Joyful

Joy is not something extraordinary; it's woven into the fabric of our everyday environment. Design has the power to unlock it.

1. The Transformative Power of Color

Color is more than decoration; it influences how we feel and interact with spaces. In Tirana, Albania, painting run-down buildings in bright hues revitalized both the city and its residents. The mere introduction of vibrant shades created a profound psychological shift, bringing life back to dreary neighborhoods.

Colors interact with light to shape the atmosphere of a room. While dark colors absorb light and create somber settings, light or brilliant colors reflect brightness, infusing spaces with energy and happiness. It's this transformation of light and mood that makes colors such a strong catalyst for joy.

To bring joy to your own spaces, use simple strategies. Paint large surfaces, like walls and ceilings, in soft, light hues. Then, add bold, colorful accents through furniture, decorations, or wall patterns. A burst of color, like a bright yellow door, can change the entire environment, making it more inviting and uplifting.

Examples

• Tirana’s transformation into a vibrant city through colorful building facades.
• A couple’s dull home brightened by a yellow front door, which influenced the entire house's light quality.
• Using strong colors like aqua or pink in hotel interiors to create joyful public spaces.

2. Maximalism Evokes Joy, Unlike Minimalism’s Restrictions

Minimalism, with its restrained designs, often prioritizes order over joy. While purity and simplicity might be visually calming, they can feel cold and lifeless — indeed, minimalism bears historical connotations of moral superiority and exclusion.

Maximalism, on the other hand, thrives on abundance and contrast. Its vibrant aesthetic sends signals of vitality and creativity. The explosion of color, pattern, and texture in maximalist designs mimics richness and energy in nature, much like a peacock’s feathers displaying health and energy to potential mates.

Spaces embracing maximalism exude playfulness and complexity. Consider Dorothy Draper’s iconic redesign of the Greenbrier resort. Her use of wide green-and-aqua stripes with bright lighting created a setting full of life. Spaces like this energize and delight visitors in a way minimalist designs simply cannot achieve.

Examples

• Minimalism’s roots in early 20th-century ideas of "purity," tied to his disdain for ornamentation.
• Draper’s whimsical, colorful interiors at the Greenbrier resort.
• Peacock feathers as biological inspiration for maximal, joyful designs.

3. Gardens Can Offer Freedom and Joy

Designing a garden that feels alive and spontaneous is a way to evoke freedom. A well-crafted garden doesn't have to follow strict rules but can thrive on a balanced mix of wild and structured elements. The feeling of freedom in outdoor spaces mirrors the movement of natural environments.

Piet Oudolf’s garden in Hummelo demonstrates how this dynamic can work. His use of long grasses, colorful flowers, and winding paths moved away from traditional, orderly English gardens. These choices created a more vivid, immersive experience, inspiring joy and relaxation to those who roam the space.

Oudolf’s decision to embrace natural forms, allowing plants to grow freely together, introduces vitality to gardens. His non-traditional approach serves as a reminder: an over-organized garden can suffocate the very life and joy it’s meant to nurture.

Examples

• Piet Oudolf’s garden designs featuring free-growing flowers and grasses.
• Loose figure-eight pathways allowing visitors to explore playfully.
• Windswept plants that move dynamically, creating a lively, changing environment.

4. Feng Shui and the Harmony of Energy

Feng Shui often gets dismissed as superstition, but its core principles are focused on improving energy flow and harmony in spaces. Disturbances in "chi" can create tension in a room, but rearranging layouts can restore balance.

Simple Feng Shui suggestions, such as keeping entryways clutter-free, make spaces more inviting. When the flow is smooth—like a pet moving naturally around the room—it promotes calm and happiness. On the other hand, awkward layouts or heavy barriers create invisible stressors.

The significance of small adjustments is clear: Couples should ensure their bed is accessible from both sides. Not only does this encourage equality in relationships, but it also fosters feelings of connection. Feng Shui's practices aim to bring intentional joyfulness to the spaces we inhabit daily.

Examples

• Comparing an open entryway versus a cluttered, blocked home entrance.
• Inquiring how a small pet could move through a room as a test of harmony.
• Balanced bed placements promoting better relationships.

5. The Joy of Playful Design

Play unlocks creativity and joy. Gaetano Pesce’s playful furniture designs — like a sofa that mimics the New York skyline — inject lightheartedness into everyday life. By focusing on whimsical and unexpected forms, his work creates surprises that spark laughter and joy.

Playfulness has a dual effect. It directs attention toward delight but also encourages innovation, as seen in Pesce's foam-based Up 5 chair. This playful armchair, easy to decompress for shipping, was a design breakthrough. Its creativity stemmed from a willingness to step away from rigid conventions.

Adding playfulness to design helps us reconnect with childlike wonder. Homes and offices alike can benefit from fun touches that encourage not only happiness but also productivity and free thought.

Examples

• Pesce’s New York skyline-shaped sofa.
• The collapsible and comfortable Up 5 foam chair.
• Surprising decorative elements like colorful glass or irregularly shaped chairs.

6. Quirkiness Adds Personality to Design

Quirky elements inject individuality into spaces, reminding us to embrace our uniqueness. Flamingos — awkward yet beloved — illustrate how charm lies in standing out. Similar principles apply to design: small, surprising bursts of color or mischief can lighten moods and spark joy.

The Dutch Design movement took this to heart. Objects like oversized lamps or miniature tables brought humor and wonder into typical settings. These unexpected tweaks reawakened audiences to the potential of playful, idiosyncratic design.

Being quirky in your choices, whether through bold fashion or an unusual tableware set, can lift both intimate and public environments. It’s about not taking yourself too seriously while spreading cheer through creativity.

Examples

• The global appeal of flamingos—spindly yet iconic and playful.
• Enormous lamp designs from Dutch Design's colorful movement.
• Whimsy in wearing outlandish socks to a corporate meeting.

7. Awe Inspires a Sense of Joyful Transcendence

We feel awe when confronted with something vast beyond ourselves—be it nature, architecture, or even breathtaking art. This feeling not only uplifts us but also deepens our connection to a larger world.

Designs that cultivate awe — such as Grand Central Station's vast interior — reveal how joy thrives in grand scales. Awe also shifts our perspective, as researcher Yang Bai found when natural surroundings caused participants to depict themselves as smaller in their drawings, yet happier.

By engineering spaces that inspire awe, architects and designers bring joy to everyday environments. These experiences, small or magnificent, remind us to admire life’s grandeur.

Examples

• The colorful Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta’s sky-filling magic.
• Architected awe in New York’s Grand Central Station hall.
• Emotions tied to visiting massive canyons or stargazing.

8. Celebrations Are Essential for Shared Joy

Celebrations, whether weddings or impromptu gatherings, bind communities together and amplify joy. Spaces designed for such events can enhance the experience of connection. Architect David Rockwell’s Oscars redesign transformed a dull event by remapping seating to encourage interaction and energy.

Shared joy strengthens relationships and leaves lasting memories. Even in nature, animals celebrate: chimpanzees embrace and feast together when given treats. As humans, we too need these moments to reflect, recharge, and engage.

Designers can enable such experiences through flexible spaces that allow gatherings to flow naturally. From living rooms to theaters, environments that encourage celebration bring more joy.

Examples

• The redesigned Oscars seating plan boosting energy and engagement.
• Zoo chimpanzees celebrating meal events as communal joy.
• Weddings held in well-organized spaces like City Hall fostering togetherness.

9. Joy Is in the Details – Let Design Guide You

Everyday objects have the power to bring delight, as long as they break routine or embody beauty. Thoughtful details—like a uniquely shaped chair or a garden nook—add personality and charm to spaces. They teach us to find happiness in small touches.

Pay close attention to the materials, colors, and textures in your built environment. Emphasizing individuality over blandness will elevate not only a space’s functionality but also its ability to bring daily joy.

Ultimately, joy is not a far-off goal. It’s present in the shapes around us. Design can guide how willingly we embrace it.

Examples

• Chairs with organic, unusual shapes standing out in rooms.
• Redesigning entryways to create warm initial impressions.
• Gardens filled with spontaneous, plant-filled paths.

Takeaways

1. Keep a "Joy Journal" to identify uniquely joyful experiences and use these insights to curate your environment.
2. Embrace brighter colors and playful designs in your living and working spaces to uplift moods.
3. Make room for awe-inspiring and celebratory experiences in your personal and communal life.