Episode 123
Jamie Gold:
Wellness by Design: How to Design a Home That Supports Your Health
In this episode I am joined by Jamie Gold, a wellness design expert and author of "Wellness by Design."
Jamie, a certified kitchen specialist, aging in place specialist, and Mayo Clinic certified wellness coach, shares her insights on how home design can support health and nurture well-being, especially for those dealing with autoimmunity.
First Aired on: Jan 22, 2024
Episode 123
Jamie Gold:
Wellness by Design: How to Design a Home That Supports Your Health
In this episode I am joined by Jamie Gold, a wellness design expert and author of "Wellness by Design."
Jamie, a certified kitchen specialist, aging in place specialist, and Mayo Clinic certified wellness coach, shares her insights on how home design can support health and nurture well-being, especially for those dealing with autoimmunity.
First Aired on: Jan 22, 2024
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
Home Design’s Role in Health:
- Importance of making homes a haven for health, whether through new construction or small changes.
- Jamie’s passion for wellness and design, and how these intersect in her work.
Jamie Gold’s Background:
- Her journey into wellness design, inspired by her grandmother’s needs.
- Experience in working with various demographics, including retired veterans and the elderly.
Health Impact of Home Elements:
- The potential toxicities in home materials, like PVC blinds.
- Comparisons between the food system and home building materials.
- The importance of indoor air quality and the use of non-toxic materials.
Home Modifications for Specific Needs:
- Aging in place design: Adapting homes for the elderly.
- Choosing low maintenance and durable materials for ease and health.
- The value of personalized design based on individual needs and lifestyles.
Technology in Wellness Design:
- Benefits of technology for health monitoring and ease of living.
- Balancing the convenience of smart homes with health considerations.
Multigenerational Living:
- The health benefits of living with multiple generations under one roof.
- How multigenerational living supports emotional and physical wellness.
Advice for Homeowners:
- Jamie’s recommendations on choosing the right materials and design for your home.
- The importance of making one change at a time for a healthier living environment.
Other Resources:
Connect with Jamie Gold
Episode Transcript
Julie Michelson: Welcome back to the inspired living with autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michelson. And today we're joined by Jamie Gold, wellness design expert and author of wellness by design. Jamie is a certified kitchen specialist, certified aging in place specialist, and Mayo Clinic certified wellness coach.
Julie Michelson: In today's conversation, we are talking about how your home can support your health and nurture you to increase your resilience and well being. Jamie shares how we can make [Page//00:01:00] choices that make our home a haven, whether we're building something new or making small changes in our current space.
Julie Michelson: Jamie, welcome to the podcast.
Jamie Gold: Thank you so much. I'm so glad to be here.
Julie Michelson: I am so excited for this conversation. I have a kind of secret passion about building and design. I shared before I hit record, I've, I've built the last four homes I've lived in each time. The last three times it's been like, this is my forever home. Um, and my mother lives next door. I helped design and build her home as well.
Julie Michelson: So it is, it's a passion of mine and clearly wellness is a passion of mine. So I just was so excited to when you said yes, you would be on the podcast because it's such an important subject and so much of what I do with my clients. Most people think they're coming to me for like, you know, support me with food.
Julie Michelson: And I'm like, yeah, okay. And [Page//00:02:00] And and you know, you are the really one of the first people I've heard talking about, you know, our home impacts our health. I mean, we we all know it and we may go at it in different ways, but with your design background and then having the wellness piece as well. Um, that's why I'm excited to have you here.
Julie Michelson: Can you share a little bit about how did you design, you know, how did you kind of marry the two? When, how did you get, get into the field?
Jamie Gold: Well, I always loved design and I come from a family that loves design and I've always sensed that there was that connection and what really drove it home for me was my grandmother and she was pretty much stuck where she was because she was in the only apartment near my parents that had a step in shower. Being an older woman, she was concerned about falling, getting in and out of a tub [Page//00:03:00] every day. So I realized that is really an important issue because falls could be so hazardous to, to anyone really, but especially to an older person and that was what kind of clued me into the need for design for aging in place.
Jamie Gold: And so I focused on that fairly early in my design career and became a certified aging in place specialist and have worked with retired veterans and little old ladies in condos and, and I love that piece of it because it brings me back to her. It makes me feel that I'm helping others. other people's grandparents too.
Jamie Gold: So that was my introduction to it. But then my first job in design, I worked at a Home Depot and the kitchen and bath department was right next to the decor department. And that's where they made all of the, uh, window coverings, like the, the, the shades and the blinds [Page//00:04:00] and, and they would be so I realized how toxic that was because people would get migraines being in or near that when they were cutting those PVC blinds. And so that was part of my awakening to healthy elements in your home and what you might want to have what you might want to exclude. The
Julie Michelson: which is so important. And I, you know, as I said, I spend so much time talking about that, um, that, and it's not even really my job. I mean, it kind of is. But I, I just, it's kind of the same as the food system, you know, when you really look at what is in what we call food in this country. I'm talking about processed food.
Julie Michelson: Well, and even not processed if it's animals not raised right or, you know, produce sprayed with, with chemicals, but it, it is the same. And I hear balance coming from you, which is good, [Page//00:05:00] because as we start to learn and realize what's in our building products, what's in our decor items, what's it can get over when it's like, wow, well, am I better off outside?
Julie Michelson: You know, should I live in a tent? Like, what is the.
Jamie Gold: says you are. The EPA says indoor air could be five times more toxic than outdoor
Julie Michelson: and I see and I've seen even higher numbers. So yeah, I encourage people to open their windows or, you know, open a door for an hour a day to like, make sure you get that air moving.
Jamie Gold: And outside if you can.
Julie Michelson: Well, that's ideal too. And it doesn't even have to be in an or so. I love that. That evolution of. You know, the aging in place, and then you realize like, wow, were you, I'm just curious, were you one of the people that was being affected by just kind of that off gassing going on near you in
Jamie Gold: give me, it would give me headaches. Absolutely.
Julie Michelson: Yeah.
Jamie Gold: Now, when I was shopping for a new guest room, uh, bed [Page//00:06:00] recently, mattress, I walked into one mattress store and the fumes were so intense, I walked out. I don't want that in my guest room. I specifically chose a brand with an organic mattress, a non toxic.
Jamie Gold: Same with the bedding, because I don't want that in my bedroom. I don't want that for my guests either.
Julie Michelson: I love that you mentioned that specifically, and, and I want, I, we'll jump in and we'll reverse engineer because I get excited about tips. And there is no perfect and, and so, and I just mentioned it can be overwhelming, but I, I really do believe even focusing on, you know, one change at a time and prioritizing,
Jamie Gold: Mm hmm.
Julie Michelson: it can really make a big impact and you're bad. It's huge. I mean, hopefully you're spending a lot of hours a night on it. Um, and so I love that, that you, I always tell people when we're talking about like [Page//00:07:00] household products and I'll start with detergent because every, you know, you're sleeping on it, you're drying with it. Like it's touching everything you touch
Jamie Gold: hmm. You're breathing that when you sleep, especially. Uh
Julie Michelson: Yeah, so I love that, that you, that, you know, specifically we're referring to because we don't think about that. And, and I'm this, I'm very sensitive to fragrance and chemical smells. And so I, you know, I am that person that sometimes gets a little hit in the face when I go into certain stores or,
Jamie Gold: Oh gosh, perfume departments,
Julie Michelson: Yeah.
Jamie Gold: casino, smoke, I mean, just walking into that mattress store was shocking to me. Yeah,
Julie Michelson: Because this is, I mean, that's 90 plus percent of the people that walk in there are going to buy a mattress and go, you know, and sleep on it for years. So,
Jamie Gold: exactly.
Julie Michelson: Yeah, [Page//00:08:00] I, so I know you do nude design for new construction as well as remodels. Um,
Jamie Gold: on both and right now I'm only consulting rather than doing project management because I do so much writing and speaking. You can't. Unless you have a big team, and that's something I don't want to have. You can't manage someone's project if you're, you know, on the road, if you're focused on other projects.
Jamie Gold: So now, I'll do consultations, but I like spreading information this way. I like, you know, speaking to people who come to you because they know that you're interested, and you bring in guests, and you're sharing insights. That's one of my favorite ways to share information.
Julie Michelson: Well, I think it's how we make an impact right and so that's,
Jamie Gold: Being ambassadors,
Julie Michelson: Yeah, that's why we have the conversations. So it is, it's amazing. Um, so is there [Page//00:09:00] that like a million and one questions again, because this is such a, like a pet subject of mine too, um, but talking about thinking about the, the, the autoimmune audience, right?
Julie Michelson: So we're, we're inflamed and, you know, the ones who haven't started working with me yet, then we get better. But if we're thinking of toxic exposure, um, and also. Just, you know, having your home be supportive. Um, I know that, that you address, you know, people living with chronic pain and, and things that you can do in the house to, to.
Julie Michelson: ease some of that. Um, so is there a high priority, either room or, you know, how, how do you even approach if somebody has never even thought about this before?
Jamie Gold: I find out what their biggest concern is and where they spend the most time. What's their high priority room? Because that could be [Page//00:10:00] different for you or me or that person. And so each approach should be individualized for that person's how they live. Mm-Hmm.
Julie Michelson: I love that. That makes perfect sense. Just like Yeah. Just like the healing journey has to be
Jamie Gold: Well, right, exactly. You talk about food, an organic apple is going to cost more than a regular apple. And what are you getting for that? And what are you giving up with that? It's extra expenditure will magnify that from the apple to materials for your home. And what's important, how long will you be there?
Jamie Gold: How will you be using? Is this a high priority space for you? How sensitive are you? Do you, if you're going to do a remodel, do you have a place that you could stay where you're not exposed to things during the construction part of it? There's so many factors involved. It's definitely not a 1 size fits all.
Jamie Gold: I
Julie Michelson: Yeah, that's, that's [Page//00:11:00] good advice. And, and it is, it's a way, I'm sure it's the same thing, right? There's the framework, but then it's, you know, what is your priority in, in your life? Um, I want to circle back to your story a little bit, um, and I want to talk about your book Wellness by Design, um, because I, I feel like it probably didn't feel like good timing at the, but the timing of you writing the book, the book coming out, um, and then the beautiful addition that you've made with the new chapter post, post, if we can even say post COVID, I don't know, but
Jamie Gold: post pandemic,
Julie Michelson: Post pandemic?
Jamie Gold: think we'll ever be
Julie Michelson: Post, post lockdown? Post
Jamie Gold: post lockdown. Right. And the book, the book was scheduled to, the book went to press right before the lockdowns. I didn't know, my editors didn't know, my publishers didn't know that that was going to happen. And it [Page//00:12:00] shifted the publishing schedule for thousands of books across the country, probably across the world.
Julie Michelson: Sure.
Jamie Gold: So much of what I had in there became relevant. For example, creating a healthy work from home space. How many millions of Americans started to work from home? Creating study areas, which became great when people were teaching their kids at home. You know, kids were online at that time. A whole chapter on technology.
Jamie Gold: Uh, things about the importance of indoor air quality and reducing germ spread. I didn't know we were going to have a pandemic, but those all proved to be pretty darn helpful.
Julie Michelson: Well, and it's interesting, I think that people's experience through COVID, either they got healthier Or less healthy and it's the same things that we do to to improve health and stay healthy became really evident and important and people maybe that weren't paying attention [Page//00:13:00] or buying in now realize like, oh, this is this is real.
Julie Michelson: Um, yeah,
Jamie Gold: there were all these extra stresses that people have in their life. They might suddenly have a vulnerable family member living with them. They might suddenly have two people working from home and their kids studying from home. So whatever they could do to reduce their home stress. at that crucial time was going to be helpful too.
Jamie Gold: So, you know, for all those people who had, uh, surfaces that required extra care, well, that was an extra stress as well. And I'm a big fan of low maintenance things, whether it's my hair. Or my countertops. I want, I want low maintenance life. I don't want to be working and fussing about things that I think just should take care of themselves, basically.
Jamie Gold: I'll clean you and, you know, I'll go keep you from being damaged. But I don't want to be polishing countertops. I don't want to be [Page//00:14:00] wiping fingerprints lacquer vanity, you know. Every time I look at it. So for me, the five facets of wellness design include functionality, which includes low maintenance and durability.
Jamie Gold: Things that will last and make your life easier. And I think that was especially helpful for people who had that during COVID, but it's always helpful. When
Julie Michelson: is always helpful.
Jamie Gold: in our lives, right?
Julie Michelson: Yeah. We have enough. I, I always, anywhere where you can reduce it. Um, so what is your, one of your favorite countertop materials?
Jamie Gold: I love engineered stone, which would be a lot of people call them course engineered course, Silestone, Cambria, Caesar stone, Zodiac. Those are all basically the same material. With different brand names, Coke versus Pepsi,
Julie Michelson: Right.
Jamie Gold: they're all essentially the same, but you never have to seal them. You never have to polish them.
Jamie Gold: They're [Page//00:15:00] stain resistant, heat resistant, and then there are some hybrids that are combination of different materials that also make them extremely durable and low maintenance and there are porcelains. When you think of tile countertops, you're probably picturing your grandmother's or your grandfather's house The little, exactly the dirty grout.
Jamie Gold: There's porcelain slab that could be this whole huge surface that looks whatever you want it to look like. Whether it's distressed copper or marble, but it doesn't have any of those maintenance properties to them. And they can go indoors or outdoors. They're frosted.
Julie Michelson: I've always loved the look of a marble counter. Now with the manufactured stuff, you can get, I would never put a marble countertop in a kitchen. I think it's only good for show kitchens where you don't actually cook. Perfect. And I don't recommend that. I actually recommend everybody could.[Page//00:16:00]
Julie Michelson: So, um, I love that. I just, I just, but I, I really, I love that is amazing advice for, you know, that really considering how low maintenance, something can still be beautiful and high end and make you happy.
Jamie Gold: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: And be low maintenance. So I, I think that that's really smart. Any little steps in the day. I had a client ask me today, do you diffuse your hair every day?
Julie Michelson: I said, no, I get out of the shower and I do that. And
Jamie Gold: I'm a wash and go
Julie Michelson: yeah, I don't have time for that. It's not where I choose to put my energy.
Jamie Gold: Do you want to spend an hour on your hair? Or do you want to spend an hour on a hike? Or a game? Or a coffee with friends? Or a walk? And that's how I look at life.
Julie Michelson: Yeah, I love that. That's a, that's amazing. I want to ask, I'm going to take a turn, um, because I, I [Page//00:17:00] think it ties all the way back into your inspiration from your grandmother. I want to talk about the, the health benefits of multigenerational living. Cause I feel like, and I, you'll tell us maybe if it's, if it's kind of coming, you know, it really had fizzled way less people are experiencing it or were.
Julie Michelson: Before COVID, then say 20, 30 years ago, um, I grew up with a lot of people whose grandparents lived in the same house as them and the aunt and uncle live next door. And, um,
Jamie Gold: it. Same.
Julie Michelson: it's a, it just, it seems like that's something that, that became less common and I think has had a negative impact on just family wellness.
Julie Michelson: All of it, is it, is it coming back more since COVID?
Jamie Gold: becoming more mainstream, but it's always been there in a lot of the ethnic communities that I've worked with and lived [Page//00:18:00] around. Growing up in New York City, it was pretty common. You know,
Julie Michelson: I grew up in New Jersey.
Jamie Gold: our Italian neighbors, our Jewish neighbors all had grandparents living in the same house.
Jamie Gold: My grandmother has lived with us on and off, and I had two grandmothers, and the one that I was closest with was the one who shared our home, and she was my buddy and an ally. And I think that there is that benefit of emotional closeness, as well as passing along the family traditions. And then you talk about the, some of the more concrete benefits.
Jamie Gold: If you have an older family member at home, and they need care, you're closer and able to provide it more easily. Or if you have childcare needs, and you have an older family member, well that's one more adult who can help. And of course, every family has to work out its arrangements. And that should all be done before someone, you know,
Julie Michelson: Needs [Page//00:19:00] it. Right.
Jamie Gold: the responsibility? What's the privacy? What's the expectation? All of that. But that benefit of sharing the family, the cultural heritage, for example. Sharing all those recipes. You know, that my mom got from her grandmother, for example, and the closeness, the allyship and the caregiving that could be reciprocal.
Jamie Gold: Even to the point of one of the trends that's been really big in California and it's spreading is the, um, the ADU, the accessory dwelling unit, what we used to call granny flats. And. That has become a big trend, and sometimes it's the grandparents moving out of the home that they raise their children in and moving into a granny flat on the property, so they have their own space, their own entrance, their own privacy, but they're close by, so there's caregiving both ways.
Jamie Gold: And of course, adding that extra home to the property [Page//00:20:00] adds value, and we know there's this huge housing shortage, so it certainly helps with that. And it helps the younger couple and their children have a place to live in an established neighborhood. So it's, it's benefits all around. It really
Julie Michelson: that. And zoning wise, is it encouraged? I know like where I live. Okay, good.
Jamie Gold: You know, now they're doing things that go beyond just a single granny flat, and there's some certain pushback against that, but if you have a house and you have a yard and you could put a, you know, a one or two bedroom, uh, little outbuilding there, that's, that's a benefit for everyone, for the older generation, the younger generation, even the neighborhood in a way.
Julie Michelson: Yeah, I think it's beautiful. I, I are my multi generational situation is, is I'm laughing because I'm looking at I guess what Kind of could be considered a granny flat, [Page//00:21:00] except my mom's house is bigger than mine, because this was my downsize. Um, but it, it really was that, you know, she was living in Arizona.
Julie Michelson: I was living in Colorado, single mom, three kids. And anytime she needed extra something, if something happened, I had to go to Arizona. And so, um, for us, it just worked out. And my mom is young and vibrant. It worked out better that. We'd get big property. She have her house, but as we're right there, you know, she,
Jamie Gold: I think it's ideal.
Julie Michelson: yep, wasn't feeling well yesterday.
Julie Michelson: I was able to pop over between clients and, you know, just make sure she was all right and bring her some soup. So it's, I can, I can understand. You know, all of the immense benefits and especially when families are having younger kids, you know, I watched it with my friends, you know, um, it was, it was just great.
Julie Michelson: My grandparents always lived in another state. And so I always was kind of [Page//00:22:00] a little jealous of my friends that had their grandparents living right there,
Jamie Gold: No, I've had neighbors who would have the parents come in from other countries, like the Philippines is a big one, or India. And they would stay with them for months at a time. So that's pretty common in a lot of cultures. And I've even designed, I've worked on homes where there are two primary suites, one for the older couple, and one for the, you know, the main.
Jamie Gold: Uh, couple and the older couple would have their own kitchenette in that area.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Yeah. It's a great idea. And, and autoimmune, you know, specific for, I'm thinking back to when I was a single mom. Um, and that was when I was at my sickest when I was young. I mean, I still am technically a single mom, but my kids are adults. So it's not, it's a little different, but when they were little and busy and I was Fatigued and in pain [Page//00:23:00] and, you know, really working hard just to function through the day to have, you know, if I had had a, you know, a parent living somebody who could just at least part time help out would have been amazing, you know, and what value for the kids to, you know, to have had that.
Julie Michelson: So I think that that's a, it's a, it's a piece that, that. It has been, it's just become less common, and I love that it's getting more common again. Um, for, for different reasons, you know, in addition to just culturally, if that's what we're used to.
Jamie Gold: Culturally, care wise, just the whole housing shortage, uh, issue. That's why I wanted to include that as one of the five themes in the bonus chapter. Because I see the wellness benefits of multi generational living. I mean, I knew the grandmother who lived with us. I really barely knew the one who was [Page//00:24:00] in a nursing home.
Jamie Gold: I mean, that was just a huge study in contrast right there.
Julie Michelson: right. Right. Well, it makes sense. So I love that. You know, you're a good part of your career has been not only the multi generational but also just allowing seniors creating spaces for them so they could stay in their homes and not need to go to a facility. So I think that that's it's a real gift.
Julie Michelson: Um, I want to Talk a little bit about all the things, but I want to shift to technology because, um, you know, I was, as I was confessing with this last house that I built, some of the things that I wanted to do for, that I thought were supportive for my health. that are supportive for my health. The builders kind of thought like I was a lunatic because it's just not how they're doing things,
Jamie Gold: Uh huh. They better adapt because it really is every survey that [Page//00:25:00] I, every industry survey that I, that I come across that people are savvy to the fact that their homes have an impact on their health.
Julie Michelson: But because we're having conversations.
Jamie Gold: the book.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie Gold: just, it is now though,
Julie Michelson: No, it's, it's
Jamie Gold: glad about that.
Julie Michelson: It's wonderful. It's, it is. So I, I look at, um, I went to visit my best friend last year who lives in this beautiful condo by the ocean and she was talking to all of her electric, you know, not, I was like, Oh my gosh, like I, my, I have a dumb home.
Julie Michelson: I intentionally built a dumb home and I probably didn't need to. Like, I'm, you know, could have done things a little differently, um, shut my Wi Fi down at night, you know, just, I take extra steps and I know I'm, I go sometimes beyond, um, these are things I needed to do to support my [Page//00:26:00] resilience as I was healing that are now just habits, that's fine.
Julie Michelson: Um, but what is that balance between, because technology can make life easier, so
Jamie Gold: It can, and it can make life healthier.
Julie Michelson: healthier? Thank you.
Jamie Gold: Well, let's take indoor air quality. There are different monitors that can let you know if there's an issue. People don't think much about radon because it's, it doesn't have a smell to it. You can't see it, you can't smell it. It's the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke.
Julie Michelson: I didn't know that. Wow.
Jamie Gold: detector.
Jamie Gold: Is technology, it can save your life. There are other, uh, technology systems that tie into, uh, indoor air quality. One that I particularly like is cooktops that sink with the ventilation hood.[Page//00:27:00]
Julie Michelson: Oh,
Jamie Gold: So that if you're cooking something. It knows what it is, and it adjusts to the right performance level, and that works with induction cooktops, which are great technology, in my opinion, especially compared to gas, which can negatively impact your indoor air quality.
Jamie Gold: So that would be an example. Then there's leak detectors. That will let you know if a pipe is leaking slowly or a hose or something along that line, and maybe you're not seeing it, but it's creating an unhealthy mold issue, or insurance claim down the line, which is emotional stress and financial stress.
Jamie Gold: So things like that, and there's, there's all kinds of technology to let you know that there's an issue with your home, or there's caregiving remote technology as well. If your mom were still living a state away.
Julie Michelson: Yep.
Jamie Gold: You could have technology in her home that lets you know, if there's a problem,[Page//00:28:00]
Julie Michelson: I like that. And, uh, and, and that's getting better and better and better. Although I did, I spoke to a client yesterday who, who told me her, I think she has an Apple watch or something and I could hear it. Somebody was talking to her while I and she's confessed. I don't know. It's my watch is saying it keeps thinking I fell down hard.
Julie Michelson: And I haven't fallen down, and I'm like, well, I guess better than ignoring a fall, you know, this is, um, but, but the, that's a, I think that's an area where technology is, is changing health, especially for the aging, um. community, like really greatly. And, and that stress level on loved ones who at least feel like, okay, if something happens, I'll know, right?
Julie Michelson: Because even if my mom lives next door, God forbid, you know, she fell and couldn't get to the, something happened. You know, I would notice if I [Page//00:29:00] hadn't seen her in a while, but, um, so I like to see that's where I know I can be very, you know, close minded and I know there are positives because you wouldn't talk about it if there weren't positives.
Jamie Gold: And even this technology that allows people to visit with each other without being there. I've done seminars this way, and
Julie Michelson: Yeah,
Jamie Gold: I've attended a baby shower. No, it was a baby shower. And a bat mitzvah and a celebration of life and goodness of fitness training. In fact, my, my workout buddy moved from San Diego to Canada.
Jamie Gold: We work out on video,
Julie Michelson: I love it.
Jamie Gold: you know, and that is an accountability partner and it's just more fun that way.
Julie Michelson: Oh, well it's, and it, and it does the accountability piece. So it's, it's fun and you actually do it in a, in a way you're not dreading, which
Jamie Gold: I visited with a fitness [Page//00:30:00] trainer and I've interviewed other fitness trainer who could train clients remotely,
Julie Michelson: Love it. No, it's true. It really has made us all glow. I look, I work with clients in Europe, , so I
Jamie Gold: you know,
Julie Michelson: that . Right.
Jamie Gold: you know, exactly.
Julie Michelson: there's a lot of positives and I, and I think that is one of the things that was highlighted. I remember when I was first coaching over Zoom, you know, trying to explain to people what Zoom was and how to use it.
Julie Michelson: Now everybody knows how to, how to zoom, you know, it's, it's great. It really is. What about those whole, you know, smart homes, whole house where your house is running itself? Are you, are you for that? Is there anything we should be paying attention to? Okay.
Jamie Gold: Um, again, it's going to depend on the person and their needs because I tend toward the simple, but I would personally, and I'm, I'm in a townhouse. I never intended this to be my forever home.
Julie Michelson: Okay.
Jamie Gold: But my [Page//00:31:00] forever home will have technology built in. I, for example, want to have not only solar panels, but backup batteries.
Jamie Gold: So that I could run my home on stored power, even if we're down for a few days because of an earthquake or a, you know, other interruption. So, things like that. And, you know, indoor air quality monitors, water quality monitors. Um, so yeah, and again, I do this kind of thing where I'm communicating with people, so you have to have a certain bandwidth to do that.
Jamie Gold: And I'm lucky in my area, I have broadband. So we don't have interrupted signals. So that's important as well.
Julie Michelson: it is.
Jamie Gold: need every bell or whistle? Do I need to be able to, you know, walk in and say, turn on the music? Not necessarily. It's nice to have.
Julie Michelson: Right.
Jamie Gold: It's also nice when you have a smarter security system, [Page//00:32:00] or if you have windows that are hard to reach, and you can operate the blinds remotely, that's a safety factor as well.
Julie Michelson: Yeah, yeah, I'm always begging my mom, please don't climb. Don't, I'll be right there, don't touch it.
Jamie Gold: Right, exactly. Please don't get on that ladder.
Julie Michelson: don't. She gets in trouble if I come and there's even like a taller step stool out. It's not, it's not okay. It's not, it's not necessary, you know.
Jamie Gold: Exactly.
Julie Michelson: It's, it's really not necessary. So I love this idea.
Julie Michelson: You're inspiring me to, to focus a little more with people on like simplicity, right? And, and, um, I'm guessing you work around ease of use. I know I've read the, so, you know, That was kind of and you're right and it does depend on the person's lifestyle and and priorities as far as ergonomics and chronic pain and [Page//00:33:00] and all the things um but but what can we do to just lower maintenance and lower the steps we have to take to care to take care of our home I think is is so important.
Jamie Gold: And that's a remodeling, um, new construction type of conversation, you know, the materials that you choose as part of it. There are people who will do a countertop redo without, you know, remodeling their whole kitchen. But, you know, a lot more people find, well, I have to fix this, so I'm going to have to do that, and then this is involved, and that's involved.
Jamie Gold: So, there's no simple project, really.
Julie Michelson: Right. Right.
Jamie Gold: And so it comes down to what choices you're going to make, and that's why, you know, a lot of people like to DIY things, but then you don't know what you don't know.
Julie Michelson: Right,
Jamie Gold: So I think if you can study up on, you know, the different [Page//00:34:00] surfaces, and I have in my book a whole chapter on materials that will hopefully, you know, help people with that.
Jamie Gold: You know, what's, your needs are different if it's just you and a partner and there's no kids at home, for example. If you have kids, you have a lot more spills, and then,
Julie Michelson: Oh, you haven't met me.
Julie Michelson: I'm the Pachka Queen. I
Jamie Gold: then there's, there's spills with other people, even if you entertain a lot.
Julie Michelson: yeah, yeah,
Jamie Gold: you have that, so everyone has to make those decisions, but do it with as much information as you can.
Jamie Gold: I always say that what you don't know you don't know can really bite you in the butt.
Julie Michelson: it can. And I think that is right there. The overarching, you know, that's where the book is such a gem. Because, um, yeah, I spilled a bottle of, I knocked over, I just opened a bottle of olive oil the other day and I knocked it over. I picked it up as quick as I could. And I I was [Page//00:35:00] actually proud of myself. I took a breath and I was like, you know what?
Julie Michelson: I have soapstone counters. So I was like, I'm going to oil the counters. Cause I had this puddle of oil anyway. Um, and I have a, it's a, it's a, it's a dark, um. It's the toughest soapstone I've had intentionally in any house. And so I don't, I think I've oiled them once and we've been here six years. So I was like, Oh, okay.
Julie Michelson: And we're going to use olive oil. And how healthy is that? It's great. Anti inflammatory counters. So, um, but I, I just, I love the understanding the materials and making educated. Choices in knowing if something is porous and or toxic or is is essential. So, you know, it's a it is such a great resource, the book and I know,
Jamie Gold: not the, it's not the counters, it's what you have to clean them with, or seal [Page//00:36:00] them with, or polish them with. So, and just knowing what maintenance is involved with the materials you're choosing. You may love the look of that surface and then find out, well, in order to keep it looking that way, this is the care it requires.
Julie Michelson: right. And it may require, you know, a professional may be required beyond what you're going to do at home yourself.
Jamie Gold: And how durable is it? How long will it last you? Will it look as great in 5 or 10 years as it does in the showroom?
Julie Michelson: Right. Yeah. If you're actually using it. So
Jamie Gold: people do. Yeah, most people do.
Julie Michelson: it's great. It's really great advice. And I know you referenced it, but this, so you have the, the, the book now has that additional Post pandemic chapter, um, of of kind of the things I'm guessing they're not things that you learned in the pandemic.
Julie Michelson: There are things that [Page//00:37:00] people are now, you know, more aware that that are important. Um, and so and so anybody who has the book can go online and get access to that chapter. Is that
Jamie Gold: There's a, there's a reference in the book to where bonus material has lived since the book published because I had end notes and I wanted to include links to those end notes and to the designers and companies that provided imagery. So people could just go on and take a look at those things and a resource.
Jamie Gold: Guide and checklist. So that's the area where the bonus chapter lives now. It had a home already that it could just move into.
Julie Michelson: It was meant to be. It really was, was meant to be. And so, I cannot recommend enough. If anybody is, and again, I really think we, just like we don't know what we don't know, we also don't know what we're going to need to know. Right? You don't know if you have an unexpected remodel coming your way and so [Page//00:38:00] I just think it's a, it's a wonderful resource for people to have, um, because your home can and should support your health and, and improve your resilience.
Julie Michelson: And so I'm, I'm
Jamie Gold: you know that from a food perspective, too. Your kitchen is your home's fueling station.
Julie Michelson: Oh
Jamie Gold: And the easier it is to make healthier meals in your kitchen, the more you're likely to do it.
Julie Michelson: It's true.
Jamie Gold: If it's hard, if it's dark, if it's unpleasant, chances are you're not going to be cooking as much.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Yeah. And even little things, and this is where it comes to personalization. A happy accident as my health was declining in, in that home, I had a warming drawer in the kitchen. I hadn't ever had one before. I don't even know why, you know, it was recommended and I put it in. I use that thing all the time because I, I didn't have the physical energy to do afterschool activities and cook dinner, you know, within that window.
Julie Michelson: And [Page//00:39:00] so that is where it's like, really look at, you know, where you are health wise, how you're living and what you need your home to be, to be supporting you with. Yeah.
Jamie Gold: Kitchens, kitchens and food are important.
Julie Michelson: I love it. So we covered a ton and I have a million more questions, but I, but I promised I would let you out on time. I, so I'm going to hit you with my wrap up question, which is, and it doesn't, it can be anything.
Julie Michelson: What is one step that listeners can take today to start to improve their health?
Jamie Gold: that's an excellent question,
Julie Michelson: Well, thank you. I know it stumps everybody.
Jamie Gold: and it's going to be different for each person, but I say, know yourself what works for you, what doesn't work for you. And then apply that to your environment, which of course includes your home. [Page//00:40:00] Make it a space that supports and nurtures you, instead of sabotaging you. You know, look at the different ways that you feel happy and comfortable and relaxed and supported in your home.
Jamie Gold: And then change those things one by one, that don't add to your life. Doesn't have to be a big thing, it could be one drawer per weekend. As opposed to one room. Don't tackle the whole garage at once. That can make you crazy.
Julie Michelson: right, right. No, that's a huge project and can be exhausting, but I love that the change one thing at a time and that really take, you know, checking in to, to what is it that does support you, what nurtures you. I love that word. It's so important. We tend to get fast paced and not think about that and we need it.
Julie Michelson: We all need to be nurtured.
Jamie Gold: One of those other five facets of wellness design I mentioned earlier is comfort and joy.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. It's essential.
Jamie Gold: Your home should provide both. It should support [Page//00:41:00] both.
Julie Michelson: Love it. Ah! it. So before I let you go, for people that are listening on the go, which is typically how I listen, where is the best place to find you?
Jamie Gold: My website has links to my weekly ad free blog. It has links to articles I've written, my own information. That bonus place that you could find if you get the book and of course, how to get the book and two excerpts. That's jamie gold.net. It's J-A-M-I-E gold, like the metal.net, not.com. That went to the poker player, the jamie gold.net, and that's where you'll find everything you need.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Jamie, thank you so much. You have shared. Genuine gold with us today.
Jamie Gold: Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to come back whenever you have more questions.
Julie Michelson: I love
Jamie Gold: Everyone has a happy, [Page//00:42:00] healthy, safe holiday
Julie Michelson: Thank you for everyone listening. Remember you can get the transcripts and show notes, including links to Jamie's website and the new book chapter by visiting inspiredliving. show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed this episode as much as I did.
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Jamie Gold
Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, MCCWC is an award-winning author, speaker, wellness design consultant and Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach. She's a regular contributor to Forbes.com and Kitchen & Bath Design News. She has also been published in the Los Angeles Times, House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, Blue Zones, Healthy Women, Huff Post, Design Milk, Fine Homebuilding, Multi-Housing News and numerous other publications.
Given her years of design experience and knowledge, Jamie is frequently called upon by her media colleagues for insights, tips and trends. This has been particularly true since the pandemic hit the US, keeping everyone at home multi-tasking under extreme stress.
A Certified Kitchen Designer and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, Jamie’s professional focus since 2004 has been the links between our homes and health, happiness, safety and longevity. She is a popular speaker at industry and public events, including IBS and Coverings.
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