Stimulating colour and pattern shift from modulyss®
Neuroaesthetics gives designers a science-backed way to create interiors that feel better to be in, improving calm, focus and quality of connection. For soft flooring, it offers a powerful lens to turn carpet from a background finish into an active tool for wellbeing, inclusivity and performance.
WHAT IS NEUROAESTHETICS?
Neuroaesthetics is the study of how we respond to aesthetic experiences -things like colour, pattern, texture, light and form – and how those responses influence emotion, cognition and behaviour. In design terms, it links what we see, hear and feel in a space with improved outcomes such as lower stress levels, increased productivity, and ease of social interaction and wayfinding.
For commercial interiors, this means the specification decisions you make are not just about style, they are about how effectively a space affects the senses and thereby supports its users. Neuroaesthetic design blends psychology, neuroscience and aesthetics to deliberately trigger supportive responses such as calmness, alertness or creativity, depending on the purpose and use of the space.
Restful, organic pattern to create a calming environment
WHY SPECIFIERS SHOULD CARE
For architects and interior designers, neuroaesthetics strengthens the case for design decisions clients might otherwise see as subjective. It connects your palette, materiality and pattern choices to outcomes clients value: engagement, productivity, brand connection and wellbeing.
In workplaces and education, this alignment is increasingly expected, as organisations invest in environments that help people feel good, and thereby do their best work. In healthcare, data shows that spaces that make patients feel good improve healing rates.
Neuroaesthetics is also a powerful framework for inclusive design*, especially for neurodivergent people who may be more sensitive to sensory overload or under-stimulation.
Flooring is central to this conversation because it is everywhere: it defines zones, carries or suppresses sound, sets visual rhythm, and provides ongoing tactile feedback with every step.
Carpet delineates zones for rest and play
CARPETS THROUGH THE LENS OF NEUROAESTHETICS
Carpet is one of the most powerful levers in neuroaesthetic design. It influences multiple sensory channels simultaneously: sight, touch and sound.
- Acoustic comfort
Soft, sound-absorbing carpet tiles help create quieter, more peaceful environments, reducing cognitive load and stress compared with hard, reverberant finishes. This is particularly valuable in open-plan workplaces, education spaces and multi-residential circulation zones where unwanted noise undermines concentration and rest. - Tactile experience
Luxuriously textured carpets provide a reassuring tactile cue underfoot, which can increase users’ sense of comfort and perceived safety. Subtle shifts in texture signal transitions between focus, collaboration, and social spaces without visual clutter. - Visual pattern and rhythm
Pattern scale, directionality and contrast affect wayfinding, perceived spaciousness and arousal levels. Geometric patterns can introduce energy and structure, while more organic or biophilic patterns soften edges and support a calmer, more restorative feel. - Modular flexibility
Modular carpet tiles allow you to adjust layouts, introduce zoning and evolve a space as user needs change, all while maintaining a coherent visual narrative. This adaptability makes it easier to prototype and refine neuroaesthetic strategies over the life of a project.
Carpet texture, pattern & palette support delineation of zones, restful or more stimulating spaces, impacting the user experience of spaces
Heritage Carpets and our design and manufacturing partners bring deep expertise in these areas, combining sensory performance, durability and sustainability with a broad aesthetic range for commercial and residential projects in New Zealand.
If you are exploring how neuroaesthetics, biophilic design and inclusive sensory strategies can strengthen your next project, the Heritage Carpets team can help you align product selection or custom design with the specific wellbeing goals of your brief.
Contact us for support on your next project.
KEY REFERENCE: modulyss+1
inclusive design* – blog coming soon
