A bit of nature is good for the mind, so it only makes sense to bring it into your home, right? Well, look no further than biophilic interior design!
From luscious greenery to the flicker of candles, natural oak furnishings to sand coloured walls, a biophilic design is all about bringing the outdoors in. After all, there’s nothing more soothing than the soft lull of ocean waves or as fresh as the forest air.
So, to bring this cosy style into your home, we’ve got a few top tips to help you get started. In this article, we’ll explore what a biophilic design is and how easy it is to bring it into your own home!
Before we delve into how you can bring biophilic architecture and biophilic design into your home, let’s first explore what biophilic means.
Essentially, biophilic design comes from the word biophilia, meaning someone who has a desire to be around nature. So, in terms of style, a biophilic design is all about creating a natural interior design, bringing you closer to nature from the comfort of your own home.
Now, the easiest way to do this is to grab some plants and flowers, but this is not the only way to bring the wonder of the great outdoors inside. In fact, a biophilic design strives to go further. That’s because biophilic design encourages you to look at all types of natural elements - like sand, water, fire, air, wood, and any other aspects of nature you can think of!
Sound intriguing? We thought so. That’s why we’ve put together a handy guide to getting started with biophilic interior design, below.
As is with any interior design plan, we recommend you start with the wall colours. Once these are selected, you’ll have a better idea of what colour furniture and decorations will match.
Now, the world really is your oyster with a biophilic design. Do you like the vibes of a coastal town, with the warm shade of sand on the beach? You can emulate that with some sand tone paint. But if you prefer the luscious green of a forest, then a sage green wall paint is perfect!
Of course, you can always go for a neutral palette with shades like white or black. This is particularly useful if you’re planning a feature wall, or like a maximalist design with lots of furniture and decorations, as these shades tend to work well alongside any colour palette.
Not only ideal for helping open up smaller rooms, embracing any natural light in your home is key to a biophilic design.
You could try installing curtains or roller blinds on your windows so you can block out light at night, but let the light pour in during the day. And by popping some mirrors around the room, you’ll help this light reflect around the space.
We know not everyone has wide windows to let this natural light in, but you can emulate it just as well with lamps and lighting fixtures. For example, to create your own biophilic design with light, grab a sunlight lamp, which mimics a soothing sunset. Or, to take it back briefly to colour considerations, coating the ceiling with a lick of white paint will help brighten your space as well!
Now for the fun part – let’s turn your home into a mini florist with biophilic design. But hold off on creating a business name - because these flowers are all for you!
One of the simplest ways to create a biophilic interior design is to dot plants and flowers around your room. Think large vases with big, blooming flowers, and bookshelves adorned with the most delicate of ivy plants. Always be aware of care instructions for your plants though, helping to keep them happy and healthy.
If you’re after some low maintenance indoor plants, you can go for the likes of cacti, kentia palms, succulents, and snake plants, to name just a few. These all have similar care instructions, which typically involves watering every two to three weeks and keeping out of direct sunlight.
While a feature wall may not be to everyone’s taste, they are a great way to create an interesting and unique twist on biophilic interior design.
You can put all those family and friend photos on the beach, out camping, or even just walking the dog to good use. Frame them in a natural oak frame and dot them around your wall. Mix in some indoor wall flower pots with dried flowers and leaves, and you’ve got yourself one stunning biophilic design feature wall!
To make your feature wall stand out even more, try adding in small wooden shelving units with some battery powered candles. Not only is the flicker of a flame relaxing, but it is an excellent touch to your biophilic interior design!
And last, but by no means least, complete your room with some cosy, stylish, natural interior design furniture pieces.
Of course, here at DFS, we have to start with the sofa – the centrepiece of any living room! Perfect for a biophilic design are any sofas in natural shades such as beige, sand, cream, or white.
Be inspired by our customers showing us what’s their thing @dfs
Now you’ve got some tips and tricks to kitting your home space out with biophilic design, it’s time to start shopping our full living room collection to get started. Alternatively, if biophilic doesn’t feel a natural fit for you, why not explore our other style guides? We’ve got it all from pink living room ideas to coquette style, all on our inspiration page.