ASMR design combines sensory triggers and subtle micro-interactions to create calming home environments that effectively reduce stress
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of psycho-sensory wellbeing, which has transformed ASMR from a viral digital phenomenon into an emerging aspect of interior design. Today, ASMR design extends beyond the virtual space, identifying a new category of physical objects and environments created to foster calm, sensory connection, and micro-moments of psychophysical relief through a carefully curated combination of tactile, visual, and auditory stimuli.
Understanding Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)
Before diving into ASMR interior design, let’s clarify what ASMR actually is. While we often hear about it, can we truly define it?
ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a sensory phenomenon characterised by a pleasant tingling sensation that typically begins at the scalp and moves down the neck and spine. Generally triggered by gentle sounds, soft voices, or repetitive movements, ASMR has gained popularity for its calming effects and is often used as a tool to reduce stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
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Video from AMSR artist @jojo_asmr featuring 10 ASMR creators from all over the world
The Popularity of ASMR on TikTok and the Rise of ASMR Creators
Chances are, the first time you heard about Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) was on social media, where it has become a viral phenomenon.
TikTok ASMR creators share short videos that provide sensory experiences designed to help reset the nervous system. They’re true pros at soft whispering, tapping, scratching, brushing sounds, and visual cues like hand movements or simulated personal care routines. Many also explore food ASMR, capturing crisp bites, slurps, or chewing sounds with high-fidelity microphones. Some even blend ASMR with guided meditation to create quick micro-mindfulness breaks.
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Example of relaxing ASMR content from creator @celainesasmr
For these so-called ASMRtists, using multimodal techniques is standard practice. They combine auditory, visual, and haptic elements—such as rhythmic object handling or the sound of fabric—to stimulate multiple senses at once.
Given that TikTok attracts many younger adults actively seeking emotional regulation, sensory relief, and new ways to improve sleep, it’s no surprise that even general lifestyle creators have started incorporating ASMR practices into their content. They often add hushed voiceovers to foster a sense of a sense of calm among their audiences.
What Is ASMR Interior Design?
Is ASMR design only digital? Not at all. While ASMR first gained popularity online, ASMR design now encompasses both digital and physical spheres. It includes tangible products, such as textured materials or calming wearables, as well as interiors, retail spaces, and hybrid experiences.
ASMR design involves the intentional creation of objects and environments, including websites and social media content, that evoke the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s like stress-reducing design taken to its highest level.
When applied to the design of physical spaces or products—like a room in a house, a household utensil, or a piece of furniture—the goal remains the same as that of TikTok content: to promote relaxation, emotional balance, and sensory engagement through subtle yet immersive experiences. What differs is the method used to achieve this goal.
Interior designers are increasingly adopting ASMR principles by incorporating soft-touch materials, ambient sounds or sonic micro-interactions, and warm, subdued lighting into their projects. These range from neuroaesthetic interiors to low-stimulation environments, featuring everything from armchairs and beds to kitchens and bathrooms designed to harmonise and create relaxation zones and sensory comfort. But that’s just the starting point. As ASMR interior design gains traction, new frontiers are emerging.
ASMR Interior Design: 4 Key Sensory Principles
The following ASMR interior design principles are becoming essential in the emerging culture of wellbeing-driven spaces:
- Selective tactility – Use soft-touch materials such as velvet, brushed fabric, or matte surfaces, and alternate them with smoother or cooler finishes like glass or stone. This combination generates pleasant micro-contrasts and enhances haptic richness.
- Muted sonic cues – Replace disruptive sounds with gentle auditory signals, such as magnetic slides, soft clicks, or low-frequency sub-bass vibrations, to create a soothing acoustic environment.
- Slow choreographies – Encourage repetitive gestures at a slower pace through design choices such as smoothly gliding drawers or tap-and-hold interfaces.
- Circadian lighting – Incorporate dynamic, warm-toned RGB lighting systems that adapt to the user’s biological clock, supporting better sensory comfort and psychophysical balance throughout the day.
Why “Calming Rhythms” Are Leading Design Trends in 2025
Data from 2024–2025 highlight a new design phenomenon: the Adobe Stock Creative Trends Forecast identifies “Calming Rhythms” as one of the leading trends of 2024. This trend reflects the growing demand for visuals and products that can reduce emotional overstimulation. According to Adobe, it’s a cultural response to an overstimulated audience seeking sensory balance in both digital and physical environments.
In the same period, an article in ACM Interactions shows that multimodal ASMR media can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms with effectiveness comparable to mindfulness, suggesting practical therapeutic applications for design.
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Highlights from "Calming Rhythms" collection by Adobe Stock
ASMR vs. Wellness Design: What’s the Difference?
The “Calming Rhythms” trend emphasises how sensory design centred on wellbeing is becoming a vital element for contemporary interior designers, architecture firms, and furniture brands. You might be wondering: Is ASMR interior design just another term for wellness design with a trendy twist? To some extent, yes—but it is better understood as an evolution.
ASMR design focuses on micro-interactions and sensory triggers that elicit a visceral, often tingling response rather than merely promoting a general sense of calm. It relies on subtlety, repetition, intimacy, and finely tuned sensory details in a way that is notably more precise and neurologically targeted. In other words, it’s no longer just about soft aesthetics; it’s a comprehensive design strategy grounded in neuro-sensory principles and advanced technologies, such as vibrotactile triggers.
The Future of Interior Design: Vibrotactile Triggers for Sensory Wellbeing
At the 2024 Eurohaptics Conference, a team showcased how low-frequency vibrotactile triggers embedded in everyday objects can promote a sense of relaxation in under five minutes. These triggers are small actuators that emit gentle vibrations designed to activate the skin’s mechanoreceptors. When incorporated into textiles, furniture, or handheld devices, they deliver rhythmic, low-intensity pulses that the body perceives as calming, offering a potent route to reducing stress and enhancing emotional regulation.
Various ASMR interior design projects are already implementing these and similar solutions, providing clear evidence of this growing trend. Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll explore these concepts in greater detail.
Paola Toia
Editor, Milano