THE ART OF HOME
The Elements of a Heathy Home
Discover the enduring principals of healthy home design
The Elements of a Healthy Home
Building a custom home is an exciting opportunity to create a space that not only fits your aesthetic and functional needs, but also promotes the health and well-being of you, your family, and your community at large.
Further, since 2020, Americans are spending more time at home than ever. Indeed, according to The New York Times, time spent at home increased by 1 hour 39 minutes a day, making the health of the built environment more important than ever.
So what is a healthy home?
A healthy home refers to a living environment that supports physical, mental, and emotional health by minimizing hazards and incorporating design elements that promote air quality, comfort, and overall well being.
By integrating specific strategies into the design and construction of your custom home, you’ll create a living environment that promotes physical health, emotional well-being, and overall sustainability of your surrounding environment.
For those who aspire to create a healthy home, these enduring principles stand the test of time.
Caves Valley Estate of Owings Mills, Maryland. Image courtesy of Townsend Visuals.
Abundant Natural Light
Exposure to natural sunlight and fresh air is among the best contributors to overall health and wellness. For those building a custom home, ensure your home site and window selection is optimized to let in as much natural daylight as possible, which can help regulate circadian rhythms and boost mental wellbeing.
The use of skylights and light tubes is a clever way to bring in more natural light to areas of your home that may be less accessible, such as bathrooms and hallways. To prevent overheating, incorporate shade structures, curtains, overhangs, and blinds that can block out direct light exposure during the hottest parts of the day. For bedrooms, consider light blocking window treatments that can help support healthy circadian rhythms and better rest.
Chestertown Modern of Chestertown, Maryland. Image courtesy of Durston Saylor.
A Preference for Non-Toxic Materials
Choosing eco-friendly and sustainable building materials, furniture, and appliances can help reduce the environmental impact of your home, while also ensuring a healthy living space for you and your family.
When building a custom home or embarking on an ambitious renovation, consider integrating natural building materials such as wood, bamboo, cork, stone, and tile for elements such as flooring, cabinetry, and furniture — this, as opposed to composite and synthetic materials which may contain harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde.
For interior and exterior surfaces, consider low-VOC paints and staining products. And for insulation, non-toxic natural materials such as wool and cellulose can be much healthier than foam-based materials that have been shown to emit harmful gasses.
For the bedroom, choose natural, hypoallergenic bedding such as organic cotton or wool, and avoid furnishing your home with furniture treated with toxic chemicals such as flame retardants and instead consider items with Greenguard certification. In the kitchen, consider reducing the use of plastic storage containers and cutting boards in the kitchen, investing in organic foods or local or regional origin, and encouraging the use of natural cleaning materials whenever possible to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. Ensure proper ventilation of cooking areas, including stove ranges. Avoid burning scented candles and consider water filtration systems for drinking water and bath water that help avoid exposure to contaminants such as lead and chlorine.
In the lawn and garden, opt for more natural solutions and remedies to common elements such as weed and pest management rather than chemicals and weed killers that use toxic chemicals.
Poplar Grove of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of Ty Cole.
Accessible, Human Oriented Design
A healthy home makes the human experience a priority above all else. And for optimum health, there are a few design considerations that should be in place.
First, create spaces that encourage movement and physical activity. If possible, allocate space for a home gym, sauna, or yoga studio to promote physical health. Your home’s design should also be ergonomically friendly and built to a human scale, with wide doorways and hallways, easy to navigate layouts, and well-designed kitchens and bathrooms.
Finally, consider an accessible outdoor space such as a patio, garden, or walking path to encourage outdoor activity and to reduce stress. For generational homes, leverage age in place concepts such as single level living, first floor primary suites, and low threshold bathrooms and showers. Additionally, a leading contributor to happiness and longevity is a positive aesthetic environment.
A healthy home should include thoughtful decoration that is oriented in a way that promotes proportion, scale, and comfort. Consider engaging with an interior designer to assess whether your home can benefit from a more appropriate color palette, furniture, lighting, and art — all of which can culminate into a harmonious design that feels appropriate to its environment.
Rappahannock River Retreat of White Stone, Virginia. Image courtesy of Gordon Gregory.
Management of the Elements: Moisture, Air, Energy, and Sound
When creating a healthy home, the consideration, design, and management of airflow, moisture, energy, and sound are of utmost importance.
Among the many elements to consider, a tight building envelope is paramount, including home insulation, energy management systems, and windows.
Designing a healthy home should first start with a focus on limiting moisture from penetrating the home from the outside, which can lead to water damage and mold growth. Ensure your home is properly sealed and waterproofed, especially in areas prone to high humidity such as basements and bathrooms as well as around key areas such as roofs, doors, siding, and windows. Sealing cracks in the foundation of your home and ensuring good drainage around the home is important as well. Consider using dehumidifiers in areas that are particularly humid and ensure exhaust fans are adequately positioned to prevent excess moisture building in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Finally, consider using mold-resistant building materials in areas prone to moisture.
Consider investing in high performance windows to reduce heat loss, increase exposure to natural sunlight, and activate passive solar heating.
To further reduce noise pollution, consider implementing acoustic insulation in walls and ceilings. Furnishings such as rugs, curtains, and upholstered furniture can also absorb sound and reduce overall noise levels. While it may be difficult to control noise and light pollution from outside the bounds of your home site, you can designate private “quiet” areas of your home where family members and guests can retreat for a moment a solitude and relaxation.
Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health. Ensure you have installed a good mechanical ventilation systems to bring in fresh outdoor air while exhausting stale indoor air, such as a Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system or an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) system. Air purifiers and high quality air filters in your HVAC system are also important to consider, as are incorporating plenty of plants inside the home to naturally improve air quality.
Maxmore Creek Colonial of Easton, Maryland. Image courtesy of Keyanna Bowen, East & Lane.
A Committment to Regular Maintenance
Seasonal maintenance is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy home as it helps to identify and address potential issues before they escalate into more significant problems. Regularly scheduled inspections and upkeep, such as cleaning gutters, checking for leaks, and servicing heating and cooling systems can enhance the efficiency of your home’s infrastructure while prolonging the lifespan of essential appliances. Moreover, seasonal tasks like checking smoke detectors and replacing air filters contribute to a safer indoor environment, reducing the risk of hazards such as fire or poor air quality. By investing in regular maintenance, you can ensure comfort, safety, and efficiency of your custom home throughout the year.
THE RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER COMPANY
Create Your Next Home in the Mid-Atlatnic
With our premium concierge service, it’s never been easier to create the home of your dreams.