Sometimes we feel so good at a party that we don’t want to leave. I do not want to return to other apartments. We often think that it’s all about the hosts, but is it always the case? And how does the house characterize us in the eyes of others?
Smell
The sense of smell is one of the primitive senses, with the help of which animals can navigate in space, communicate, look for food, and predict danger. And although we are not cats or dogs, many sensations are associated with smell. We may not notice the smell consciously, but we still read it. Take, for example, the pheromones secreted by the body: we do not feel them, but we react to them.
Each space has its own smells: a bakery, a hospital, a hairdresser, a kindergarten, a church… Someone’s house smells like pastries, someone smells like roasted meat, someone has pets, small children, elderly parents, antique furniture . Smells can evoke different emotions. All this together creates a unique aroma of the house, which can be so strong that it goes beyond the apartment. While the owner opens the door, we can catch the atmosphere of irritation, rejection, fatigue, or, conversely, joy, peace, anticipation, and with these feelings we go to visit.
World
Light-sensitive cells in the eyes register the amount of light in space and send a signal to the brain. Based on this information, the internal clock works — a decision is made when it is time to go to bed and when to wake up. In houses with large panoramic windows overlooking the sunny side, warm light gives a feeling of peace, comfort, warmth, and there is a desire to stay awake. Other apartments are like a mole hole, where even during the day you have to move in the dark. The windows are covered with thick curtains, through which sunlight does not break through. In such an atmosphere, drowsiness often occurs, creative and vital activity decreases. Leaving such a house on the street, we feel as if we have recovered after a long illness.
Color spectrum
Colors can be warm and cold, light and heavy, irritating or soothing. The science is based on the research of the Swiss scientist Max Luscher, who described how color can affect the functioning of our internal systems.
Bright red-orange tones excite, increase the frequency of pulse and respiration, increase blood pressure, improve appetite. Dark blue shades bring calm, cool. A person unconsciously surrounds himself with pleasant colors and with their help creates a certain emotional atmosphere around him. Try to imagine how you will feel if the design of the room is done in gray and black colors, what mood will prevail?
Cleanliness
We always pay attention to how clean the room is. Stains on the table, bits, candy wrappers, unwashed cups, sand underfoot are unlikely to cause pleasant emotions. Garbage bags placed on the landing next to the apartment will also please few people. We strive for cleanliness because we know that unsanitary conditions create excellent conditions for bacteria to thrive. The desire for cleanliness is a defense mechanism that allows you to stay healthy.
On the other hand, radiant, crystal clearness can also be embarrassing and repulsive — as if there is no life in it. In such a place, you begin to worry that you will become the cause of disorder or chaos. The desire for orderliness can be a reflection of the owner’s inner world and his life: how strict or relaxed he is, punctual or optional, how used to returning objects to their places. By the way the items are arranged on the desktop and things are laid out in the closet, one can guess whether the owner has a habit of planning things and putting them in a notebook, or he is more comfortable living in a creative mess.
Paraphernalia
For example, books and magazines. What does the owner read, what are his interests? Detectives, novels, non-fiction or classics? Books will tell you what to talk about with the owner. What if there are no books or magazines? Then it can be photographs: who is depicted on them, where, with whom? Or indoor plants and pets, not everyone is ready to take responsibility for a living being. Icons and religious utensils literally open the door to the soul of the owner. Look around: you can find all sorts of travel souvenirs and magnets, unusual accessories and handicrafts. Each small object has a history, life and broadcasts it.
Sometimes it seems to us that the house is empty and there is no life in it, but this is not always the case. My grandmother’s house is perfectly clean: she got rid of unnecessary things, does not take a great interest in anything, does not read. She has a lot of medicines, their smell has long permeated the apartment. She lives alone and recently got a cat. There is a sofa in the room, a TV set against the opposite wall, a bed and a wardrobe in the bedroom. Several icons can be found in the kitchen. In a word, everything is like everyone else, or even more ascetic.
However, her windows and balcony are lined with different flowers and plants that feel grandmother’s love and care. They are blooming and bushy and seem to be greener and lusher every time I visit. Under the TV are albums of family photos. By the arrival of guests, the grandmother brews fragrant tea and prepares dinner. And these cozy smells fill the house, in which, it would seem, there is no life left. You can talk with her for a long time: about flowers, a cat, about a family pedigree. And then the grandmother’s apartment comes to life, because in this space everything is in its place, everything has a meaning, there is nothing superfluous and unnecessary. You want to return to it again and again.