Worried about your dwindling nest egg in this dour economy? Replace the
geometric wallpaper in your home office with paper that has curved
shapes.
Losing sleep over your job woes? Wash your sheets with
jasmine-scented detergent for a better night's sleep.
Want to improve your relationship with co-workers or the boss? Switch the fluorescent bulbs in your office to warm white light and soon everybody will be more agreeable.
OK, I know these suggestions may sound a little nuts, but according to a new book, they're actually rooted in science.
"Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture" (John Wiley & Sons, available now), says that introducing smells, switching light bulbs and re-papering walls are just some of the inexpensive ways that the "principles of environmental or place science" can be used to create spaces in which people thrive.
Now, when I read the above, I have to admit, I didn't really get it. I'm a writer, not a scientist. But
the book's author, Dr. Sally Augustin, attempts to use the book to decode decades of research about how elements of the physical environment - colors, patterns, textures, scents, furniture arrangements, a room's spatial composition - can positively influence human attitudes and behaviors.
Take the photo above right (iStockPhoto/byIIwill). According to the book, the rhythm in the arches at this airport is calming and the sunshine that pours through the windows reduces stress. Or the photo at left (iStockPhoto/Nikada) shows a very ordered space – it is carefully organized and the overall effect is calming, inviting reflection, the book says.
"Everyone perceives the world around them in a slightly different way," says Dr. Augustin, who is a practicing applied environmental psychologist who studies how people interact with their environments. "But there are fundamental laws explaining how people experience their physical environment that can be used to create places that serve real human needs."
Here's what else the publisher says about the details in the book:
In the chapter on senses and moods, Dr. Augustin
discusses scientific studies on the different ways that smells
influence how we as humans perform and perceive situations. Proving the
point: The scent of jasmine promotes deeper, more restful sleep.
Smelling lavender helps us fall asleep faster. Lemon sharpens our
cognitive performance, and peppermint boosts our physical abilities.
The same chapter explains how light color affects the way we respond to the world around us. As an instance, warm white light puts us in a positive mood and makes us more interested in resolving disagreements through discussion.
Pattern also has a big impact on our mood. Research shows that angular shapes make us feel more aggressive, while curvy shapes relax us. Other chapters explore the influence of spatial elements, personality and national culture on place design; the special concerns related to designing healthcare facilities, schools, stores, offices and houses; as well as the universal features of good spaces
In the photo above right (iStockPhoto/resonant), the timbers of this old wooden roof are in a complex but symmetrical arrangement that captures our attention and invites visual exploration, the book says.
Building a bridge between scientific research and design practice, "Place Advantage" gives people designing and using spaces science-based information and psychological insight to create environments that help people to work effectively, learn better, be healthy, and live happy.
In these anxious times, that your home and workplace can nurture your best self is a scientific fact whose time has definitely come.
