Maxine Fox

As the pressures of 21st century survival increase, it is our homes that can offer the perfect antidote.

But, in many cases, it seems that the very place we think of as a sanctuary, could be implicated in causing physical ill-health and impairment.

Holistic design consultant and complementary health therapist Maxine Fox believes the answer is to `refocus our attention on the interaction that occurs between our physical, emotional and spiritual selves and the living environment we call home’.

She explains: `The sad fact is that, despite our society enjoying a higher standard of living than an any time in our history, rather than being well off, as a nation we are chronically unwell.

`Improvements to housing and sanitation, in conjunction with the discovery of antibiotics, may have afford a temporary victory over some of the killers of yesteryear, but in the meantime we have managed to generate a whole catalogue of diseases that were simply not prevalent a few generations ago.’

Maxine, who is based in south-west London, spent many years working in family care before retraining in the field of complementary health.

In her view, the truly holistic home allows healing to manifest on all levels: the physical, the emotional and the spiritual.

And this ideal balance would provide us with a home which would:

Work to support out physical health, rather than causing us harm as many do at present

Encourage awareness and harmony within our relationships

Allow us to re-connect to our selves, to each other, and to nature.

The Physical Home:

Maxine is seriously concerned that many of the health problems manifesting today are a result of the `sudden and enormous burden of new and highly-toxic chemicals that are being unleashed into our homes and straight into our bodies’.

She explains: `Just at the very time when our lives are becoming increasingly stressful, these chemicals are impairing the normal, healthy functioning of our immune systems.’

Her solution? To reintroduce some of the old and valid ways of keeping house, re-connecting ourselves to the wisdom of our grandmothers.

Maxine suggests using essential oils to deodorize and disinfect your home, and provide natural antibacterial action where needed.

In the kitchen for instance, you can mix one or two drops of a citrus essential oil (lime, orange, grapefruit or lemon) with hot water and a dash of vegetable-based detergent to hygienically wipe down the sink, fridge or work surface. Or you could use dry baking soda as a scouring powder.

With beauty products, turning to nature is Maxine’s answer – proper nutrition, drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of sleep and relaxation, and using the food cupboard to make a wealth of products.

The Emotional Home:

Society is at last, according to Maxine, beginning to re-acknowledge the notion that emotional happiness can influence physical wellbeing.

And she suggests simple and practical changes to our living environment which can bring a wealth of difference to our lives.

Design – for those with hectic schedules, the clean lines of a simple scheme can bring reprieve from the busyness of the day. Limit the amount of contrasts within a room, choose plain finishes and keep the room uncluttered but not cold and minimalist. Use un-fussy but warm textures such as wood, cork, linoleum, sisal or wool, offset by the richness of velvet, chenille and deep pile rugs.

Colour – rooms that are colour conscious become active therapy. In terms of interior design, it is the biggest single design statement that you can make.

Sitting rooms – the most communal room in the house – colours should be warm and comforting without being overpowering

Kitchens – the freshness of green can enhance our connection with nature and bring a lightness to the room and to patterns of cooking and eating

Dining rooms – choose the colours of gold, red or orange to invite energy in. The colours of fire as your table setting can recreate the feel of the campfire

Bathrooms – if it is in any way cold or uninviting, create a soft scheme using warmer colours associated with the sea – the richness of coral, the pinks and yellow of sand or the petty opalescence of shell

Home offices/computer rooms – the brain perceives greens, blues and purples as safe to ignore, which helps to minimise the eyestrain caused by the computerised words and images

Lighting – do all you can to make full use of natural daylight available, often with good use of mirrors. Use appropriate levels of artificial lighting to prevent eye-strain but, beyond that, less is most definitely more.

The Spiritual Home:

Not only should the home provide the individual with a place in which to rest and re-fuel, it should also form a loving embrace that encompasses the entire family group.

She recommends good and flexible use of living space, taking into account the changing needs of the growing family, and even placement of furniture to encourage better interaction and involvement.

She adds: `When children are fully engaged within a harmonious and loving home, they learn they have rights and value as individuals.’

Instead of our obsession with anti-social or annoying neighbours, Maxine believes we should look at how to be better neighbours ourselves. That includes taking the trouble to get to know people around you, treating them with courtesy in terms of noise and space, taking a pride in our own property, and becoming involved in the community.

But our responsibility towards our fellow human beings far exceeds, it seems, the immediate family and community.

As inhabitants of the global village, she calls on us to:

buy and support Fairtrade products

cut our energy consumption

revise our attitude towards water use

recycle and be responsible for our waste disposal.

She concludes: `It is imperative that we recognise our collective responsibility for our home planet and the people, fauna and flora we share it with.

`Our survival depends upon it.’