According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the most of human motivations is safety. Above all else, physiological needs must be met. These include food, air, water, clothing, and shelter. And isn’t a home, as it’s core, just a shelter? However, as one moves up the hierarchy of needs, from physiological to safety to love/belonging to esteem, a home can begin to fill these needs as well.
As stated before, a home is a form of a shelter, and does, by very definition, fulfill that basic physiological need. Moving up the pyramid, the next level of needs is safety. This includes the security of body, resources, family, and property. A home also serves this function in that within its walls it can protect from the elements and others who may threaten them.
On the next level, one seeks love and belonging. According to Maslow, human beings seek a sense of acceptance among social groups. More often than not, one’s home is not only for oneself but also for one’s social group. Many homes belong to families, but people live with all kinds of social groups. For example, in college, students often live with their friends or members of organizations of which they are a part of. In this way, the home becomes a part of one’s sense of love and belonging.
The last level of the pyramid I will discuss is esteem. This is the need to feel respected, accepted, and valued by others. The home can play a role in this because in our society today, material possessions can become a huge factor in social standing. How often when someone knows a friend is coming over, do they take the time to clean up their house? Before, they were fine living in it themselves the way it was but they feel a pressure to make sure it is clean before others come over. This is because we feel a need to try to make a good impression on people so that they will accept us and as our home becomes a material representation of who we are, it is something we are judged based on.
So what does this all mean to interior designers? I think it all goes back to listening to client’s needs. It is our job to make the home the best it can be for the client and if we can understand on how many levels the home is important, we can help fulfill the client’s needs at every level. We can make sure that the home shelters them from the elements. We can make sure the home is secure and take measures to prevent intruders. We can create spaces that are welcoming and encourage positive social interaction and help create memories. Finally, we can create a space that our clients will be proud of. In all these ways, creating a home appeals to us on many levels and we as designers have a responsibility to our client to help them fulfill their own needs.
