Kitchen & Bath Business January/February 2023 - 22

WELLNE S S
MO VEMENT
Safe and Sound
The undeniable power of music in a sanctuary home
AS AN AVID MUSIC LOVER and a classical fl utist
and guitarist, I understand intuitively how transformative
music can be. Not only did I perform
consistently through college and still play fl ute
and guitar today, I am married to a brilliant music
composer and multi-instrumentalist, so music
has a prominent daily presence in our home.
As a sanctuary-led interior designer, I always
design with music at the forefront of my conceptual
work. Whether a musician or an afi cionado,
each of us is infl uenced by our powerful sense of
sound, and as such, music is an essential component
of what we at Finding Sanctuary call our
Sanctuary Toolbox.
GETTING IN TUNE
When we are creating a home or hospitality
space, we prioritize how music will enter it and
design with the intention of music being present.
Whether the room is intended for social gatherings
where the goal is to connect with one another
like in a kitchen or private spaces like bathrooms
for peaceful reflection, audio options must be
present to enable a sanctuary mindset to thrive.
Music can be powerful even in solitude to process
emotions, smooth our frazzled edges or enliven
our spirits if needed - all this works toward fostering our inner equilibrium.
Refl ecting on how we feel and fi nding music that speaks to that feeling
can help many of us assess our emotions in new ways or allow us to lean
into those emotions in the present so we can work through them with
more clarity. Th ere's a scientifi c basis for this seemingly spiritual shift music
creates in us; countless studies show proven benefi ts from listening to music
such as an expanded feeling of cohesion and social connectedness, lowered
anxiety, decreased fatigue and even pain management. When we design a
sanctuary home for any of our clients, we embrace the undeniable infl uence
of music to each home.
BELOWKahn and her team
designed this recording
room paying close attention
to acoustics. The ceiling is
made up of staggered wood
pillars to interrupt sound wave
fl ow, the wood fl ooring is
covered by a soft rug, and the
wallcoverings are grass cloth.
Photo credit: Wanderlust
Photography LLC
A PROJECT IN HARMONY
As seen in this image of a residence we designed in partnership with Alair
Homes we called Organic Beauty, we created a special sanctuary space for
this wonderful audiophile family. Working closely with the sound design
team, we spent a great deal of focused time designing fi rst the layout of the
room and then the selection of materials to allow for acoustic excellence in
the listening experience.
It was our objective to ensure that our creative choices blended seamlessly
with the dynamic intention of the room. While not a large space, it
was purposely designed in a clean manner so that the materials selected
would only complement our client's use for rehearsing and recording live
music. For example, we worked with the sound design team to create a
unique ceiling treatment; the 2 by 2 staggered wood pillars that served to
interrupt the fl ow of the soundwaves in the air. We also selected natural
wood fl ooring with a soft rug (i.e., no polished stone surfaces that would
interfere with recording sounds), grass cloth acoustical wallcoverings, soft
window treatments and a sofa in soft fabric to provide sound-absorbing
eff ects to the space. Th e listening room had a natural but muted liveness
acoustically but without the bright resonance typical for that size of room.
Following this project, we realized we could apply many of these design
choices and principles to rooms throughout the house, including kitchens
and baths, enhancing the listening atmosphere in both communal and
private spaces.
We are such proponents of music as a conduit to sanctuary living that
our fi rm is today providing pro-bono design services to a wonderful music
non-profi t called the Southwest Florida Music Education Center, a worldclass
music education center that provides a holistic learning experience
for neurodivergent young adults. As music can enable a sanctuary mindset,
our goal is to create a physical space where music can thrive for the next
generation of musicians.
So let the music play!
By Lisa Kahn, CEO, founder and chief design officer, Finding Sanctuary by
Lisa Kahn Designs, lisakahndesigns.com

22
/ JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023
Kitchen & Bath Business January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business January/February 2023
