A Sensory Sanctuary Designed for Calm, Regulation, and Rest
This bedroom was designed as a sensory-supportive sanctuary for a child living with PANDAS, where visual calm, tactile comfort, and biophilic connection work together to support emotional regulation and restorative sleep.
Rather than layering in stimulation, the design prioritizes soft rhythm, coherent color, and natural materials, creating a space that feels grounded, safe, and gently uplifting. Every element was selected not only for beauty, but for how it supports the nervous system and daily wellbeing.
PRIMARY DESIGN PRINCIPLE
Color, Pattern & Visual Calm
The room is wrapped in Sherwin-Williams Holly Glen, a soft sage green chosen to reduce visual stress and create a steady, grounding backdrop. Its low chroma supports nervous system regulation while providing visual continuity throughout the space.
Above, Schumacher’s Paradise Birds wallpaper is applied to the ceiling, transforming it into a gentle canopy. The organic bird and botanical motif introduces movement without chaos, offering visual interest without overstimulation. This use of nature-based patterning supports ease, curiosity, and emotional comfort.
Design Details
Wall Paint: Sherwin-Williams Holly Glen (SW 9678)
Ceiling Wallpaper: Schumacher Paradise Birds
SUPPORTING SYSTEM
Grounding Through Texture & Soft Surfaces
Underfoot, Ruggable’s Provence Sage Flatwoven Rug anchors the room both visually and physically. Its muted palette mirrors the wall color to maintain harmony, while its flatwoven texture absorbs sound and provides gentle tactile feedback, important for children with sensory sensitivity.
The rug also establishes a flexible floor zone for play, stretching, and quiet activities, reinforcing a sense of grounding throughout the day.
Design Details
SPECIFIC APPLICATION
Bedding as Sensory Regulation
The bed is layered with organic cotton textiles selected for breathability, softness, and visual familiarity. The Floral Fields Organic Cotton Quilt introduces subtle botanical imagery that echoes the ceiling pattern, reinforcing cohesion across planes.
A Silk & Snow hand-knitted weighted cotton throw blanket adds gentle deep-pressure input, supporting calm and sleep regulation. Together, soft sheets, subtle pattern, and weight create a bed that feels emotionally reassuring as well as physically comfortable.
Design Details
Sheets: Organic Cotton Sheet Set
Blanket: Silk & Snow Weighted Cotton Throw
SUPPORTIVE RETREAT
Biophilia & Gentle Movement
Natural materials and forms throughout the room reinforce a connection to the outdoors. Greenery, woven textures, and nature-inspired artwork introduce warmth while supporting emotional regulation.
A Habana Organic Cotton Comfort Hammock Chair was incorporated as a calm retreat element, offering gentle vestibular movement that supports self-soothing. The overall effect is a room that invites pause rather than performance.
Design Details
Hammock Chair: Habana Organic Cotton Comfort Hammock
DESIGN OUTCOME
This bedroom is a space designed to receive rather than demand - supporting rest, creativity, and regulation through thoughtful material selection and intentional design.
This project reflects SDS Designs’ Home as Healing approach: creating visually refined, emotionally supportive spaces that are rooted in both science and care, and tailored to the unique needs of the individual who inhabits them.