Can a Bad Floor Plan Affect Your Mental Health?

Shifting your furniture may shift how you think, feel, and even behave. Clinical psychologists and interior designers explain why

Article by: Jesse Dorris; Architectural Digest Magazine; https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/can-a-bad-floor-plan-affect-your-mental-health

August 12, 2025

One recent Saturday afternoon, I sat on a folding chair outside my friend’s new apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Since the pandemic, she’s been performing occasional outdoor concerts—first in front of the brownstone she shared with her ex-husband, and now in front of the one she shares with her new partner.

That day, she sang a song called “Yellow Chair.” It’s about throwing out a terrible chair her ex loved—along with the ex himself. She replaced it with a piece of furniture she thought was too silly, too sunny… until she realized it suited her mood perfectly.

It reminded me of after my own major breakup—when I repainted my now-just-my bedroom from deep cocoon-like grey to bright, blank white midway through lockdown in 2020. I even moved my bed to another wall. Who knew a simple furniture shift could help reset my mood? With each change, I felt better—just like my friend with her chair. But why?

Could these small changes really be shifting our outlooks?
Suchi Reddy, founder of Reddymade, says we never think of a spider without its web, but somehow we think humans exist without the “stuff” around us. At its core, architecture and design explore how the order of a space affects our experience in it. This is also the basis for neuroaesthetics, an emerging neuroscience field Reddy researches. Spaces either provide sensory pleasure, or they don’t—and that emotional reaction can feed into deeper neurological effects.

This isn’t about materialism—it’s about how we interact with our chosen surroundings.
Psychologist Dr. Bev Walpole says it’s about understanding what people need from a space, breaking down its expectations, and considering how it will actually be used.

Our relationships to our homes are shaped by our desires, traumas, histories, and hopes—just as much as by our relationships with other people.
Maura Trumble, a partner at CCY Architects, says our homes are integral to our mental health, echoing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: safety and comfort are among our most basic instincts. Homes developed as refuges, not just for physical needs, but for privacy and freedom from danger.

From a functional perspective, says Adam Rolston of INC Architecture & Design, the arrangement of furniture and organization of spaces have profound emotional and psychological effects.
A huge, bright living room with panoramic views might sound ideal—but could feel sterile and lonely. A cozy furniture cluster might encourage entertaining—or just remind you that you rarely do. Wall colors or bed placement can trigger memories, good or bad. The key is to notice how a space makes you feel, then adjust it.

Walpole suggests starting with what’s not working—pinpointing the elements that cause agitation.
Rolston warns that certain layouts—like overly open floor plans—can increase noise, visual clutter, and stress. Large echoing rooms and sweeping views may not comfort someone prone to loneliness.
Trumble recommends scaling spaces down, softening furniture, layering rugs, and considering acoustic treatments to create comfort.

Furniture placement can also change your experience. Designer Nicola Harding notes that widely spaced sofas may look impressive, but can make you feel exposed. Closer seating encourages connection. And if everything has a natural place, nothing can feel “out of place.”

This connects to the “Make Your Bed” philosophy—the idea that maintaining order in your environment can create peace and a sense of accomplishment. Walpole says it’s really about behavioral activation—small actions that build momentum and release dopamine, reinforcing the habit.

Reddy points out that even small transition spaces, like a foyer, can reset your body. In her own apartment, she uses the entry as a rotating art gallery—a quick moment of beauty that shifts her nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest.

Of course, this doesn’t replace professional help for depression. But since therapy often happens at home now, Harding suggests making that space small, comfortable, and safe—so you feel held, not exposed.

Architecture and design are tools for imagining a new life, then building the space for it. There’s no single right arrangement for mindfulness or comfort—but changing your space can change how you behave, which changes how you feel, which changes your thoughts.

And if that starts with just moving a bed or adding a sunny yellow chair—so be it.