Umwelt: Why Your Home Doesn’t Feel Like You Yet
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Have you ever walked into a space and felt instantly calm… while someone else feels completely unsettled?
In this episode, I’m introducing you to a concept I’ve recently discovered called Umwelt, and I think it will completely reframe how we think about our homes.
I came across the German word, Umwelt in my recent research, and it piqued my interest. I've come across so many different words over the years, in terms of interiors and design, from Danish Hygge to Swedish Legom, to Dutch gezelligheid, to Japanese Ikigai and Wabisabi - all these beautiful words come from all these beautiful different cultures, and what they all point to really, is the same concept of our homes being not just visual, they are emotional, sensory, and deeply personal spaces.
The concept of Umwelt comes from a biologist called Jakob von Uexküll, who was fascinated by how different animals, like elephants, bats, dogs and even insects, each experience the world in their own unique way. And I think this is also so relevant when it comes to our homes, because our senses are experiencing our homes and the spaces around us, whether we are conscious of it or not.
Umwelt is a German word with no direct English translation, but at its core, it describes something quite powerful, the unique way each of us experiences the world around us.
We don’t experience our homes or our surroundings as they are. We experience them as we are.
I think the concept of Umwelt connects so beautifully back to home, and back to these deeper conversations I'm starting to have about what home means to us and our sense of home and belonging, and how we experience what is around us.
Come and join me inside this episode to explore this more, I chat about how your personality, your past, your sensory preferences, and even your daily habits shape how your home feels to you.
Inside This Episode
How Umwelt shows up in real homes
Hidden factors shaping how we perceive our space (light, clutter, layout & more)
How to design for your Umwelt
Resources & Mentions
Episode 1: Common Renovation Regrets & Concerns
Episode 2: What is a Successful Home Renovation?
Episode 9: Dreaming
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If you found this helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review on Apple, YouTube or Spotify, or even shared it with a friend who’s renovating, or just wants to create a better home.
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