The Healing Power of Interior Design: Design's Impact on People, Places and the Planet

Leading wellness home designer, Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP speaks as part of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Virtual Conference.

Transcript: Hi, I'm Sarah Barnard, WELL AP, LEED AP and ASID Ones to Watch Scholar. Design has the power to profoundly impact healing. As we collectively navigate this new way of living many of us face challenges maintaining our wellbeing amid trauma and chronic ambiguous loss. When we embrace empathy as the foundation of our design process we help to increase agency and reduce adversity. Together, we can make all built environments supportive, restorative spaces.

What’s Next? Design’s Impact on People, Places and Planet (Opening Keynote) and State of the Society. "ASID turns the traditional keynote on its head with a virtual, crowd-sourced program mining the best names in design as they explore the meaning of "Design Impacts Lives." Then join ASID leaders for the annual State of the Society address...Design has the power to impact lives and tackle challenges on a global scale. What’s next? Hear from those impacting design and those impacted by design in a collaborative keynote that shows the power of community in the digital age. This special, crowd-sourced program will highlight diverse thoughts from clients, end users, consultants, manufacturers, educators, students and of course, designers as we share what’s next for design and the personal stories demonstrating the impact the profession has on the people and world around us."

Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah’s work has been recognized by Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Real Simple, HGTV and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Living Coral

The family cat is the primary resident of this guest suite featuring a pink and coral color scheme.

Coral reefs are disappearing from our oceans at an alarming rate. It is imperative to the ocean’s ecosystems, and as much as a quarter of all ocean species depend upon it for food and shelter. Precious marine lifeforms are also the inspiration for Pantone’s color of the year: Living Coral.

Coral and lush greens create a lively and inviting atmosphere for an outside space.

Sarah Barnard, a Los Angeles-based interior designer, WELL AP and LEED AP, specializes in home design that contributes to her client’s health and wellness and strives to make nature a part of each home she creates. “A happy and uplifting color reminiscent of the ocean is the perfect starting point for a happy, healthy home.”

Coral colored tiles and beautiful glossy stone slabs make this coastal bathroom warm and bright.

This color takes its name from the beautiful coral marine invertebrates that build extensive coral reefs, habitats for a vast diversity of life in the ocean. Sometimes referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," coral reefs are quickly dying, and are projected to reduce to 10% by 2050. Half of the world's coral has died since 2016, due to rising sea temperatures, pollution, destructive fishing, invasive species, and changing sea chemistry.

"The timely selection of this color by Pantone should be an important reminder to all of us that nature inspires beautiful interiors. If we aren't careful to preserve the natural world, we will have nothing left to take inspiration from," said Barnard.

Coral naturally complements with blues and ocean tones. Coral embroidery was a perfect companion (complement?) for a throw pillow in a coastal home.

Pantone is most widely known for their color swatch books. It is the company responsible for color matching paints and graphics; and now devotes the time and resources of Pantone Color Institute to research the purchasing trends of various industries. With this information, Pantone determines this year's color. The naming process regularly pulls inspiration from the natural and human-made world, naming colors such as "rose quartz" or "millennial pink." Pantone's color of the year for 2018 was ultraviolet, a beautiful, energizing shade of purple reminiscent of bright flowers and the sky at sunset. This year's choice is PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral, a potent reminder to preserve and protect ocean life.

Coral colored ceramic provides earthy contrast against the ebonized table and black lamp.

Coral is vibrant, cheerful, delicate and energizing, and the perfect shade to start the New Year. Living coral, described by the Pantone team as “An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.”

The bath and shower feature locally sourced handmade ceramic tiles in a coral gloss.

Pantone published, “Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment. [...] Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.”

Coral and pink shades blend beautifully with wood tones. Art is a subtle and seamless way to introduce colors like coral.

While top interior designers don’t necessarily recommend painting one’s home to match the color of the year, art, accents, and of course plants are an easy and safe way to introduce vibrancy to your living or work space through home decorating.

Pinks and coral create an inviting atmosphere.

For those interested in using Living Color in their home, Sarah Barnard said,  "Living Coral is a perfect complement to blue shades, and pairs well with coastal or beachy interiors. For the daring, reupholstering a treasured piece in a bright color like Living Coral can revitalize a space. For those who prefer to mix pops of color with neutrals, I recommend starting with small accents."

Pantone's Color of the Year is an excellent opportunity to add lively, earth-focused tones to your home. Make having a happy and healthy home your New Year's resolution.

Cream and coral ceramic jars are a perfect storage solution for bathroom necessities.

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.

Photos by Abby Siniscal, Chas Metivier, and Charlie Daniels

Historic Craftsman Bungalow: Caribbean Blue Bathroom

This historic craftsman bungalow is all about color! The newly remodeled bathroom features a custom tile design by Sarah Barnard. The rich browns and vibrant teal blue's inspire thoughts of the Caribbean Sea. The spacious walk-in shower features a limestone seat providing the perfect complement to the saturated chocolate wall tiles.

Subtle details and accessories counterbalance the bathroom's bold colors. Handmade art tile and a beautiful handmade vessel make this masculine space special. A rustic mirror frame made of recycled barn wood helps to keep the new space fun and funky.

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.

Photos by Chas Metivier

Park View Pied-à-Terre: Living Room & Dining Area

Perched high above a lush city park, a contemporary townhouse waited patiently for the right buyer to come along and commission a home design overhaul. When Renimah Al-Mattar purchased the property as a secondary residence, she hired interior designer and LEED AP, Sarah Barnard to help her plan a comprehensive remodel that would salvage much of the existing architecture and materials while reworking the space with natural, handmade and local materials. 

Salvaged barn wood, vintage light fixtures, and area rugs, antiques and locally made reproductions exist among contemporary artwork and a custom sofa with organic materials in this living room.

While merging traditional and contemporary aesthetics, the renovated spaces honor Renimah's environmental concerns, while balancing French Country stylings with both rustic and minimalist tendencies- a design approach that represents the complexities of Renimah's tastes and interests.

Both comfortable and contemporary, this living room is perfect for entertaining and features pieces from Renimah's collection of art. A solid bronze sculpture is perched on a coffee table specially selected to support its massive weight.  With plenty of seating for guests, the vintage-inspired sofa was made locally of natural and sustainable materials. A pair of vintage French lamps (c.1970) flank the abstract painting by artist Emily Van Horn.

The apartment’s open floor plan allows for a pleasant flow between the kitchen, dining and living areas. This dining set was custom designed to fit perfectly within this area. Custom walnut chairs are made by hand and outfitted with white leather for a fresh and timeless aesthetic. A solid walnut dining table was custom made from a single fallen tree. The contemporary recycled rock crystal chandelier adds functional beauty to the dining area.

After the completion of the project, Renimah said, “I have always believed that your home must be your zen temple and my home gives me a feeling of peace. I love coming home to this creation and am very grateful.”

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.

Photos by Chas Metivier