Reconnecting with nature and living a more eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle has become a new priority for many of us in recent times but the idea of bringing nature into our homes is as old as architecture itself.

Biophilic Design

Based on the idea that our love of nature helps sustain our own love for life - think the family cat, indoor plants or the simple pleasure of receiving flowers. The concept of Biophilic design focuses on how we can bring elements of nature back into our homes and how we can benefit from it.

Using our Senses to Reconnect with Nature

Through the use of our five main senses; our vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and by following a few simple concepts, you will find that it is not only easy to introduce Biophilic design into your home but you might also find an immediate appreciation for doing so.

Our top 10 tips on how to bring this trend to life in your home:

1. Let the light shine in

If you are in the process of constructing or renovating a new home, you can also look to include large windows and skylights into your plan, which will ultimately bring in both sunlight and moonlight around your interior.

2. Emphasise a sense of calm with sheer curtains

Sheer curtains are known for creating a light and bright feel, and can offer a sense of calm as they reveal a breeze blowing into a room like watching waves on the ocean.

If you have blinds or curtains that may be blocking natural, try switching to sheer curtains that ensure you have the privacy you need, whilst also letting in more light.

3. Declutter areas around your home

Too much clutter in your home can create a feeling of confinement. By minimising clutter in and around your living spaces, it will allow you and your family to enjoy more space and natural light around your home. Giving a sense of calm and contentment.

4. Incorporate indirect light

If you are looking to bring your room to life but cannot bring in more natural light, indirect artificial lighting is another great way to bring life into your space.

Low lying floor lamps, table lamps, wall feature lights and even dimming your main down lights are some great options to create a cosy and intimate atmosphere.

Pro Tip: You can use more softer light tones that will create a cosier and delicate atmosphere.

5. Place mirrors around the room

Have you noticed that Large mirrors are the next big thing? Mirrors are great in the interior design space and really help your room feel larger and more spacious. With so many different styles and shapes to choose from, using mirrors will not only help natural light reflect around the room, but also create a beautiful, modern, and natural felt space.

6. Invite Nature Inside

Our connection to the earth and nature is greatly directed towards plants. In recent years, studies have shown that having more plants indoors increases mental clarity and therefore, increases productivity during the day and relaxation at night. A big reason why so many workplaces are bringing plants into the office, as it helps staff and employees feel a connection with the outdoors, resulting in reduced stress levels and a more balanced state of mind.

Having real plants in the home are the best choice to optimise the effects of biophilic design and choosing the right indoor plant for your home is an exciting opportunity. To enhance the effect of biophilic design, you can choose plant pots or baskets made from naturally sourced materials such as bamboo or rattan.

It is also known that having real plants in the home helps to purify the air around us offering a wonderful way to benefit your own health and those around you for years to come.

If you are unable to have real plants in your living or workspace, consider the use of artificial plants. Although this option will not provide the optimal benefits that real plants do, they will still assist in replicating a natural environment and will add to the biophilic design concept in your home.

7. Bring natural fibre and materials into the home

Opting for natural fibre and materials for your furniture and home décor is not only great for the environment, but also helps to create that deeper connection to nature around us. Using natural fibres and materials may include the use of wooden furniture such as dining tables or benches, cotton or linen sofas, rattan dining chairs or storage units or even linen tablecloths or bedding sheets.

Do not be afraid to mix textures and fabrics in and around your home as nature is a combination of water, land, sand and dirt after all. This beautiful mix of elemental textures really ties well into Biophilic design.

8. Use Natural tones around the home

The use of a natural colour palette in your home will enable you to feel more connected to nature. Earthy tones, off-whites, lighter hues of gold, straw, beige and browns, moss greens and even blue accents are all great at helping promote feelings that we experience in the natural world.

9. Incorporate Nature-focused home décor

Using nature-focused home décor is also a great way to bring nature into your home. This may be in the form of a painting or photograph of a natural landscape, interesting wallpaper, tablecloths, placemats, vases, or storage baskets. These all play an important role in any designed space and finding items that you feel a connection with is rewarding.

10. Ignite all your senses

Lastly, bringing all your senses to life; sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch can help you to feel a deeper connection with nature in and around your home.

Sandalwood, Gumleaf or Lavender are beautiful scents to incorporate in the home. Using diffusers and scented candles not only creates a beautiful atmosphere through sight and smell but can also remind of us of experiencing a forest, being by the beach, or in a field of flowers.

Create an audible sensory experience with softly played tracks of flowing streams, birds chirping or waves washing on the beach. You can also offer a sense of touch to your home, through different textures and elemental décor pieces. Even something as simple as a range of nature magazines showing beautiful natural shots from around the world, can enable visitors to ignite their senses as they flick through the magazines in your home.

Bringing Biophilic Design into your home is a wonderful way for you to help drive greater health and wellness for you and your family. We hope these tips have given you some further ideas of how you can really bring this concept to life and feel a deeper connection with nature.

Do you have any further tips for us? We would love to hear them. Just let us know in the comments below.

For more inspiration, view our Pinterest Board here.