NEW YORK - s4story -- Architect Gabriela Fiorentino, is sharing her top advice on home design: It can either support rest or keep us stuck in stress mode, however; design isn't just aesthetic — it's biological. Every material, every light source, every surface in our home sends signals to our nervous system. The right design can lower cortisol, deepen breath, improve sleep, and make it easier to switch off. The wrong design — harsh light, stale air, clutter — keeps the body in stress mode.

For Fiorentino "homes aren't just places we live — they're places that shape who we become. Spaces should support who we want to be, the habits we want to build, and how we want to feel."

Fiorentino outlines her seven design principles for a home that helps us switch off:

1. Create "decompression zones" at entry points: Calm entryways with soft lighting, natural flooring, and a dedicated spot for keys and shoes creates micro-transitions signaling the body that it's safe to relax and begin regulating the nervous system before you enter further.
2. Natural light by day, low light by night: Daylight improves serotonin and focus;  use sheer drapery, clean window frames, and reflective surfaces to draw it deeper indoors. In the evening, mimic sunset with low-level lamps, wall lights, and warm tones instead of bright overhead LEDs to protect melatonin and support real rest.
3. Fresh air is a wellness feature: Cross-ventilation, operable windows, or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) keep indoor air oxygen-rich and help reduce pollutants, while Peace Lilies, snake plants and English ivy, together with low-VOC paints, solid wood, cotton and linen, reduce off-gassing and indoor chemical buildup.
4. Reduce visual noise: Clutter is cognitive stress and the eye constantly scans it; built-in storage, closed cabinetry, and hidden charging drawers reduce visual pressure and create calm sight lines that support a calmer mind.
5. Design for touch, not just appearance: Natural textures like linen, wool, unfinished wood, and clay walls absorb sound, soften light and feel human to the touch, while synthetic, high-gloss finishes reflect energy back at us instead of helping the body soften.
6. Let technology disappear: Tech keeps the brain in "on" mode even when we're not using it; screen-free bedrooms, dining areas, and reading corners, combined with built-in charging drawers or cabinets, keep devices out of sight and out of mind.
7. Let nature in — visually and physically: Views of trees or sky help lower stress hormones; orient chairs and beds toward windows where possible and bring nature in with herbs in kitchens, stone on bedside tables, and branches in ceramic vessels. "It's not about decoration — it's about neurobiology, " says Fiorentino (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-fiorentino/), founder, Nest Earth (http://www.nestearth.com).

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