When we envisioned what kind of company Stearns Design would be, we focused on the matter at hand: Designing and Building Happiness. While this is our company tagline, it means more than just a marketing slogan. Designing and building Happiness is based on substantial and empirical evidence.
Studies show that individuals who follow the phase of the moon or know what time the sun rises and sets are significantly happier and more present.
In 1984 Roger Ulrich, a retired professor from Texas A&M, reviewed the medical records of patients recovering from gallbladder surgery. The patients were split into two rooms, half with a view of nature and half without. Dr. Ulrich determined that recovery time for those with a view of nature was one day quicker; they needed less pain medication and fewer post-surgical complications. Since that study, the medical and business world has become more focused on the implications of connections to nature for health and productivity.
The benefits of spending time in nature are astounding: lowering stress, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, and feeling better emotionally.
Our goal at Stearns is to ensure a seamless transition between nature and residential design. This is what the largest effect can be felt. Our homes are not only the place we spend most of our time but a sanctuary where we involuntarily seek refuge and restoration.
To better articulate this vital aspect and crossover of nature + space, we decided to create our own design category and call it Transitions.
To us, Transitions in the design coincide directly with the permeability of space. Ultimately, the physical and sensory Transitions to not only natural spaces but community spaces as well.
For many, the first step in designing a home is to look at floor plans. While this is an important step and incredibly common, we like to add another elemental + integrative piece to the journey of designing a home.
- What will my windows face?
- What view will you see? OR, what view brings joy?
- What is the orientation of the sun?
- What kind of breeze will stream through during spring?
Our design journey includes:
- Making space to ask these questions.
- Blurring the lines.
- Creating a relationship and partnership between the lines of a home + the natural surroundings.
Our home design approach can help guide + create this sacred space for you and your loved ones.
Or ask yourself this:
- What is the value of a home placed with respect to the sun’s movement, views, and mindful transitions to spaces infused with nature??
- Have you envisioned having your morning coffee on a screened-in porch?
- The fragrance of your favorite flowers wafting in through the upstairs bedroom?
- The view of your favorite oak tree?
- A front porch that invites conversations with neighbors
These are the Transitions that enrich our lives.
When designing a new home, we aim to meld these elements and capture physical and visual transitions into our beautiful native environment. The Transitions approach to design is an invitation to a lifestyle. A lifestyle that engages all the senses.
Whether you are considering the design of a new home or modifications to an existing home, this approach can make a difference in how happy, healthy, and fulfilled you are.
