Happy home hacks

Flickr photo by jelene.

By happenstance, I read two things online the other day that linked up in my psyche as needing the other for completion, though I'd read them on different sites, at different times and in very different contexts. First, I read an article about a January 2009 survey by Real Simple Magazine, in which 2,600 men and women responded to this question: What would make you happier?

Interestingly enough, real estate ranked way up there. For women, "a big house" was No. 3, behind a luxury trip and a clean house. (To my mind, it seems like women want a big, clean house to return to when their luxury trip is over, but that could just be me!) For men, a big house ranked No. 1 as the most frequently expressed "thing" that would make them happier. Romance, sex, cars, and smarts all ranked after big, honkin' real estate.

Later that same day, I read an article on CNNMoney.com, discussing the neuroscientific evidence about what real estate traits actually do and do not cause a home's occupants to be happy. In an exploration of the new field of "evidence-based design," the article argued that "neither tons of space nor high-end furnishings are key to your home satisfaction. Much more important are things that may seem minor but that pack a big emotional wallop."

Quoting the vice president of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, the piece went on to articulate a number of real estate attributes that have been proven to make residents happier, including:

• maximal full-spectrum light during the daytime;
• arranging a room's color and ceiling height to match the room's purpose;
• positioning the main seating in a room with its back to a wall and a good window view.

The article emphasized arranging furnishings and having window seating to allow for various feel-good groupings and gatherings of people, which is how home can further happiness by facilitating interpersonal relationships. With ample shelving and storage to minimize clutter and put away electronics, your real estate can contribute to a happy lifestyle that maximizes order and minimizes overwhelm. High ceilings churn up creative juices.

Smart installation of window coverings allow for unobstructed window views when curtains are drawn, allowing the sunshine to naturally boost your mood -- for free! Focusing several different light sources on the dining table mimics the bonfire-as-bonding-place instincts from our cave-folk days, attracting your family to those communal dinners it's so hard to get everyone around the table for. ...CONTINUED

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