Healthy Home Design

 Choosing a contractor can be a tricky task!  Not all contractors are created equal.  Some contractors are much more experienced in building durable, energy efficient, healthy homes than others. The best way to find a contractor that will build your healthy home correctly is to ask lots of questions!  It is a good idea to interview up to three contractors before hiring the team that will build you...

"…the enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it, tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system"  -American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, 1865 Olmsted describes the benefits of nature perfectly.  At once, being in nature relaxes t...

Ventilation is at the top of everyone's minds these days thanks to COVID. And while a lot of attention is being focused on commercial ventilation systems, there is less talk about home ventilation systems. We're in our homes more than ever before.  And there's more people in the home at one time than ever before since so many of us are working from home and our kids are schooling from home. There...

We did it! It's finally done. Three years later, my husband, Pieter, and I finished our DIY healthy home renovation. There were good times, bad times, you know we had our share. ..  And I'll be getting into all of it in today's Healthy Home Design Podcast episode. We had A LOT of lessons learned, so I put together my top 8 most important lessons learned to share with you. What You'll Discover: Why...

Who doesn't love a wood floor?!⁠ ⁠ It's comfortable to walk on, it looks beautiful, it can come in so many different styles, and it can last a very long time.⁠ ⁠ But what is the best type of wood floor for a healthy, sustainable, wellness-focused home? What types of finishes are safe? Do you need an underlayment?⁠ ⁠ I'm digging into all things wood flooring in today's Healthy Home Design podcast e...

This week wraps up the Components of a Wellness House series, and we're going outdoors. A wellness house merges the indoor and outdoor environments, so it's important to consider all the outdoor spaces early in the design process. What You'll Discover: Best materials for your driveway, walkways and patios Important things to know about choosing concrete How to keep critters out of your house natur...

In part 3 of the Components of a Wellness House series, we're digging into systems: mechanical, lighting and water.   In this episode you'll discover: Most efficient heating and cooling systems Water heating systems Mechanical ventilation strategies Net zero design Lighting for circadian rhythms Water efficiency techniques

In Part 2 of the Components of a Wellness House series, we're digging into what it feels like to live in a wellness home.  We'll explore daylighting, ventilation, and how the essential spaces of a home designed for sustainability, health and well-being should feel and function.  We'll look into wellness kitchen design, entryways, spa like bathrooms, fitness spaces and more.

What goes into make a home that's healthy for you and healthy for the planet?  Find out the components of a wellness house in this 4 part podcast series.   This week, we're starting at the beginning, and talking about site selection, building orientation, construction types, and healthy and sustainable material choices. Image of North and South facing bedrooms  

Survey Link   I began this podcast to help families create healthier environments for their families, for others, and for the planet.  And I want to make sure I'm delivering on that.   As a health-conscious environmentalist myself that has experienced the power of a healthy home, the hope for future episodes is to have more balance between healthy home design and sustainable home design education....

Do you have hesitations about building or renovating a health and wellness focused home?  If so, you're not alone!  The most common hesitations I hear involve affordability, stress and overwhelm, and feeling a bit hopeless about the endeavor.  In this episode, we'll tackle each of these hesitations and show you how you can create a home that supports you family's health and well-being without brea...

Do you have hesitations about building or renovating a health and wellness focused home?  If so, you're not alone!  The most common hesitations I hear involve affordability, stress and overwhelm, and feeling a bit hopeless about the endeavor.  In this episode, we'll tackle each of these hesitations and show you how you can create a home that supports you family's health and well-being without brea...

On this week's Healthy Home Design podcast episode, I'm diving into what makes a sustainable home and how it relates to a home designed for health and wellness. Are sustainable homes the same thing as wellness homes? The answer is: Not necessarily. Listen to the episode to learn: What it means to design and build a sustainable home What the differences are between a wellness home and a sustainable...

What you'll learn: What are the major milestones of the design process of a healthy home What should happen when Who needs to be involved in the design process What costs are involved in the process Healthy Home Planning Workshop: https://www.balancedhomebalancedlife.com/workshop/

Everyone needs a little escape sometimes, especially these days!  No place in your house to call your own?  Learn how to transform your bedroom into a healthy retreat, a place you'll be able to escape to and focus on self-care. You will learn: Why a healthy bedroom is so important How to create a calm bedroom How to improve bedroom air quality How to improve bedroom light quality Ways to protect a...

Designing homes for health and well-being may seem like a new design trend, but creating healthy homes is a concept that's been around for thousands of years thanks to the practice of feng shui. After learning more about feng shui I was amazed at the correlation between the healthy home design principles I follow and the principles of feng shui. That's why I was so excited to talk with feng shui e...

This week's episode is a helpful guide to choosing healthy paint for your home interior painting projects.   What you'll discover: Why it's so important to focus on healthy interior paint What you want to avoid when buying paint What to look for in a paint The best non-toxic and natural interior paints Tips for being safe while painting

Starting a big project like renovating or building a new home can feel very scary.  Of course it's exciting, or should be exciting!    But for many people, it's daunting.    Where do you even begin?  How do you turn all the ideas floating around in your head into something cohesive that you can pass along to your builder or architect?   This could be especially true if you have an idea in mind, su...

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of creating a home that will enhance your family's health and well-being?   If so, I can definitely relate.   When I started transforming my house into a healthy home back in 2015, I was completely overwhelmed from all the research I did online.  I was full of information, misinformation, and conflicting information.     And I had no idea where to star...

It's the season of heating, which means you might be feeling the lack of insulation in your house, both because you're cold and because you're energy bill has gone way up.     Insulation is one of the main factors affecting your comfort in your home.     If you're planning to build a new home or renovate your existing home, it will pay to get the insulation right.   In today's Healthy Home Design...

Have you ever picked a paint color for a room and then realized you didn't enjoy being in that room anymore?  I have (more than once)!  When I was in college (early 2000's, yikes!) it was trendy to paint a single wall of a room red.  Although, to be honest, I can't remember if it was actually a trend, or if I saw it in a Sex and The City episode and mistakenly thought it was a good idea.   Either...

Is this your year for creating a home that will allow your family to thrive? Find out how teaming with a healthy home consultant for your renovation or new home build will elevate the success of your project and have you living in a home that keeps you healthy, makes you happy and encourages living your best life. In this week's episode, I'm switching things up a bit, and providing information on...

Did you know that you can design a kitchen that will help you eat healthier? This may sound too good to be true, but it's not!  The way a kitchen is designed plays a huge role in how we eat.  We know that eating organic fresh fruits and veggies is best for our bodies.  We are paying more attention to the fact that we shouldn't be eating processed and packaged foods.  And we might even try to prep...

We are talking about something a little bit different from my usual topics on the Healthy Home Design podcast this week, but it's something that is equally important.   This week's topic is about creating an energy efficient home that in turn produces a comfortable, healthy home for you and your family.   Since it's the first of the month, this is another 10 in 20 episode. I run through tens steps...

Back with us today is Mehnaz Khan.  Mehnaz is a fine artist and color consultant.  She was on the show last week giving us an introduction on how color can affect your happiness and well-being.  If you haven't listened to that episode yet, please do!  You will learn a lot about the basics of color psychology and why it is so important to understand how color affects your mood before you do any upg...