Often, it’s said that ‘home is where the heart is’. It may well be true, but I have my own version of the adage: ‘home is where your health is,’ in acknowledgement of the vital role that our environments play when it comes to our physical and mental wellbeing.
Sure, I’d definitely advocate filling your home with fewer chemicals and more natural materials, but there’s also an aesthetic consideration. There’s no getting away from the fact: spaces that look good make us feel good. So, while we’re all still in the early, resolution-packed, healthy months of 2025, we thought it was the perfect time to examine this important theme.
Firstly, we exclusively showcase and champion the work of design studio House of Grey, which has worked with a London hospital trust to create a number of rooms both for staff and patients whose interiors promote calm and healing, and are a million miles from the garishly coloured and harshly lit spaces often seen in UK medical establishments. Founder Louisa Grey – a longtime ED collaborator – has done sterling, selfless work to get this project off the ground, and the results truly prove the power and impact that considered design and decoration can have.
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Continuing this idea, we look at the trend that is seeing dentists’ surgeries, spas and other wellbeing venues moving away from a stark, clinical style to offering waiting rooms and treatment spaces with homely and inspiring environments guaranteed to put their clientele at ease. Finally, we visit the home of one of the creative leads at the beauty brand Aesop. If you’ve ever visited one of its locations, you will know how well it understands how to focus on wellness, balancing serenity and style in equal measure, and Jean-Philippe Bonnefoi’s home is no exception.
Having just moved house after 12 years (apologies, there will be much more of this to come in future letters, I imagine), I’m still surrounded by boxes and struggling to find half my belongings, but the one thing keeping me going through the chaos is J-P’s mantra of order and regulation, as well as this issue’s bumper crop of decoration ideas, storage secrets and inspiring individuals. Here’s to a healthy and happy month ahead!
