From stress to serenity: Why the sensory design trend is key for a mindful home

From stress to serenity: Why the sensory design trend is key for a mindful home

By Jennifer McShane | House Beautiful, May 2025

Sensory interior design is the easiest way to create a home that feels as good as it looks

Sensory design is one of 2025's biggest trends. It's all about engaging the senses to create spaces that feel comforting, calming, and completely you. Essentially, it's out with interiors that simply look good, and in with ones that feel good.

It's about curating rooms that stimulate sight, sound, smell, touch, and even taste in subtle, thoughtful ways. From lighting and textures to scents and soundscapes, experts say the aim is to enhance your experience of home – one that is calm, balanced, and can be achieved on any budget.

So why is it popular right now? 'Sensory interior design can help us create a place of peace and relaxation away from the noise and stress of modern life,' begins Sylvia James, interior design expert at HomeHow.co.uk. 'There's currently a greater awareness and need to prioritise our health and wellness. Post-pandemic, we have seen more discussions around the topic and more recognition of its importance.

'Using the home to engage our senses can help to energise us when we're tired and relax us when we're stressed, enabling us to feel our best every day. Sensory interior design can also help us build a better relationship with our home, so we look forward to spending time there.'

Here's how you can utilise the principles of sensorial interior design:

Use sound to set the mood

Above: Burl side table, Six The Residence Six The Residence

Sound is often overlooked in the home, but it plays a big role in how a space feels. 'When we think about sounds around the home, we often think about what we can hear. But what we can't hear is just as important in sensory design,' explains Sylvia.

Silvia suggests silencing irritating noises from traffic and electrical appliances, along with creaking doors and dripping taps – this will reduce distractions and promote relaxation. Improving your soundscape at home could include upgrading glazing or investing in Quiet Mark appliances.

Don't shy away from amplifying sounds that you find soothing or uplifting either. Low-volume playlists, water features, or even the gentle hum of nature sounds can all transform your environment.

'It all depends on what emotion you want to invoke. For example, to create calm in a bathroom, you could add soft, dim lighting, light furnishings, and spa-like music,' suggests Tommy Kebbson, founder of Kebbson & Co.

Create Visual Calm

Above: Fabrics, Cathy Nordström Fanny Radvik

Visually, think layered lighting, soothing palettes, and soft finishes. Keep your home clutter-free and use natural light where possible. A warm-toned bulb or a muted wall colour can instantly shift a room's tone.

'Using calming greens and blues in a bedroom can help soothe us, so we sleep better. Adding earthy hues to living areas can help them feel warmer and more welcoming, enabling us to relax. Cheery and invigorating colours can be used around the home too, to help perk us up when we’re starting to flag,' suggests Sylvia.

Also think about ways to maximise pleasing views out of the window – or shutting out any that induce stress. Use lighter treatments such as sheers and voiles on windows that overlook the garden. To block the view of a busy street or an eyesore, use shutters, café curtains or window film to shield the view without blocking natural light.

Introduce scent

Above: Spa reed diffuser, Sea urchin-shaped ornament, Fluted scalloped edge vase, all B&M B&M

Fragrance can instantly change the feel of a space. Use candles, diffusers or incense to create a sensory atmosphere.

'Burn some candles to invoke the sense of smell,' says Tommy. 'Be strategic with your scents in your space. Burn some lavender or soft vanilla scents to create a soothing, relaxing space. And if you want a more highly focused environment, think of bold scents such as citrus. If you don't want to add candles to your home, incense is a really warm alternative. Astier de Villatte has some refreshingly fresh scents.'

There are other ways to introduce fragrances into the home, from scented flowers to natural cleaners with essential oils that will leave surfaces smelling fresh and fragrant.

Layer tactile textures

Above: Sarah Kaye

A room should feel good underfoot and to the touch. Think chunky throws, soft rugs, velvet cushions and tactile wall finishes.

'Layering, especially with textures, is a fantastic way to invoke the sense of touch,' Tommy continues. 'Add some plush furs or thick blankets to create a cosy environment. Softening hard surfaces with rugs is a lovely layered approach. Alternatively, if you want a more focused environment, sleeker, harder furnishings are best for productivity.'

Engage your sense of taste

Above: House Beautiful / Mark Scott

While you might not design a room specifically for taste, it still plays a key role in dining spaces.

'Taste is perhaps one of the trickiest senses to incorporate into sensory interior design. However, taste has a direct link to our health and wellbeing, so we shouldn’t overlook it,' says Sylvia. 'We eat with our eyes and our experience of food can be affected by the environment we're in. So, in terms of sensory design, you could look at making changes to improve the dining experience.'

Create a more comfortable dining room that makes mealtimes and dishes feel special. Set the mood with ambient lighting, beautiful tableware and fresh herbs in the kitchen that double as decor and a garnish.

Tommy also suggests layering greenery throughout: 'You could add in some plants and flowers to invigorate the space.'

Try easy switches and low-effort refreshes

Above: Brent Darby

Designing with the senses doesn't need to mean a complete overhaul. 'Try switching out your pillow covers or changing your curtains,' says Tommy. 'A small collection of florals or plants in varying heights is an elevation beyond the isolated fiddle leaf fig.'

This also extends to flooring. 'The coolness of a polished stone floor could be paired with a soft rug, or we would specify a honed finish to soften it and the way sound interacts in the space,' he adds.

Ultimately, Tommy says striking a balance is key: 'It would be unfair to distinguish between sensorial interior design and non-sensorial. We strongly believe that a well-balanced interior stimulates all the senses. We always endeavour to stimulate the senses with a clever balance of textures and tones.'

Read the original, unabridged article by Jennifer McShane, published 8th May 2025, in House Beautiful

Read the article by Jennifer McShane, published 8th May 2025, Yahoo! Life