說到室內設計，你是更注重舒適感還是外觀？不論是家具裝飾的擺放位置、裝修材料的色彩和紋理，還是燈光的選配，都會影響居住者的心情。本期節目介紹舒適的家居環境對身心健康的好處。

詞匯：interior design 室內設計

Our environments can affect the way we feel. This is not a new concept – after all, the traditional practice of feng shui has been with us for thousands of years. More recently, scientific research concluded that the design of healthcare environments could support patients in their recovery. Increasingly, however, it is our homes that are being seen as places we can improve our wellness.

A new approach to interior design suggests that many of us now care less about how our homes look and more about how they make us feel. How we feel can be influenced by a number of different things, including the furniture and objects within our homes and how these are arranged. For example, 'to create cosiness and the ability to connect with others, we want our furniture facing each other', says Lindsay T Graham, a personality and social psychologist. Smaller objects, too, have a lot of power, according to Monica Khemsurov, one of the founders of online design magazine Sight Unseen. Whether it's something an old friend made for us or a souvenir purchased while travelling, objects allow us to relive moments or feel closer to people we love at a glance. It makes sense, therefore, that taking a more intentional approach to where we place objects in our home, can affect our mood.

Other elements that help create a personal space that makes you feel good include the type of lighting, the use of colour and texture, as well as bringing nature into the home. Plants and 'natural materials, particularly unpainted wood, are really great for keeping our stress levels in check', says environmental psychologist Sally Augustin. And controlling stress levels can also be helped by making sure our work space and any clutter are hidden from sight when we want to feel calm, for example, during our night-time routine before going to bed.

However we choose to adjust our living spaces to improve wellness, the final tip from the experts is to not treat our homes as a museum. Instead, we should see them as idiosyncratic and constantly changing – just like us.

詞匯表

concept 概念
healthcare environment 醫療環境
wellness 身心健康
approach （思考問題的）方式，方法
furniture 家具
object 物體，實物
arrange 布置，擺放
cosiness 舒適，愜意
connect with others 與他人產生聯系
face each other 面對面
souvenir 紀念品
relive 重溫，回味
at a glance 看一眼就…，立刻
intentional approach 有意的方式
place (v) 放置
mood 心情，情緒
a personal space 私人空間
lighting 燈光，照明
texture 紋理
keep (something) in check 控制
clutter (n) 雜物
hide from sight 遮住，藏在視線外
living space 生活空間
idiosyncratic 獨特的，與眾不同的

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or False? A new approach to interior design focuses more on how homes look.

2. How can furniture help us connect with others?

3. How can objects in our home change our mood?

4. What can help us feel calm during our night-time routine?

5. True or False? Once we have created a feel-good home, we should never change it.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Yoga is good for both mind and body. It promotes general _______.

 concept                    healthcare environment        recovery                wellness

2. These flowers are beautiful! Did you _______ them?

interior design           intentional approach             texture                   arrange                  

3. My mother walked into the room and could tell _______ that something was wrong.

approach                  face each other                     relive                      at a glance

4. He used to have a temper but he has learned to _______ his anger _______.

face/each other        connect/with others               keep/in check         hide/from sight

5. Sorry about the _______! I need to tidy up.

clutter                       souvenir                                 mood                      texture

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。 

1. True or False? A new approach to interior design focuses more on how homes look.
False. A new approach to interior design focuses more on how homes make us feel.

2. How can furniture help us connect with others?
If we arrange furniture to face each other, it creates cosiness and the ability to connect with others.

3. How can objects in our home change our mood?
Objects that have personal meaning allow us to relive moments or feel closer to people we love at a glance.

4. What can help us feel calm during our night-time routine?
Making sure our work space and any clutter are hidden from sight.

5. True or False? Once we have created a feel-good home, we should never change it.
False. We should see our homes as idiosyncratic and constantly changing – just like us.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Yoga is good for both mind and body. It promotes general wellness.

2. These flowers are beautiful! Did you arrange them?

3. My mother walked into the room and could tell at a glance that something was wrong.

4. He used to have a temper but he has learned to keep his anger in check.

5. Sorry about the clutter! I need to tidy up.