Some people ascribe their personalities to enneagrams or Myers-Briggs acronyms, but Netherlands-based architect and interior designer Malak Mehta thinks you can learn a lot about someone based on their home. Her practice, The Mindful Scapes, is based on the idea that your environment should mirror your innermost self.

“I feel that we reflect ourselves in our surroundings, whether it’s your home or your backyard,” Malak explains. She thinks that even an office space, in its chaos or fastidiousness, sheds light on how you express yourself and self-soothe.

Malak’s own home in Eindhoven has been an experiment in how to merge two very separate lifestyles: those of herself and her partner, a mechanical engineer named Aditya Balasubramanian. He’s a gamer who’s happiest in the front of the TV, while Malak enjoys observing the outdoors from her vantage point at the dining room table.

The recently renovated, 807 square-foot apartment they’ve been renting since March had just the right layout when they moved in, thanks to its sliding doors that connect the living room and bedroom.

It was a serendipitous compromise for the couple, as Malak prefers an open setup while Aditya prefers to feel enclosed. Thankfully, “this house can be both,” she says.

When open, the doors facilitate flow and access to sunlight—particularly the vivid sunsets that the Netherlands is known for. “Normally when you have too many doors, it’s difficult to get a proper amount of light,” Malak points out.

To make the space their own, Malak focused on paint choices, tiling, and textured furnishings that would set the right mood without setting off the couple’s landlord.

After mapping out different color combinations on mood boards, Malak found that she and her partner both gravitated toward earthy tones and natural elements that evoke feelings of calm and peace. Now, green peel-and-stick tiles warm up the white walls of the kitchen, while forest-green and walnut-brown hues throughout the home mingle with potted plants.

She also tested TikTok’s “unexpected red theory,” which hypothesizes that even a seemingly ill-fitting red accent will make a space look better. Her take? She’s a believer, nodding to the energizing hue that brightens up the bedroom as positive proof.

Malak carried this contrasting, yet somehow harmonious color palette of invigorating reds and soothing earth tones throughout every room of the flat, and for finishing touches she brought in a budget-friendly assortment of pieces sourced from online marketplaces, thrift stores, Ikea, and local retailers like Jysk.

Now that her revamp is finished, her home embodies the mindfulness tenets her practice espouses. “I hope that it will encourage others to put effort into their rental homes to enhance their wellbeing and overall quality of life,” she says.

Have you taken on an ambitious Rental Revamp—or do you know someone who has? We want to hear about it! Reach out to edit@dwell.com with photos and a brief description.

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Project Credits:

Interior Design: Malak Mehta / @themindfulscapes

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Rental Revamp: An Architect and an Engineer’s Netherlands Home Was Designed to Soothe