A study of interior design elements promoting the perception of healing considering gender and age: A multi-domain approach

Identifying the design elements of interior environments that affect the perception of healing and any differences in them owing to personal aspects, such as gender and age, is important and meaningful in optimizing healing spaces for individuals. This study aimed to identify the impact of visual and spatial interior design aspects on the perception of healing, considering gender and age. Sixteen rendered images of a rest space where people can take a break from daily life were developed by combining four design elements: ceiling height (high vs. low), brightness (high vs. low), color (green vs. white), and biophilia (natural vs. artificial). A survey questionnaire was developed using a binary logit model to choose the more healing image of a given pair of images selected from the 16 images; 220 participants in their 60s and 20s completed the questionnaire. The results were as follows: (a) all four variables affected the perception of healing, with natural biophilia being the most influential; (b) women were more likely than men to choose images with a low ceiling; (c) older adults in their 60s were more likely than those in their 20s to choose images with natural biophilia; and (d) the most healing images selected were those with high brightness and natural biophilia. Using a binary logit model as an innovative research design, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the intricate multimodal interactions between interior design elements and personal aspects and meaningful insights for planning spaces that promote healing.