The Importance of Air Quality in the Home
Over the course of the last month, our lives have changed immensely - with the need to completely adapt to new ways of living. We are spending less time outdoors and an increasing amount of time indoors, leading us to reflect on the importance of air quality within the home.
House of Grey have been designing Interior spaces with air quality and human health at the forefront of the design process for over two years. As a Studio, we actively acknowledge how crucial good quality air is for our health, by including multiple airways within spaces and by using natural products throughout our designs. We create spaces which are beneficial for both mind and body - developing homes which are both calming and nourishing. To help bring our vision to life, architecture and wellbeing practice Ekkist, has been consulting on projects, the practice uses the Well-Being Standard™ to create buildings which support human health. To develop this further, we have been carefully building a materials library, categorising products which are sustainable, natural and have a purifying effect on the home. It is this exact thinking which we employed last year when designing Archway Depot and which we will use again as we begin the process of designing our new studio space this year.
House of Grey Showroom | Photography Rory Gardiner
Spending an increased amount of time in our homes means it’s vital that we encourage the air to be as pure and nourishing as possible. Simple adjustments such as allowing the air to flow freely through a space, introducing more plants (which we previously touched upon here) and burning carefully selected essential oils will all help create cleaner air in your living spaces. Choose tea tree oil for its antibacterial properties (making it a wonderful natural cleaning product), cedarwood oil for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial qualities, its soft cedar scent will also help bring the aroma of the outdoors in, or eucalyptus oil which is known to open up air pathways and cleanse high traffic spaces. However, it is also possible to make changes on a deeper level by using purifying paints, such as Airlite, which can help eliminate up to 88.8% of air pollution, or through the use of an air purification system such as Dyson, which we use in the studio. Also, when considering a purchase for your home, always take note of its fabric - source sofas and upholstery in natural fabrics which do not need to be chemically treated as they are not as flammable as man-made fibres.
In these changing times, being aware of how we take in the air is vital. Conscious and mindful breathing can help combat anxiety and aid sleep. Pranayama breathing is the root of all yoga practices and choosing the right technique has the power to energise, relax and give focus to our day. Nadhi sodhana, or ‘alternate nostril breathing’ is said to balance our internal selves and purify our blood which in turn relaxes us and can lead to better sleep. Kapalabati or ‘skull shining breath’ is an invigorating breath which builds heat and aids in clearing mucus and our air passageways. Ujjayi or ‘victorious breath’ encourages lung expansion and allows our minds to concentrate.
Photography by Anastasia Lisitsyna
The increased time at home can be seen as a benefit for us to recalibrate and reset our habits. Viewing this time with a positive mindset and allowing us to take pleasure in our forgotten practices.
The studio members have been enjoying extracts from “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho which relate to how we may be feeling at the moment.
Break the monotony
“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
Gratitude is the practice of finding the good in each day. Life can easily become stagnant, mundane, and monotonous, but that changes depending on what we choose to see. There’s always a silver lining, if you look for it.
Use this time wisely to help manifest your desires until the time that we can explore the outside world more.