While working on a project in London this week it was fascinating to see the differences in how we view our homes. I lived there for many years and whilst we share so much culturally, there are vast differences in how we approach the design of our homes. Londoners, in particular, are braver and more willing to try new things than we are here.
A new book titled Sensation - The New Science of Physical Intelligence by Prof Thalma Lobel offers an insightful analogy. The book looks at how physical experiences unconsciously affect our everyday decisions and choices – with profound implications for your everyday life.
It uses case studies to explore how sensations make us react to different situations. For example, clean smells promote moral behaviour, however people are more likely to cheat on a test right after having taken a shower. Or how holding a warm cup of tea or coffee can make you feel warm, which in turn makes you feel warmer towards others and more open to new ideas.
There was one fascinating study where people were put in a room and each of them asked to position themselves so that they had plenty of space around them. After a time more people were brought into the room and asked to stand very close to someone else. The first group were then asked a series of questions and those who had had their space invaded were far more likely to make choices that differentiated them from others compared with those who came into the room later.
If you consider this in terms of city living and take London and Dublin, for example, one city which is extremely densely populated and one which is, by comparison, sparsely populated, the contrast is fascinating. Here, people are more conservative and feel more comfortable blending in. This is evident in the choices they make for their homes. People here are far more likely to choose something they have seen somewhere else, like in a family member’s or neighbour’s house.
In London, however, there are so many people living in such close proximity, the need to stand out and be different is very strong. Individuality is everywhere, from window boxes to front door colours. No two homes are identical.
Although it dates from the late 1800s, The House Beautiful written by Oscar Wilde is very relevant today. One line which is particularly poignant is that "the decoration of a house should express the feeling of those who live in it".
If your house is to feel like a home this is an absolute must. The people who are most unhappy in their houses are those who “played it safe” and chose things not based on whether or not they loved them but because they thought they were a safe option. It’s so important to let your personality come through in your choices for your home. Take a leaf out of the Londoners’ book and stand out from the crowd.
Denise O’Connor is an architect and design consultant
