building designer and feng shui, vastu shastra and Zen design expert, suggests we be guided by how the design of our home makes us feel. “In our modern world there’s a massive emphasis on the visual look of our home, but it’s more important how our home feels and how it supports the lifestyle we’re aspiring towards,” he says.