Allowing the Energy to Flow Through Conscious Design

In today’s rapidly evolving world, the role of interior designers and architects transcends aesthetics; it is also our responsibility to cultivate well-being for communities and environments. Conscious Design is a response to the developing needs for the health of humans and the places we inhabit. Happily, there has been a global shift towards exploring how to make design more considerate and beneficial for the collective family, society and environment.

For inspiration, I love to travel to older cities where I see how city planning benefited communities and how they were created to stand the test of time. The forethought amazes me! In a time before cars took over, cities like Venice, Kyoto and Quebec City were designed with human connection in mind, including central public spaces, parks and waterways, and homes that incorporated workspaces and shops. These old cities excite and embolden me in my work. I look to the past for answers because it was a time when local materials were used, everything was manmade and engineered, and art and human connection were important. We can all connect to the past and incorporate these design and architectural ideals in the present day.

At our design firm, PURE Design, I lead my team to cultivate a highly collaborative process with our clients throughout the design phases. We holistically analyze the project and discuss their needs and dreams for their home and family. With any new design, we imagine how to create harmony between the inhabitants and their environment. Every residence or interior functions as an ecosystem; our goal is to create an intuitive flow of energy within and around spaces to foster wellness and balance. I use my intuition and a deep intention that I set years ago to create healthy and sacred interiors.

Letting the Energy Flow

My advice to anyone wanting to change their interior to have better energy flow is- honor your intuition when you are in these spaces and think about the feeling and flow of each interior. You want to feel good moving through it and living in it every day. Energy flow is crafted in in many ways, and most importantly is light, so study the direction of light and figure out how to get more of it into your homes. Designing energy flow can include removing walls, expanding windows and reconfiguring traffic and airflow.

Try to connect the outdoors to the indoors to have more indoor-outdoor living. Furniture choices and orientation, as well as material selection, are essential considerations as well. A handcrafted piece and the human connection will have positive energy, look for artisans who lovingly work at their craft, often with generational knowledge and legacy, as this energy will become part of your home or interior. Everything is made up of energy, and natural fabrics and materials have been scientifically proven to have higher frequencies and restorative properties; therefore opt for healthy, natural materials that contribute to the whole. The aim is for everything to work cohesively together.

We are lucky enough to live in what is dubbed “the Green City” and Vancouver’s reputation as one of the most sustainable cities in the world serves as inspiration for us. Working in Vancouver is exciting and the collective design industry is experiencing a notable shift towards sustainable materials and construction practices. Biophilic design is found here as it incorporates nature in built spaces; it goes hand-in-hand with our beautiful Pacific Ocean and

North Shore Mountains. Biophilic design connects the natural energy flow of nature and brings it indoors with air, light, space, natural shapes and forms, greenery, and indoor-outdoor living.

As we embark on this collective journey towards a more considerate and thoughtful future, the evolution of Conscious Design becomes not just a reflection of our aesthetic tastes but a powerful instrument shaping the well-being of communities and generations to come, one project at a time.