Neuroaesthetics & the Soulful Space: Why Your Home Isn’t Just Decor — It’s a Healing Tool
- Ruthy Baker
- Jul 9
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 11
There’s something powerful about walking into a room and feeling your entire body exhale.
Not just because it’s tidy or stylish, but because it feels right. Soothing. Harmonious. Like the space understands you.
This is where aesthetics meet the nervous system and why the emerging science of neuroaesthetics is such a game-changer for those of us with soulful leanings, sensitive systems, and a deep desire to create a sanctuary, not just a space.
Let’s explore what this soulful science is all about and why your home might be one of your greatest self-help tools yet.
What Is Neuroaesthetics, Anyway?
Neuroaesthetics is the scientific study of how beauty, art, design, and sensory experiences affect your brain and body.
Researchers have found that the way we experience colour, light, texture, sound, and space has a measurable impact on:
Mood
Stress levels
Creativity
Decision-making
Even immune function
It’s not just about liking a pretty room. It’s about how deeply our environment speaks to our nervous system. And whether it whispers calm or screams chaos.
My Soulful Space: A Cocoon for the Butterfly Mind
Earlier this year, I redecorated the entire ground floor of my home with one intention: to create a space where my inner butterfly mind could rest, breathe, and feel inspired. My home was a mix of copper, terracotta and teal blue. Think Mediterranean vibe on a sunny day. It felt great for a while, but then I felt deep down in my bones that I needed less colour noise and more peace. A craving for light, space, nothingness, a blank slate...
So, the hunt for just the right shade of white ensued. My walls became a patchwork of whiter shades of pale. It was time to breathe deep and put my hand on each colour and become aware of how I felt inside. What was my energetic response? I let my intuition decide and it chose Dulux Timeless, a creamy, soft white. It was time for me to fully embrace colour drenching — painting the walls, ceiling, woodwork, and even the furniture in the same calming tone. No jarring transitions, no bold contrast. Just softness, flow, and serenity.
I kept the natural oak tops of my painted furniture, added oak flooring underfoot, and introduced accents in off-white, cream, and warm gold. There are mother-of-pearl and gold photo frames, wicker trays, cream ceramic vases, and plenty of green plants to bring nature indoors.
The scent? Subtle yet grounding. I made my own aromatherapy diffusers using small cream bud vases picked up from charity shops, sunflower oil and essential oils — mostly sweet orange, dotted around the space to uplift, with rosemary near my desk for clarity and focus.
Lighting is soft and layered: cream lampshades, tealights, and candlesticks in creamy hues. There’s a large brown Chesterfield sofa and matching tub chair, layered with fluffy ivory throws and cushions, which I switch up regularly for a pop of colour, right now, they're calming duck egg blue and cream.
The overall feel? Scandinavian simplicity meets sensory richness. A space to cocoon, to create, to write, to be.
Neuroaesthetics - Why Your Environment Shapes Your Energy
Here’s what the science tells us about why this matters:
Visual harmony reduces cortisol levels. Harsh contrasts, clutter, or chaotic design can spike stress and mental fatigue. Soft, cohesive tones do the opposite.
Natural materials and plant life boost serotonin and reduce anxiety. That oak flooring and greenery? Healing medicine for the nervous system.
Scent directly impacts the limbic brain — the part responsible for emotion and memory. Essential oils aren’t just woo — they’re neurological whispers of support.
Lighting affects circadian rhythms and mood. Soft, layered light signals safety and helps regulate sleep and energy.
Textures influence our sense of emotional safety. Think soft throws, smooth wood, cosy nooks — your skin and soul feel it.
This is neuroaesthetics in action — and when done intuitively, it’s a kind of self-hypnosis. Every time you enter your space, you’re reinforcing a message:
“This is safety. This is nourishment. This is home.”
Your Home as a Self-Help Tool
Let’s be honest — personal growth can feel intense. Shadow work, mindset rewiring, emotional clearing... it’s a lot. But your space? That’s the grounding container for all of it.
When your surroundings calm your system, they do more than look nice they:
Create emotional safety so your brain can process and release
Reduce background noise (visual and energetic)
Inspire rituals and presence
Signal worthiness (“I deserve to feel supported in my space”)
You’re not just decorating - you’re reprogramming.
A Space That Mirrors the Self
What’s beautiful about a soulful home is that it becomes a mirror. When you lovingly tend to your space, you’re tending to the inner you, the tired part that needs rest, the creative part craving inspiration, the hopeful part reaching for more. And when you enter that space each day, it reflects back:
“You are safe. You are loved. You matter.”
Q&A: Quick Takes on Neuroaesthetics
Q: Do I need to repaint my whole house to feel better?
A: Not at all. Even a small corner, a diffuser, a tidy shelf, or a new cushion in a calming hue can shift your energy.
Q: What if I love bold colour or maximalism?
A: Neuroaesthetics isn’t about minimalism, it’s about conscious design. If colour brings you joy and safety, lean in. Just avoid overwhelm or disjointed chaos.
Q: Can this really help with anxiety or low mood?
A: Yes. Science shows that our environment impacts our emotional baseline. A thoughtfully designed space can reduce stress, improve focus, and increase joy.
🖋️ Soulful Journaling Prompts
What does “a calming space” look and feel like to me?
What colours, scents, or textures bring me a sense of peace?
Where in my home do I feel most relaxed and why?
What one small change could help my space support me better?
How does my environment reflect how I feel about myself?
What message do I want my space to whisper to me daily?
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Share Your Story and Join the Mindset, Meditate & Manifest Community
What are your favourite ways to create calm? Has redecorating your home had an impact on your inner vibe? I would love to hear your stories! Share your insights in the comments below and join our Mindset, Meditate & Manifest community by signing up for my newsletter.
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And there’s more... ;-)
Here's some suggested reading for a deep dive into creating your own comfy cocoon.
Heads up: the book links below are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you decide to purchase, at no extra cost to you. It helps support the blog and keeps the tea flowing - thank you!
A beautifully grounding guide for turning your space into a soulful sanctuary.
If you’ve ever felt the tug to create a home that feels like you - without blowing your budget or waiting for “someday” - this book will wrap around you like a linen throw. Geneva blends accessible DIY projects with mindful design principles, inviting you to honour beauty in simplicity and make intentional choices in your space.
It’s not just decor, it’s empowerment. You’ll find inspiration for upcycling, colour palettes that soothe, and ideas that resonate if you’re craving a more connected, harmonious home. Think: budget-conscious meets heart-conscious.
💫 Perfect for: Creative souls, renters, and anyone ready to reclaim their space with style and soul.
A spiritual balm in book form and a gentle reminder that beauty lives in stillness.
This isn’t an interiors book and yet, it completely belongs on your coffee table or bedside. Haemin Sunim, a Zen Buddhist teacher, offers poetic, wise reflections on slowing down, noticing beauty, and creating inner calm, all of which ripple out into our physical environment.
His words hold the same vibration as a softly lit candle and a room that welcomes you in silence. It’s a soul reset.
💫 Perfect for: Moments when you’re overstimulated, overwhelmed, or longing to reconnect with what truly matters.
Less clutter. More meaning. A call to curate your life and home with deep intention.
Tara Button’s philosophy is a glorious antidote to consumer overwhelm. She invites you to step out of the fast-fashion-fast-furniture loop and into a life designed around cherished things. Neuroaesthetics lives in this very mindset: that what surrounds you shapes you.
This book helped me think not just about what I bring into my home but also why. And how creating a calming, intentional space starts with conscious choices, not just clever storage.
💫 Perfect for: Empaths, minimalists-with-a-heart, and anyone ready to say goodbye to clutter and hello to soulful simplicity.
Please note that when you click on a product link, I receive a (usually very small!) commission, at no extra cost to yourself, which helps to keep this website and blog going. So, any purchase that you make is very much appreciated. Thank You!
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© Ruthy Baker 2025
Please note that when you click on a product link, I receive a (usually very small!) commission, at no extra cost to yourself, which helps to keep this website and blog going. So, any purchase that you make is very much appreciated. Thank You!
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