June 13, 2022

Recent experience and research have proved that there’s a greater meaning to “value” than the resale type when designing kitchen and baths. The best payback isn’t in dollars and sense; it’s calculated in clients’ personal happiness, wellness and security.

“Our homes can be incredibly important tools for shaping our daily experiences,” said Lindsay T. Graham, PhD, a research specialist at the Center for the Built Environment at the University of California at Berkeley, Calif. “How they’re organized, decorated and furnished can be curated to evoke a varied palette of feelings and serve as a form of emotional regulation.”

Here’s a look at how different design elements can contribute to wellness in kitchens and baths.

Ambient Elements

1. Light. A well-planned lighting system can influence a room’s entire mood and have an impact on its occupants – for better or worse. With the proper color temperature, the right kind of lights and layers of illumination, it’s possible to improve both the look of a space along with boosting occupants’ well-being, mental focus, sleep schedule and mood.

Toekick lighting under Wellborn’s cabinets contributes to both ambiance and wayfinding.

“Lighting has the power to transform a space from energetic to cozy to natural, with the flick of a switch,” said Greg Martin, creative director of design for Kichler Lighting. “Part of this comes down to science. Part of it is good design. When we talk about the light we see coming from a bulb, we’re really talking about color temperature. It’s measured in Kelvin on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000. The lower the Kelvin number, the warmer (orange/red/yellow) the light will be, like a sunset. If you have a higher Kelvin measurement, over 5,000K, the light will be cooler and blue, like a computer screen.”

Eric Jerger, vice president and general manager, indoor lighting and connected systems at Cooper Lighting Solutions, went on to explain that white and blue light negatively impact melatonin levels.

“We’ve found that for after-dark trips to the kitchen or bathroom, illumination of 2,000K will help people fall back to sleep faster,” he said. “That has shaped our product development. Whether they’re waking up for a midnight snack or to feed a newborn, it’s possible to avoid turning on the full-intensity light and risk disrupting their circadian rhythms.”

2. Air. “For the past several years, the range hood market has been a bit of an afterthought for too many people, because the discussion around these products hasn’t been effectively centered on the topic of health and wellness,” said Calvin Ruan, CEO and co-founder of Hauslane.

That situation is changing. A survey by housing-market research firm Zonda notes that nearly 70% of homebuyers are willing to pay about $1,000 each for water and air filtration throughout a house. More than 81% of high-performance homebuyers are at least moderately concerned with indoor air quality in their new home, reports the Shelton Group, an agency focused on environmental issues and policies.

From Hauslane, the WM-590 Modern Series Wall-Mounted Range Hood has a single blower motor with three speed settings. The black stainless-steel unit is available in 30- and 36-in. sizes.

“Studies show that a quality range hood can reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50%,” said Ruan. “But that’s not the only benefit of making a wise investment in kitchen ventilation; range hoods are also essential to preserving the quality of cabinets and removing the fire hazard of grease in the kitchen.”

Wellness Evolves in the Kitchen

Before COVID kept us cloistered in our homes for a couple of years – and stockpiling food and supplies – the idea that organization could impact our well-being might have seemed far flung. Now we know better.

“Clutter is proven to cause anxiety,” said Jana Donohoe, of Jana Donohoe Designs in Highlands Ranch, Colo. “To address the mental health aspect of wellness I always try to find storage opportunities for my clients.”

Crafted of hand-oiled American walnut and patinated brass, the Pickling Cabinet by Lanserring is a bespoke response to a growing international appetite to manage eating, understanding of the provenance of diet and a keen interest in preserving food in traditional ways.

This has led to a resurgent interest in specialized cabinets of all sizes. The walk-in pantry, the appliance garage, the coffee center and the wine bar have become mainstays in kitchen design. Organizational accessories for cabinets have also thrived.

HarvestFresh is Beko’s unique crisper drawer design that uses three-color light technology to mimic the 24-hour sun cycle, preserving produce vitamins and extending freshness.

A healthy diet has always been central to the wellness lifestyle. The ways food is produced, preserved and prepared have evolved in response to the increased awareness of how nutrition affects our well-being.

Borrowed from commercial indoor farming equipment, home-growing cabinets ensure a clean and continual source for fresh greens. Countertop herb garden pots have been surpassed by cabinet-sized units that regulate light and irrigation. Refrigerators have been upgraded to optimize produce storage and reduce the waste of spoiled food. Home composting systems complete the cycle.

Plumbing manufacturers continue to address consumers’ clean water concerns, both in whole-house filtering systems and point-of-use products.

From Grohe, the Blue Chilled + Sparkling faucet dispenses chilled still, medium sparkling or full sparkling water with the push of a button. Tap water and filtered water run in separate waterways.

“We are seeing an increased focus on wellness products incorporated in the home – specifically in the kitchen where people can nurture and fuel their bodies in a healthy way,” said Rob Scott, leader, product planning and strategy, fittings at LIXIL Americas. “For Grohe, we use technology to simplify the water experience at home, to eliminate single-use plastics and provide filtered and chilled still, medium or full sparkling water. This appeals to consumers’ push for healthier, more sustainable daily practices.”

How Wellness Manifests in the Bath

The bathroom’s traditional role as a place of respite has exponentially grown with the rise in wellness design. When designing a bath, Sharon L Sherman, CKD CID NCIDQ, of Thyme & Place Design in Wycoff, N.J., has a formula that forefronts wellness through a variety of elements.

In the Stillness freestanding bath from Kohler, water, light, fog and aromas converge to create an immersive journey of the senses designed to relax the mind, soothe the body and renew the spirit.

“I try to use as much natural light as possible, heated towel bars and in-floor heat systems,” she said. “If we are adding a tub, we select one with chromotherapy, aromatherapy and therapeutic hydro massage. If there is just a shower, then we recommend a steam shower, a lighting system that adds chromatherapy and a shower seat with a multi-function handshower nearby.”

Martha Orellana, vice president of marketing at MrSteam, ticks off the benefits of steam therapy.

MrSteam’s Linear SteamHead can be flush-mounted or discreetly tiled in. Available in seven finishes, it features an integrated oil tray that infuses steam with essential oils.

“It’s a multi-generational wellness solution,” she explained. “It has been shown to provide research-backed benefits in stress reduction, respiratory health, weight loss, skin detoxification, sleep quality, circulation, mood support and exercise recovery. And it just makes people feel good,” she said.

Staying In, Working Out

While the spread of COVID-19 triggered to the temporary closure of many gyms across the country, it gave rise to new home fitness technologies, as people sought to work out within the confines of their abode.

Jie Zhao is executive vice president at Delos, a wellness real estate and technology company in New York. As head of Delos Labs, he leads a group of scientists, engineers, architects and designers to develop products and services that improve human wellness in indoor spaces. In a presentation he made at the Home Improvement Research Institute’s Insight Summit, he pointed out how enterprises like Peloton and MIRROR are changing the way people think about fitness.

Gym Space by Scavolini was designed by Mattia Pareschi, who reinterpreted gymnastics wall bars into a modular plywood furnishing system fitted with workout equipment to combine physical fitness with personal grooming.

“These brands are combining the physical and virtual,” said Zhao. “Consumers not only purchase a piece of gym equipment for their home, they buy into an entire online social and content experience.”

Zhao sees this combination having the potential to alter the home-gym concept. “I expect to see more integration with online fitness platforms and home décor,” he added. “People want convertible spaces, so the easier their equipment blends with their home and lifestyle, the better.”

With kitchen and bath brands backing the concept of holistic health in the home by developing new products, it’s clear that “wellness” is more than a buzzword. It’s become a pilar of responsible residential design.