Q+A: Wellness Design With The Curated House

One of the things we love about what we do at Faulhaber is all the great partners we get to work with. We had the chance to sit down with one of our favourite designers, Sarah Walker of The Curated House, to chat about wellness, design and her new masterclass.

Q: Let’s start off by talking about why spaces that support our well-being are important

I think it’s fair to say we’re viewing the importance of our personal space through a different lens these days. Suddenly, it has to be all things to all people: the place we work, study, cook, eat, workout, relax, staycay – and it’s where we’re supposed to find a way to prioritize self-care somehow. In this context, instead of providing us with sanctuary, home often feels just as chaotic as the outside world, draining us of the last bit of energy we have left. What’s more, hidden toxins are compromising our health and the health of our loved ones, and we desperately need a beautiful retreat dedicated to our physical and mental well-being.

Q: What led you to specialize in wellness-focused design?

A: Over my 15 years as a designer, I’ve garnered the nickname “The Canary In The Design Mines,” because I would walk into showrooms and have physical reactions to products containing hidden toxins. I would get dizzy and nauseous, developing instant headaches and experiencing muscle weakness and fatigue in response to many of the finishes and furnishings that our professional trade showrooms were offering. After considerable research into production processes, I confirmed what I already suspected: design and decor manufacturing is rife with toxic materials that are harmful for everyone, and my body was apparently an amazing barometer for them. My research and intuition ultimately paved an organic path to becoming an expert in healthy and sustainable design.

Q: You’re launching a course! What do you want people to know about it?

The Dwelling Well Healthy Bedroom Design Virtual Masterclass will focus on designing your home for optimal health and wellbeing while empowering you to expressing your original style. I was compelled to create this course because I know quite personally the impact our homes can have on our health. I’m taking all of the guesswork out of both the healthy design process and where to get what you need to create a healthy, beautiful home, including discounts worth more than the course.

Focusing on the bedroom will help lay the most important foundation possible for a home that’s as healthy as it is beautiful. Healthy design doesn’t have to be the style equivalent of wool socks and Birkenstocks, and the lessons you’ll learn are transferable to so many other rooms in your home. You’ll learn where all of the hidden toxins lie and how to avoid them while designing your inspiring, restorative dream retreat.

Q: Why focus on the bedroom?

I’ve personally experienced how good design can support our health through the process of slowly renovating and redecorating my own home. I was like many of my clients. Our bedroom was the last room on our list of design priorities while we focused on the more public spaces in our home. It wasn’t hideous, but it had quietly become the place where baskets of unfolded laundry and unaddressed projects went to die. It wasn’t authentically designed to be a personal sanctuary, so we didn’t treat it like one. And more importantly, I hadn’t removed the hidden toxins from the design. So in 2019 I did a total bedroom overhaul. I’ve made more health gains in the last year than I had in the previous four, and I definitely attribute much of that accelerated healing to our healthy sleep sanctuary.

I also had no idea how much I needed a space in our home that was dedicated to my mental and physical well-being. Having a beautiful and inspiring space to wake up to honestly gives me permission to start my day with mindfulness and having a nurturing backdrop for connecting with my husband has done us a world of good. Beyond that, as a wife and mom, having an inspiring space that is justifiably mine – one where I can close the door to meditate, rest or reflect without feeling selfish? Well, it’s been a game changer.  I want others to experience the mental a physical well-being that comes from having a sacred space dedicated to wellness, too.

Sarah Says…

This course is a powerful act of self care, an investment in your health and well-being and an opportunity to express your style in ways that really make an impact. Netflix and wine don’t hold a candle to the transformation this can offer you! You really can design the healthy, happy, beautiful life of your dreams.

BONUS: Sarah believes healthy design should be accessible for everyone, so the course also includes an exclusive source guide you won’t find anywhere else with phenomenal discounts worth more than four times the cost of the course! She’ll give you VIP access to the best pricing possible on everything from rugs and furnishings, mattresses and bedding, paint and wallpaper and more so you can design a bedroom that’s truly a welcome home for your senses. 

Sign up for Sarah’s virtual masterclass here or download her Healthy Home Detox Guide to get started. Registration closes soon, so secure your spot now!