Create a “social space”
Whether we are introverts or extroverts, the truth is that we all need someone to talk to because we are social beings by nature. So, that being said, we need a place in our home where we feel comfortable inviting friends or family over, such as a grill for barbecues, a fire pit, board games or garden chairs.
“If you want your living room to be ready for a book club, then it should be arranged to focus on conversation, not a giant TV,” West says.
“Extroverts would prefer couches and introverts would prefer an individual chair, so you should have a range of options,” Dr. Augustin says. “Arrange the furniture so people can make easy eye contact with each other, but also so they can gracefully break eye contact and look at something else like a fish tank, fire in the fireplace, a piece of art, or a window with a view.”
Choose the perfect lighting
According to medical experts, light has a major impact on our emotions, so we have to choose the light based on what we want to feel. “Warm light with warm light bulbs is better for when you’re socializing and relaxing, where blue and cooler light is better when you’re trying to do a really analytic task,” Dr. Augustin says.
“When people are having dinner parties they bring in candles, which are a warmer light—something we figured out eons ago which aligns with modern research,” she says. “Natural light is great for our mood. But if a space is really glare-y because you have lots of shiny surfaces, some of these positive ramifications of daylight evaporate because glare is stressful.”
