As mid-century modern enthusiasts, we haven’t forgotten that designers of the era have always tried to emphasise that bringing the outdoors in will never go out of fashion. Back in the day, mid-century architects connected with nature through large windows, glass doors, and open-plan spaces, whilst famous furniture designers used organic inspiration for their designs as well.
In this blog, we’ll explore the biophilic interior design concept, where it all started, its features, and how you can easily incorporate it into your home’s interior design style.
What Is Biophilic Interior Design?
Biophilic interior design is a theory that’s been around for over 70 years, and it is the idea of reconnecting us with nature through the use of organic inspiration, designs, and materials in our interiors. The theory is being applied to homes, offices, schools, hospitals, and much more, as it’s believed to help restore our health and well-being, and what’s more important than finding ways how to be happier at home?
Studies have shown that natural interiors can significantly enhance our creativity, productivity, and learning, which is why the interior biophilic design movement is now being applied to more schools and workspaces.
This concept is becoming more popular due to an increasingly urban environment, and the most recent studies found many benefits of being at one with nature, the reason why at Pash Classics, we love featuring nature in our home interiors.
Nature never seems to go out of fashion, as throughout the years, we’ve seen many botanical wallpapers and print designs that have been subject to many stylish interiors, thus helping to create many timeless designs. Plants have always been featured in homes, and organic materials have always seemed to be a popular choice for upholsteries.
For example, some of our beautifully designed furniture inspired by nature are the Iconic Coffee Tables and the Statement Chairs, which both feature a familiar and curvy design that never stops looking stylish. Also, both designs are versatile and can easily complement many different interior design styles. If you missed it, check out our article on How To Stay True To Your Own Interior Design Style for great tips and resources before introducing this concept into your home.
How Can You Bring The Outdoors In?
So now, let’s explore some of the main features of biophilic interior design and how you can invite this concept into your home and living spaces.
Take Inspiration From Your Surroundings
There is endless inspiration for you to use for your home when using a biophilic approach. You could look for inspiration in beaches, forests, mountains, animals, seasons, etc. The best part is that each one provides different design inspirations with unique characteristics.
You could seek inspiration from your favourite place in nature, where you feel the most comfort and connection, whether the ocean or mountain tops, as finding where you feel the most at peace and bringing that energy into your home will truly encapsulate the idea of biophilic interior design.
Choose Natural Materials
There is a wide range of organic materials to decorate your home with. Keep an eye out for upholsteries and accessories using wool, cashmere, leather, linen, or cotton, as each one helps to bring a different texture and feel to your living spaces. But always remember that there are some differences between leather and linen, whilst both have different benefits when bringing nature into your home.
Use Earthy Tones In Your Colour Palette
Earthy tones are more than just brown and nude; you can incorporate different greens, blues, pinks, and yellows into your home. Using a colour palette inspired by nature helps to create a soothing and tranquil environment. The theme you chose can be subtle, but the versatility that these different colours can bring to your home allows you to experiment with other elements like textures, patterns, and materials.
Another great tip is to take your favourite nature locations and use the same colour palettes in your home. For more inspiration, check out our Pinterest Board on Interior Colour Palettes to help you bring to life your dream home!
Enhance Natural Light
Opening the curtains and blinds to allow natural light to come into your home can transform it by making it feel brighter and healthier. Using white or lighter shades on your walls helps to reflect light, thus giving the impression of the room being larger. Also, to keep your windows looking light and airy while still using blinds and curtains, you can use natural materials like linen or wood to enhance the natural feel of any room.
Update Your Accessories To Reflect The Seasons
Some small and more affordable additions to your home, like cushions, throws, candles, and small accessories, can be updated to complement each season.
For example, you could use brighter throws and cushions with lilac or mustard-yellow accents during the spring and summer. You could swap these elements during the autumn and winter to feature a deeper, warmer palette, such as burnt orange or red berries.
Changing depending on the seasons can help your home feel fresh whilst creating an environment that complements your feelings and lifestyle. During the winter, you may want a thick throw to keep yourself warm, whereas, in the summer, you may want a lighter throw.
For example, look how beautiful our Iconic White Chairs With Beech Legs look, especially when paired with the Ocean Chair, and surrounded by many spring and summer organic colours! For more combinations and colour inspirations, you can explore our colourful range of Iconic Chairs starting from only £29!
Incorporate Indoor Plants And Flowers
Incorporating indoor plants and flowers is one of the closest connections to nature you can achieve in your home.
The wide range available nowadays means you can introduce many shapes, textures, sizes, and colours into your living spaces. Try to find different plants to complement different rooms, as sometimes the simplest plants can be the most effective and beautifully fit for the chosen room!
However, please always research before purchasing any indoor plants for your home, as some are very dangerous for pets and young children.
Plants For Beginners
Succulent plants are great starter plants, as they come in various shapes, textures, and colours. They don’t need much care and can function independently, and most of them are harmless to animals, so they’re a safer option for pet owners.
Snake plants are a great addition for any new plant owner as they don’t need much watering and can still thrive if it’s neglected. It is also one of the most popular house plants, as it releases oxygen at night, which can help you drift off to sleep, making it a great addition to your bedroom! However, be aware that a snake plant is moderately toxic to people, dogs, and cats if ingested.
Plants For Low Light Conditions
A corn plant is a very low-maintenance plant that can still thrive in low-light conditions. It is also a tall plant which makes it great for filling empty corners or blank spaces in your home. Sometimes you can even find small, white flowers sprouting!
However, the corn plant can cause various problems for dogs and cats.
Another great option is the tropical African Evergreen plant, which grows similarly to a palm tree, one of the most beloved plants among interior designers!
Hanging Plants
A Devil’s Ivy plant is great for hanging off bookshelves or above windows, as it has a beautiful appearance and style. Its heart-shaped leaves create a gentle and organic look, whilst it helps clean any pollution from the air. A giveaway from its name is that all parts of the devil’s ivy plant are toxic, so keep it out of reach of children and pets!
Plants For Humid Environments
The Boston Fern plant thrives in a humid environment, so it’s a great addition to a bathroom as it can soak up the steam. However, it requires a bit more maintenance as it needs frequent watering to moisten the soil. A great thing about this plant is that the foliage remains evergreen, which is why it’s such a popular houseplant.
For example, you can introduce a small change into your home by adding a few plants to your home office! If you want more inspiration and advice on how to style your home office, check out our Designer Office Furniture For Creative Environments article.
Flower Plants
Peace Lily with soft green foliage represents calm and tranquillity, which is great for creating a relaxing space. The Peace Lily prefers shadier spots, which can greatly add to the room’s corners. It blooms twice a year, flowering for several months, and to remember is that they aren’t part of the Lily family, so they are safer around pets but can still irritate the stomach or cause extreme salivating if they are ingested.
Find Furniture That’s Closely Resembled To Iconic Danish Designs
The Y-shaped back of our Wishbone Chairs replicas resembles a skeletal design, keeping with the designer’s focus on bringing the inner workings and soul to his furniture.
This unique yet familiar structure gives the chair an authentic and modern look. Around for many years, and usually related to using natural materials, is the detailed woven seat. The natural finished wooden frames, including the Beech and Walnut variations, offer a very obvious connection to nature that many adore.
Final Thoughts
A great giveaway of our article is that biophilic interior design is excellent for homes and gardens, where architects and interior designers can easily incorporate it into their work.
Interior biophilic design is one of the most valuable interior design trends for the years to come. And because we’ve never needed the healing powers of nature more than now, this is exactly what biophilic design seeks to harness in our homes, working spaces, and lives. So start getting creative whilst taking inspiration from the natural world so that you can enjoy a calmer, more productive environment!
