For interior designer Danielle Walter, these four design elements provide peace and wellness
Danielle Walter of Diggs Designs starts each morning with an intentional practice—lighting a candle and enjoying its scent with her cup of coffee.
It “centers my energy for the day ahead,” says the interior designer, whose busy schedule includes preparing to move Diggs Designs’ retail shop from Augusta Street to The Village Center at Hartness. She expects to open the new location’s doors in the first quarter of this year. “The stars aligned for us,” Walter says of the upcoming move. “It’s very exciting.”
Walter uses scent—along with lighting, sound, and sight—to create calming spaces for her family and clients. She believes there are effortless ways to infuse your interiors with these wellness-focused design elements.
“Wellness is all about a state of mind, and it’s deeply influenced by the environment that surrounds us,” she says. “We’re in a world now that moves so fast, so I think we all need places where we can kind of recharge, even if it’s a corner where you can sit down with a cozy blanket, turn on a lamp, light a candle, enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, and just let go.”
Danielle Walter’s Four Design Elements
Scent
Scent, Walter believes, is one of the most powerful well-being tools and “can transport you instantly, stirring emotion, memory, and mood.” She suggests lighting a candle or using incense—Diggs Designs carries a curated selection of both—to cultivate a specific ambience. “A single scent can ground you, comfort you, and connect you to your space on a deeper level,” she says.
Lighting
Lighting can impact the “emotional tone of a room,” Walter observes. Installing dimmers on overhead fixtures and using sconces and lamps will help “create a soothing, inviting glow,” she adds. “Harsh, bright light can feel intrusive and unsettling, while dimmable, layered lighting helps calm the mind.”
Sound
“Sound has the power to make or break the mood of a space,” notes the designer. In building projects with music or meditation rooms, adding extra insulation can help make them quiet. To turn existing spaces into soothing sanctuaries, she suggests playing piano jazz on a Marshall-brand Bluetooth speaker, known for its retro aesthetic and quality sound.
Sight
Sight is “the visual poetry of a space—the colors, textures, and forms that either awaken or soothe the senses,” says Walter, adding that it “is deeply personal.”
While some people find comfort in the cocoon of color-drenched rooms, others find solace in neutral-toned spaces. “We guide our clients to discover what resonates with them,” she explains. The element can be added to existing spaces by layering a cozy blanket on a sofa, filling a beautiful vase with fresh flowers, or using hues found in nature.
Destination Shopping
It’s “destination shopping,” Walter says of what people can experience at the mixed-use Hartness community. In addition to visiting Diggs Designs, they can grab coffee at Chestnut Coffee House, lunch at The One5, and a drink at Wine House. They can also get a beauty treatment at Cork Beauty Bar or seek wellness at Brio Primary Care.
Diggs Designs’ larger space will allow the retail shop to expand its offerings to include “European antiques and hard-to-find items,” says Walter, who runs the business with her daughter, Elle.
“We’ve been shopping all over the country and acquiring pieces that are one-of-a-kind,” she says of the of the vintage chairs, rugs, lamps, original artwork, and other decor that new and existing clients will see. She will continue to offer residential and commercial design services.
For updates on Diggs Designs’ grand opening at Hartness, visit diggsdesignsllc.com and follow @diggsdesigns05. For more on The Village Center at Hartness, located at 2000 Society Street, visit hartnessliving.com and follow @hartnessliving.
