Unlock your home's happy factor

We've all walked into houses and got an uneasy feeling the moment we step through the door. Sometimes this feeling of discontent can also strike in our own homes - we find that we don't sleep well in a particular house, or that our health, finances or relationships have suffered since moving. For others, the office is the culprit and we go home from work feeling irritable and ill. According to holistic interior consultant Jane Ferguson, buildings need healing too, and if you live in a house or work in an office that is ‘sick', you will begin to feel it affecting your health, work, relationships and finances.

The answer is to heal the building with natural textiles, order, colour and light. "We're suffocating ourselves by spending more and more time indoors," explains Jane. "The cavemen had it right. They had colour and light and natural elements in their caves and that's what we need in our homes. Using wall paints made from clay, and furnishings in wool, linen, angora and silk, for example, will make all the difference to our well-being.

"Paying attention to colour is also very important. What works well for one room may not fit in another."

Here are Jane's room-by-room recommendations for a happy, healthy home:

Outside

If your front door faces anything sharp, like the corner of a building or another house, the energy from the sharp corner or edge will be too forceful for inside your home. This can be sorted by simply hanging a wind chime outside to divert the strong energy.

Having two bushes the same size at each side of your entrance will also bring balance into the home and for energy, as will changing your door colour to red.

Hallway

Warm colours like red, russet, terracotta and gold are nurturing in an entrance and they look welcoming in places of activity, such as a vestibule, where you are passing through.

Welcome mats send out a good positive message. Oils burnt in this area should be calming lavenders, and alcoves and dark corners should be well lit. 

If your family likes to sit around the table, choose russets and oranges. If you don't want them on the walls, you could have some red table mats, or some red candles in a gold candle holder. A flowering red plant would also be nice. If you want more honesty and openness around the dinner table, opt for green, which represents heartfelt feelings. Green table mats or a nice painting of a landscape will add enough greenery to the place where you eat.

Kitchen

It's important that the kitchen is kept clear of too many things because a cluttered kitchen could be detrimental to your own digestion, according to Jane.

"Keep the things out that you use regularly, but make sure the rest is put away. If you have nice, clean spaces in your kitchen, you'll find your digestion works well too. If you have digestion problems, try introducing some orange in the kitchen. If you want to be an inspirational chef, use colours like turquoise and orange. Both are creative colours and will get your ideas flowing. You'll be inspired to try out new recipes or invent your own," says Jane. 

Playroom

All the colours of the rainbow are perfect for this room as this is about stimulating the child. Bright reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and violets are all high-energy colours.

Master bedroom

It's always good, where possible, to have the bedrooms on the sunnier side of the house so you wake up to natural light coming in. If you have problems sleeping, choose blue for your bedroom, and if you're feeling insecure, a pale pink or peach would be perfect on your bedroom walls as they are womb-like colours, and make us feel nurtured and cared for.

"Your bed should face north-south and you shouldn't have a mirror opposite your bed," says Jane. "The bedroom door should be to the front of you or to the side. Wooden bedframes are best - try and avoid springs underneath you.

"Organise your clothes so you can see clearly what is in your wardrobe. Give away unwanted clothes to charity and clear out regularly."

Avoid having anything electrical such as televisions, CD players, digital clocks and cordless telephones near your head.

If you're single and looking for love, use pinks in the bedroom. A pink photograph frame or a set of pink cushions would be enough to send out the signal you don't want to be single. Green - the colour of the heart chakra - would also be good. If you want to attract money or wealth, add some gold for opulence - have a gold light fitting, or some gold photograph frames.

Children's bedrooms

If your child is very active and doesn't calm down as bedtime approaches, it may well be the Superman or Mr Incredible on their duvet cover that's over-stimulating them. "Reds, oranges and yellows are not good colours for children's bedrooms," advises Jane. "Light blues or greens would be much more calming and restful. Swap the bright red and orange duvet cover for one in subtle greens and blues and see the difference come 7pm."

"If you have a grumpy teenager who wants a black bedroom, it's important you let them have black to express themselves as much as they can. Give them something beautiful in a colour for their room - maybe some red roses, or a beautiful piece of art. They will start to see and appreciate the colour and they will be encouraged out of their adolescent caves," Jane says.

Bathrooms

Oceanic colours are lovely in a bathroom, especially if you want to relax there. Choose turquoise, blue or green to create a haven of luxury. If you want to liven yourself up in the shower, opt for yellow, which is an awakening colour and is like letting the sun in.

Study

If your study is somewhere that you check your emails after a day at work, gold and yellow are good colours to stimulate the intellect when it might be flagging.

However, if your study is used for your own business, choose a colour that matches the nature of your work. Creative types should opt for turquoises and oranges, while a violet office would be inspirational and more spiritual. If you run a sports company, a bright red office is perfect and if you work in finance, introduce yellow and gold to enhance your concentration.

If you're feeling unmotivated, introducing bright reds, oranges and yellows can give you the kick-start you need to get your zest back. "You don't have to paint the walls red," says Jane. "Just introducing a new noticeboard in a strong red or violet would be enough to recharge your batteries."

Balcony or patio

These often have tiled flooring, says Jane, yet they're the room that links the house to the outdoors. Use natural wicker furniture, and browns and beiges with accents of colour in throws and cushions. Have lots of plants so you are surrounded by nature all year round.

Visit www.holisticinteriors.co.uk to find out more and to contact Jane Ferguson.