Holistic Homes | House of Grey

Louisa Grey marks the first in a series of interviews with architects and interior designers who typify ‘holistic design’ principles.

This inspired approach factors in how design impacts human health and wellbeing. At the heart of this approach is developing deeper connections to our spaces by choosing features and materials that make us feel good, with inherent health benefits. Considering that which often makes us feel the best is derived from nature, holistic design and sustainable design go hand-in-hand.

With Louisa, we dissect the meaning of ‘living holistically’ and explore how she and the entire House of Grey team embrace this rounded approach – specifically their concept of ‘Circular Salutogenic Design’. We also delve into the sustainable side of her practice and what she hopes the future of design will look like.

Originating from the healthcare industry, Salutogenic Design is about consciously incorporating health benefits into every aspect of a space to promote recovery and restore people back to health actively. 

Cradle-to-cradle materials are natural materials that are inherently good for human health and actively promote circular design – the aims of which are to eliminate waste and pollution from the creation process, regenerate natural environments, and keep products and materials in use and out of landfill.

Crucially, Circular Salutogenic Design involves harnessing the abundance of nature rather than utilising its limited resources. This, in turn has a calming effect on a space and a restorative effect on a person.

What major changes do you hope to see concerning sustainability and design over the next five to ten years?

Louisa Grey: I would love to see natural, chemical-free, circular materials become the norm – materials sourced from nature, free of toxins and VOCs, and have as little negative impact on the Earth as possible. Our collaboration with lime-wash paint company Bauwerk is an excellent example of how these kinds of materials can benefit the user; made by using a variety of natural bases including clay, stone, chalk, earth, slate and limestone, the collection [‘Silence’ by House of Grey] provides a healthy alternative to widely available chemical-based paints.