How to Decorate According to Your Ayurvedic Mind-Body Type

When it comes to decorating, you might consider color and trends to style your home—but what about your dosha? According to holistic designers, using Ayurveda in your living space won’t just balance it out aesthetically, it will also impact your overall physical and mental health.

Allow us to explain: Ayurveda is a healing system that originated in India about 5,000 years ago. In Sanskrit, the word means the “science of life”—essentially, it’s a system that believes that health is affected by mind, body, and spirit, explains holistic designer Ezz Wilson. It’s all about creating balance and good health in the body. Your dosha, or mind-body type, is a balance of five elements (air, water, space, fire, and earth). There are three main doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. 

The goal of Ayurveda practices is to help balance out your dosha. This can mean eating certain foods or doing specific exercises, but you can also achieve this through the way you design your living space. “Our homes are the one environment we can control,” says mind-set coach and author Jenn Stevens. “Ensuring that they’re designed with our unique requirements in mind is just another form of self-care.” Find out what your dosha is by taking this quiz, and learn how that can affect how you style your space.

If You’re a Vata Type

“Vatas have a lot of air energy. They love change and spontaneity, so they might be prone to constantly rearranging and spending their money a little too freely on new homeware,” says Wilson. Because Vatas tend to have a lot of mental clutter, she recommends keeping your home neat and tidy. She also suggests using a color palette of white and calm earth tones, in addition to warm metals like brass and gold—but steer clear of bright reds and overly stimulating patterns. 

When the temperature lowers outside, you may want to pick up a few cozy items to keep things nice and warm. “Add some thick, knitted throws so you don’t get chilly, and light beeswax candles to take a moment to slow things down,” Wilson says. “You may also want to get a record player to play some mellow music and have that be a part of your winding-down ritual in the evening.”

If You’re a Pitta Type

According to Stevens, Pittas are energetic and ambitious because they’re a combination of fire and water elements—but if they’re not careful, they can become unbalanced and feel angry or prideful. “Pittas need design elements that calm their warm and fast systems,” she says. “A cool palette of blues, greens, and grays is ideal.” Plants and silver accents are also helpful—and try to avoid warm colors that will only stoke Pitta’s intense nature even more. 

Good news: Pittas are known to be incredibly organized. Bad news: They tend to work—a lot. “You want to create a space where you can relax and cool down,” Wilson adds. She recommends scenting your home with floral essential oils like geranium and ylang-ylang when you’re feeling a little too warm and incorporating breathable natural fabrics like cotton and linen. Metal furniture can also lend a much-needed chill touch.

If You’re a Kapha Type

While Kaphas are known to be steady and calm, they can also be sloth-like if they don’t get enough stimulation from their environments. “Kaphas are a combination of water and earth elements,” says Stevens. “That translates into a tendency toward sluggishness and depression.” Fiery colors such as red and orange, warm accessories like woolly blankets, and copper and gold accents provide just the spark you need—avoid neutral interiors at all costs.

Because Kaphas are prone to sleeping any chance they get, Wilson recommends a bit of mindfulness when designing lounge areas. “I’d suggest getting a sofa in a warm, cheerful color that you love and not creating too much of a dark cave or womb-like environment,” she says. An ample amount of natural light also helps.

Now maybe you’d also like to consider what your Myers-Briggs type has to say…

See more feel-good ways to decorate: How to Give Your Space Good Vibes, According to an Energy Healer This Design Advice Will Make You Feel Good 24-7 I Used Holistic Design to Make My Home Feel Just Right