My Healthy Home: This Light, Airy House Was Designed with Wellness in Mind

Name: Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, and Evan Shlofmitz, D.O.
Location: North Shore Long Island, NY
Type of home: Single-family home
Years lived in: 2 years

Lisa Hayim is the real-talk friend we all need when it comes to wellness. A registered dietician, yoga instructor, recipe developer, wellness pro, and mom-to-be, she’s just as concerned about what goes into her body as she is about the space around her. Lisa works hard to create a soothing and serene home that’s also as free as possible of the harsh chemicals and toxins that are so often present in everything from wallpaper to carpeting.

“My home is not just my home,” she says. “It’s my workplace and my wellness sanctuary. It’s become increasingly important to create spaces at home that calm me and that are separate from work so that I can show up to work and life as the true me.”

That means having a home that speaks to wellness as well as style. Lisa has turned her airy abode into an oasis of clean lines, soft neutral colors, and quiet spots for introspection and relaxation — all with conscientious materials. She designed her serene bedroom with only vegan and cruelty-free materials, from impossibly plush carpeting to neutral paint and wallpaper that are zero-VOC. She transformed her attic into a tech-free sanctuary for meditation and quiet contemplation, with subtle colors (to avoid over-stimulation) and lots of cozy pillows and blankets. Even her home gym — a minimalist space with plenty of natural light — radiates calm.

This peaceful home also has features you can’t see, like clean air: The finishing touches on Lisa’s ultimate wellness oasis are the Dyson air purifiers stationed throughout her home. “The most important thing that we do is breathe,” she says. “Every time we take a breath, we’re inviting things into our lungs, which make their way into our body.”

Dyson’s latest purifiers are re-engineered to deliver 50-percent cleaner air (compared to their first purifier, TP01), and they’re fully sealed to trap pollutants inside. So Lisa can rest even easier, knowing that the air her family breathes is as clean as their home.

Lisa worked hard to make her home a place that helps her feel relaxed, refreshed, and restored. “In our world, we prioritize being busy. We prioritize the to-do list. We prioritize productivity — to the point where people really flex about hustling, about working really hard,” she says. “But when we shine a light on those parts of ourselves that we’re afraid to get to, we actually find out what’s going on. You can bring compassion and softness to those places, and find that inside, you’re not a mess. You’re just somebody, a human being, that needs a little extra love.”

My style: Elevated cozy, comfy, and inviting.

My inspiration: I get inspiration from things that soften my senses. I love to touch soft things, I love neutrals that relax the mind, and even smells that are gentle and make you automatically feel at home!

Favorite element: The pieces in my “zen den,” all of which I’ve collected over many years, and have traveled with me from offices to apartments. It all came together in there quite easily and I just love the cave-like shape of the room itself.

Biggest challenge: Scale! A house is much different than an apartment. I struggle to see things in my mind with our house, which wasn’t an issue when decorating small(er) spaces. That’s why I called in designers to help with some of the rooms. Also, finding affordable brands and pieces that will hold up over time, that are both sustainable for the environment and don’t cause harm to animals or other humans (in production)—those are always priorities and often a challenge.

Biggest indulgence: The first purchase was a piece of gym equipment — even before ANY furniture! For the past 15 years, it’s been my “when I grow up” someday-purchase. Décor wise, the sconces in our bedroom, which look like a natural rock crystal when illuminated.

Most unique part: We really aim to make conscious choices that reflect our values. This can be really hard when so many products use animals (unnecessarily). This isn’t just an ethical concern, but an environmental and health one, too. While we’re not perfect in this department, having an all-vegan bedroom is definitely unique!

Favorite products: I’m a huge kitchen appliance girl and use so many each day. I love, love, love my air fryer for quick and easy hot meals, my frother for daily coffee that feels like I’m at a café, and my juicer for easy juicing (and, let’s be real, easy cleanup).

Best decorating secret: Stay away from the trends and take your time to decorate until you know how you use the space. With Instagram, it’s very easy to see a “vibe” you like and want to replicate it — and it doesn’t help that once you see it, Instagram will start serving you ads of that exact product. But so much of what we see is not timeless and gets played out so quickly. Unique, special pieces take time to acquire and find. That’s what makes them so special! We’ve been in this home for a year and we’re really just beginning to tackle the decorating process. That may not be for everyone, but this made the most sense for us because now we have a good idea of how we want each room to be used. We’re ready to turn this house into a home.

How I work from home: I’m constantly shifting where I’m working, making sure the environment supports my creative process. While I wish I could just use one room for my office, it turns out some days I like to be in the kitchen, other days in my podcast room, and some days I want to be outside!

Why wellness at home matters: Home is the place where we can relax and be ourselves. The environment we create needs to make us feel safe to do so. Health goes beyond how many salads we eat, or how many steps we get in. Health is about making choices that reflect your values and being conscious about the toxins that sneak in by way of paints and furniture, and doing your best to eliminate them.

Thanks, Lisa!