As a designer who has been concerned about the health and wellness of my clients, as well as their design needs, I have seen many additions to the designers’ arsenal of tools to create a safe and healthier home over the years. Thanks to modern technology and the development of technical devices, designers as well as homeowners, have the advantage of many more choices in product selection and services.
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) study of the 2024 “trends” has discovered that consumers today will spend more on health and wellness products than ever before. So let’s examine some of today’s areas of attention:
- Bedrooms now have more bedside tables wired for storing and charging electronics at night for a more restful, uninterrupted sleep.
- Window treatments can be set to remotely accommodate the circadian cycle of day and night.
- Many bathroom renovations are now including steam showers and saunas for relaxation and stress release.
- Today’s technology (AI) is being implemented in kitchen design as appliance manufactures are enhancing them to reduce waste and conserve resources.
- AI has also improved aging in place, water and energy conservation, air quality and leak detection, among other things.
It’s clearly a new world in the design world where health and wellness have taken center stage as we learn and understand how the health of our home environment affects the health of our planet.
To that end, the green initiative that is being highlighted in our own town of St. James will be discussed at length on Friday, May 3rd at the former Calderone Theatre which will soon be going green during a renovation overseen by Frank Dalene, noted builder and expert in decarbonizing the world. His guest will be Neil Rosen, architect, member of the US Green Building Alliance and LEED certified expert for Northwell Health. Anyone who cares about the environment and their own personal environment will not want to miss this event. It will be a unique learning experience for all of us.