CELEBRATING THE HOME

Dr Barbara Perfahl is a room psychologist, author and home stager – and therefore an expert in furnishing and designing homes. She does not restrict herself, though, solely to issues of interior design: “I deal with the question of how rooms work,” explains Dr Perfahl. We talked to the Austrian-born psychologist about combining home life and work at the current time – and about how to create a successful feel-good home for both situations. Perhaps the home office is a sort of litmus test: Now more than ever, it is becoming increasingly clear how people want to live – and what they really need

Dr Perfahl, as a room psychologist, you look at how spaces work. In terms of furnishings, what can I do to make myself feel good at home, particularly in times such as these?

“Precisely because we are spending so much time at home, things that have always irritated us are now particularly visible. One basic thing I notice in many homes is that there is far too much to see. We often live in environments with a degree of sensory overload. Many people are now starting to have a clear out and declutter. But you don’t necessarily have to get rid of things permanently. One immediate thing people can do to help is to create more empty spaces – both on surfaces and walls. It’s always better to group things together and have a bit of empty space in between. People feel most comfortable when the level of stimulation is kept within bounds. In this way we can also reduce the feeling of confinement that now affects many of us: When in doubt, put things away in the cupboard.”

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