Ten Life-Changing Lessons You Can Learn from Good Design

Good design is powerful. An artfully arranged tablescape can feel profoundly satisfying. A certain color or pattern can make your heart skip a beat. A beautiful room can make you feel that all is right with the world.

Why is this?

Is it because our brains are programmed to react emotionally to visual stimuli?

Or does good design makes us feel good for reasons that go even deeper?

I think beautiful images fill us with deep contentment because on some level they act as visual paradigms for how to live better. They have a message that goes beyond beauty alone. 

Below, some examples. 

Lesson #1: Life is too short not to get along with others.

(Interior design by Ilse Crawford. via.)

At first glance, this ornate copper tea kettle would seem to have nothing in common with the minimalist glass jar and rustic wooden chopping block. Separately, each represents a different aesthetic but together they achieve a harmony of elevating proportions, and each object is cooler because of what's next to it. 

Lesson #2: Be prepared.

(Samantha Boardman's bar. via)

You never know what life is going to throw at you.  All the more reason to not let it catch you unawares. Whether it's getting that first-aid kit together, keeping an extra jug of water in your car or stocking up on light bulbs, it pays to think ahead. 

Lesson #3: Focus on what you have. 

(Bea Pollen's home. via)

It's easy to complain about what you don't have. We've all done it. But nobody gets everything on their wish list. So gather your passions together and rejoice in what surrounds you. 

Lesson #4: Go deeper.

(via)

In your lifetime, there will be a few subjects you feel passionately about. Arts and Crafts architecture, say. Or Victorian women explorers. Or the poetry of John Betjeman. Dig as deep as you can into those points of interest. Curiosity is one of the most powerful motivators to keep one foot moving in front of the other.  

Lesson #5: Embrace darkness. 

(via)

Not everything in life can be sunlight and daisies--and that's a good thing. A little darkness now and then is essential for personal growth. It throws what's important into sharp relief, and can often be the quickest path to clarity. 

Lesson #6: Don't be afraid to be different.

(from the Instagram feed of Philip Gorrivan)

When you're young, the world is full of rules. But when you get older, you understand that a lot of them don't really mean anything. What's important is following your heart. Case in point: Matchy-matchy is overrated. 

Lesson #7: Pause along the way. 

(Hidcote Manor. Photo by Joe Wainwright.)

You've heard it before: It's the journey, not the destination that's important. So don't be in such a hurry to get somewhere that you forget to notice what's around you. You'll get there eventually, and if you don't, at least you'll have appreciated the rest stops.

Lesson #8: Create a safe place. 

(Interior design by Susan Jay. via.)

We all need a sanctuary far from the madding crowd. It doesn't have to be extravagant--a cozy chair in a quiet corner will do the trick. The point is to have a place you can rest and recharge when the world is too much with you.

Lesson #9: There's always another way to look at something.

(Interior design by Miles Redd. Photo by Jeffrey Hirsch.) 

Sometimes you can't see a way out. You're backed into a corner and you've run out of options. But there's always another approach. You might have to alter your own perspective slightly to find it. But it's there.  

Lesson #10: Never reveal everything. 

(via)

I'm a firm believer in the importance of preserving a little mystery in life. It creates intrigue, fans the appetite and keeps people wondering what's next. Just because we live in an age where everything is available at the click of a mouse doesn't mean we have to act that way. Show but don't tell. Or tell but don't show. See what happens.