SAD-proof your home for the winter with these science-backed tips
Your home environment can have a significant impact on your mental health, especially during the colder months. Here’s how neuroarchitecture can help you make better design decisions.
Millions battle seasonal affective disorder (SAD) each year, a type of depression typically occurring in autumn and winter. The condition affects 5 percent of Americans, and the same percentage globally. An additional two in five Americans battle with some form of the “winter blues.”
Symptoms of SAD include “low mood, extreme tiredness, and social withdrawal,” says Elton Lima, a researcher specializing in bio-architecture and neuroarchitecture at the Lisbon School of Architecture. While one of the more popular treatments is an at-home light therapy lamp, experts argue there’s more that can be done to SAD-proof our homes when we look to neuroarchitecture—an interdisciplinary research field that explores how design interventions can influence human psychology and physiology.
(The science behind seasonal depression.)
Paying attention to light, color, and sensory details in your home are just a few ways to create a more positive atmosphere for your mental health. We spoke to neuroarchitecture experts to learn more.
Maximize your light to fight SAD
When treating SAD, Lima says the key is to regulate the circadian rhythm. This internal process is disrupted during the colder months due to reduced daylight exposure, causing our bodies to produce increased melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleepiness, and decreased serotonin, which is responsible for mood regulation.
Light therapy has many proven benefits. A bright, fully-powered SAD lamp—10,000 lux or more listed on the packaging—can help in severe cases, which include an inability to continue daily activities or when suicidal thoughts occur, says Lima. However, milder symptoms often respond just as well to natural or well-controlled artificial lighting.
“It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to reduce SAD,” Lima says—which may come as a relief to those weighing up a SAD lamp purchase, as higher-tech models can hover around the $200 mark.
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A 2025 study found that pre-10 a.m. light exposure was the most effective in improving sleep outcomes, compared to other times of day. Lima proposes moving your breakfast table close to a window or opening curtains as soon as you wake up “to enjoy the maximum possible natural light.”
In the evening, excessive blue-light exposure from LED bulbs and electronics like phones, laptops, and TVs can result in circadian disruption and suppression of melatonin. Because of this, Lima recommends warmer light at night, which encourages the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. He also proposes the use of light bulbs that have reduced blue-light in the evening.
Bring nature indoors
Biophilic—or nature-inspired—design offers another intervention for SAD.
(Why seasonal depression can happen in the summer too.)
“One challenge with SAD is an inability to focus,” says Robyn Landau, a neuroaesthetics designer and founder at Kinda Studios. But a 2022 meta-analysis of biophilic design research found that simply being around design elements that remind us of nature can reduce stress and restore cognitive ability.
One mechanism is soft fascination, Landau explains, which involves dispersing our attention over a broad visual field—such as viewing a landscape or a complex pattern of leaves—in order to deregulate the nervous system and promote mental recovery.
“Even adding one or two medium-sized plants into frequently-used spaces helps,” says Lima. If live plants aren’t possible, natural materials, such as rattan chairs or nature-inspired images, offer similar benefits.
Additionally, a 2022 study found that even looking at images of nature reduces stress. Photographs, drawings, prints, or paintings of nature can help capitalize on nature’s soothing benefits—whether it's a tranquil sea or a wild forest is up to you.
For longer-term intervention, a splash of paint can also help. “Our color preferences are often based on association,” says Landau. “Blue reminds us of the sky, and yellow reminds us of the sun. Deep colors create a sense of warmth and give energy.” In a 2023 study, yellow was the color participants most associated with hope, compared to red, green, and blue.
(9 simple ways to boost your mental health, according to science.)
But painting multiple rooms in bright shades can feel overwhelming. Instead, Landau suggests using color to define different zones. For instance, a 2021 study of university students linked cool-colored walls, such as blue or green in cold hues, with increased attention or memory, while white walls led to a reduced efficiency.
Color blocking or pops of color can also replace painting whole rooms, whether it be incorporating brightly colored artwork, colorful furnishings or home accessories, or painting unexpected areas like doors.
It’s equally important to consider the way your lighting interacts with your wall colors, says Lima. A room without much natural light might feel even darker when painted in a strong saturated color. But if your room is painted white, a color which naturally reflects a lot of light, then warmer bulbs will create a more relaxing effect to wind down in—which is particularly vital in a bedroom or living room.
Add design elements that engage your senses
Designing for SAD goes beyond the visual, says Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford and author of Sensehacking: How to Use the Power of Your Senses for Happier, Healthier Living. He notes that architecture has traditionally been designed “primarily for the eye,” but is now changing with concepts like salutogenic architecture—design which engages a variety of senses to improve health outcomes.
(There are 6 forms of depression, study shows. Here’s how they’re different.)
Scent can be an effective tool to counteract SAD symptoms. Spence favors room scents, but also proposes potpourri, perfume, flowers, and plug-in devices. House plants can help here, too: A 2025 overview linked nature smells with stress reduction, while a 2022 study linked rosemary to enhanced cognition.
Spence suggests conducting a scent reset in your home after a sad or stressful period. “Whether you're aware of it or not, your brain will have started associating your home smell with that emotion,” he says.
Then there is the touch of our homes. A recent neuroarchitectural review found the texture of building materials such as wood, cork, and clay held mental health benefits. Engaging with these textures through touch calms our nervous system while improving brain functions such as attention and focus, according to the research.
Another study also linked touching wood with physiological relaxation, indicated by increased parasympathetic nervous system activity and decreased heart rate. Integrating these tactile materials into the home reduces the effects of “touch hunger,” suggests Spence—which is often felt acutely in the winter months.
Finally, there is the influence of sound. Spence points to nature soundscapes as a solution, which can encourage relaxation and sleep.
Music can also help, depending on the type. A 2024 study found that listening to classical or other light music evoked a reduction in depression-like symptoms in mice, while rock and atonal compositions had no such effect.
However, Spence points out, our senses don’t work in isolation. For instance, research suggests higher-pitched music makes us perceive visual objects as brighter, while lower pitches have the opposite effect. For this reason, he recommends lower-pitched and lower-tempo music later on in the day to aid relaxation and “reduce arousal”—think more Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata than Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
The bottom line
While home design interventions can certainly influence SAD symptoms, they are only part of the battle. Landau proposes incorporating other habits like sipping coffee by your window or on a balcony in the morning or going out for a daily walk. Spence recommends physical contact with pets or loved ones, while Lima stresses opening windows for natural air circulation, which is vital for SAD.
“We shouldn’t pretend that interior design can heal SAD,” says Lima. “However, our homes are the environments where our brains spend most of the winter. If we shape these environments carefully, we make them healthier and more supportive spaces to live in.”
