The panel at Science in Design’s event: Kozhukh-Joo, Lillo, Lumpkin, Wilson and Science in Design founder Mike Peterson.
During the recent When Design Heals: How Interior Design Shapes Health symposium, held during the recent High Point Market, industry leaders and certified practitioners gathered to explore how interior design is increasingly being recognized not just for style, but for wellness.
Moderated by Andrea Lillo, executive editor of Designers Today, the panel featured three designers who hold certification from Science in Design: Laksmi Lucky Lumpkin of Laksmi Interior Designs, Gabrielle Kozhukh‑Joo of Mindwell Design and Stancil Wilson of Stancil Creative Group.
The panel focused on how science-backed design strategies, grounded in neuroaesthetics, biophilia, lighting, materials and spatial behavior, are translating into real-world client projects that aim to improve health and well-being.
The message they want to send is that designing for wellness is not a fleeting trend, but an emerging standard. As Kozhukh-Joo put it, “No one thinks health is a trend, it’s not a trend … This science-backed design strategy should be standard for interior design, and it will be.”
Turning strategy into practice
The panelists recounted how they have incorporated evidence-based design tools and processes into workflows and client engagements.
Wilson spoke about how his certification with Science in Design helped embed wellness as a core value for his firm.
“It gave me the power to become a science nerd … Science in design is now part of our company’s DNA. We are up to 11 people on the staff and are making double the money.”
But he admitted that direct measurement of outcomes can be a challenge.
“We get most of our feedback from people later … they come back as return clients. We have also won several awards which helps us to keep improving.”
Lumpkin described her rigorous onboarding and follow-up process. Her team asks clients not just what they want their space to “look like,” but how they intend to use it, especially for sensitive needs.
“For example, with a kitchen we will ask basic questions about baking, cooking and then get down to the nitty-gritty … I designed a kitchen for a woman undergoing a double lung transplant who couldn’t be around dust and needed to be surrounded by healing, soothing colors,” she said.
Kozhukh-Joo underscored that the industry needs standardized tools for measuring neuroaesthetic impact.
“Right now, lacking in the industry is a standardized process for neuroaesthetics. We need to factor these things into design and have something to measure on … We are working on getting Google reviews and referrals to make it more of a standardized process.”
Readying for the client conversation
When clients initially approach a designer, they may express a desire for “health,” but panelists said they often don’t have a clear vision of what that means.
Kozhukh-Joo explained that many of her firm’s clients, including busy professionals, young families and retirees, are now defining health as a priority.
“More people are realizing health is wealth,” she added. “Our clients want health in their life, but they often don’t know what that means. We work with their energy and then focus on neuroaesthetics and biophilia.”
Lumpkin added that for the process to really serve the client, the designer must dig deeper than surface aesthetics.
“My method has been from a loving place. What can we do to make this family happier in this environment?” she said. “The space should mirror the client’s mindset and lifestyle,” Kozhukh-Joo added. “We communicate that to them and get deeper into their lifestyle and who they want their future selves to become.”
The panel also shared adoption-tips: steer clear of jargon when talking to clients; avoid overselling the science; and focus on what the client actually lives and breathes daily.
Wilson shared a story where a client walked into a space thinking that lighting was on the bottom of the list. But the designer educated the client on the fact that different zones of lighting, natural light direction and light fluctuations matter as much as thermostat comfort.
“Lighting is the most important … people don’t notice it unless it’s bad,” added Wilson.
Beyond aesthetics: tools, patterns and process
The panelists shared specific tools and design elements that underscored the science backing their work. Among them:
Fractal patterning: Patterns found in nature, incorporated into surfaces, coatings or window treatments, can help create calming environments. For example, in one project students improved performance when fractal window stickers interrupted blank white walls.
Golden ratio/spatial layering: Wilson described using the golden mean in dimensions of walls, ceiling heights or carpet patterns.
“These are subtle cues that can influence how a space feels and functions,” he said.
Neuroaesthetic onboarding: Clients at Kozhukh-Joo’s firm answer detailed questionnaires and receive short mindset-recording exercises.
“We offer them a 3-to-5-minute visualization so they can see our whole vision before design begins, and we do this again before we hand-over the space,” Kozhukh-Joo said.
Materiality and embodied memory: Designers drew on clients’ memories and sensory cues. They asked questions about how they relax, move about and recall childhood spaces.
Kozhukh-Joo said she had a client who grew up on a farm in Ontario, Canada. “We brought in two of those decorative Mongolian wool sheep pillows,” she said. “He can now relax at home, and it reminds him of life on the farm.” She said the memory became a grounding element of the space.
Business implications and industry shift
The panelists stressed that talking about health and wellness in interiors is not about luxury alone. It also aligns with broader market shifts and client demands.
When asked about cost or budget concerns, Wilson took a firm stance, “Don’t say it’s expensive. It’s your health for crying out loud,” he said.
He said that once a client understands the true value, not just a sofa or table, but air quality, well-being, memory, they often move forward without cost being the top issue.
However, the panel did acknowledge barriers such as builders, contractors and some commercial specifiers not understanding wellness-driven design.
“There is a lack of education across multiple disciplines including builders, architects and engineers about how to operate or maintain it,” said Lumpkin. She urged more cross-industry education and broader conversations so that wellness-informed design becomes part of standard protocol, not a niche.
Looking ahead
The takeaway is that interior design’s role in health is emerging as a discipline grounded in research, not just aesthetics.
Lumpkin said that what is now pushing people out of their comfort zone may soon become simply how interior design is done.
“In the same way that LEED revolutionized sustainability, wellness-driven, science-informed design could become the next standard in interior architecture and high-end residential interiors,” Kozhukh-Joo added.
The panelists believe designers should build for how people really live — and choose materials, lighting and patterns that are informed by how humans respond, neurologically and emotionally.
