The Effects of Interior Materials on the Restorativeness of Home Environments

Jing Zhao (), Yukari Nagai, Wei Gao, Tao Shen and Youming Fan
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Jing Zhao: School of Knowledge Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi 923-1292, Japan
Yukari Nagai: School of Knowledge Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi 923-1292, Japan
Wei Gao: School of Art & Design, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China
Tao Shen: College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Youming Fan: School of Information Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi 923-1292, Japan

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 14, 1-11

Abstract: The effects of a restorative environment on attention restoration and stress reduction have received much attention in societies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interior materials are a crucial environmental element influencing people’s perceived restorativeness at home. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the links between interior materials and the restorativeness of home environments. To address this gap, this study aimed to investigate the restorative potential of interior materials among a sample of adults in China. Cross-sectional data from 85 participants whose professional majors were related to interior design were selected. The measures of the restorative potential of each interior material were obtained by a questionnaire adapted from the semantic differential method. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the restorative potential of interior materials. We found that glass material had the best restorative potential in home environments. Doubts were raised regarding wood material’s restorativeness, and more consideration should be granted for designing a restorative home with wood material. In contrast, metal is not recommended for restorative home design. These findings contribute to the evidence of the restorative effects of home design.

Keywords: restorative environment; interior material; Attention Restoration Theory (ART); restorative factor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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