Especially in recent times, most of us have been spending too much time indoors and have lost our innate connect with nature. What we need is a way to restore this connection, and embrace the sense of wellbeing that it brings into our lives. Lack of exposure to the outdoors has led to increased stress levels and even depression among many people who were forced to stay indoors during multiple lockdowns.
Biophilic interior décor is a great way to adapt and let the outdoors in, bringing back balance into our lives and allowing us to refresh and rejuvenate ourselves! So, what exactly is biophilic design, and how can you decorate your home around nature?
By designing our indoor spaces in ways that offer tangible interactions with the earth, water and fire elements, we can celebrate all that nature has to offer us and reconnect with our inner beings.
Love the idea? We’ve curated some lovely ideas to inspire you!
Turn a Balcony or Deck into an Indoor Garden
Do you have a balcony, deck or even a terrace that’s underused? By fitting a sunroof over it, you can transform it into a little slice of heaven. Fill your space with lush tropical palms and potted plants, and you’ve got a lovely, warm space to enjoy your evening cuppa!
Tea and biscuits, anyone?
Create an Indoor Living Wall
By coaxing a creeper like an ivy or a money plant to grow up a trellis on one wall, you can turn it into a beautiful, lush statement wall. A word of caution…do consider a drip irrigation system for regular watering, as a wall that’s brown or yellow due to lack of water doesn’t look nearly as good!
The earthen brick in this living room blends beautifully with the vertical garden alongside.
Decorate with Sustainable, Organic Materials
One of the easiest ways to go biophilic is to ensure that all the materials you use in your décor are sourced organically and ethically. Think of incorporating décor items like jute carpets, rubberwood furniture, bamboo blinds and wickerwork lamps, and you get the idea. Build a bridge between the Indoors and the outdoors!
Also Read: 5 Simple and Sustainable Festive Decor Ideas
Grow Herbs on Your Kitchen Window
There’s nothing as lovely as cooking with fresh, fragrant herbs right from your own garden. Mint, coriander, thyme, basil and oregano are very easy to grow in little pots on your kitchen window. All it takes is fresh air and sunlight, and lots of water and love!
We can almost smell that pasta bubbling away!
Fill Your Home with Potted Plants
Invite nature into your home with indoor plants in every nook, corner and cranny. Leafy tropical palms in large pots are all you’ll even need to pep up and add movement to tired indoor spaces. Besides adding much-needed oxygen, plants are also known to regulate temperatures and remove pollutants from indoor air.
The more plants you add, the more lovely your home will look!
Show Your Love for Nature by Being Kind to the Planet!
Making the best use of solar energy is a great way to give back to the earth, reduce your carbon footprint and save a ton on your energy bills all at the same time! Use solar panels on your roof or terrace to capture energy through the day, and power your home’s lighting and heating needs.
Quite definitely a win-win situation!
Gold Picture
Incorporate Botanical Prints
Even if you live in an apartment with little access to a garden, a statement wall with leafy prints or wallpaper with delicate floral prints can help mimic nature within your home. Wallcoverings that have textures and colours from outdoors go a long way towards lightening and refreshing your room.
If you don’t want to go bold with an entire botanical wall, photographs or posters will also do the trick!
Incorporate a Water Body
A courtyard with a water body is a beautiful way to welcome the water element into your home. The sound of gently flowing water soothes and refreshes the senses, reduces stress levels and infuses your home with positivity. If you don’t have the space for a pool or fountain, even adding a small tabletop water feature will make a world of difference to the energy in your home.
We so love this Zen-inspired shallow pool with water flowing through split levels!
Use Nature-Inspired Textiles
Evoke a sense of the outdoors by incorporating elements of nature in the fabrics around your home — whether it’s bed linen, pillows or cushions, sofa upholstery or window drapes. Work the colour palette around the rest of the room in nature-inspired shades of earthy browns, forest greens and delicate floral pastels.
What a lovely bedroom to wake up to!
A Spa in your Bathroom
Create mindful spaces with large glass walls or skylights that seamlessly blur the boundaries between the outdoors and indoors. Nature is a part of this lovely spa-like bathroom, where sunlight streams in through the pretty little enclosed courtyard and pool.
Bath time was never so refreshing!
The direct and indirect connections with nature that are facilitated through biophilic design are said to recharge and rejuvenate the senses, filling your home with a sense of creative wellbeing and pure happiness. By celebrating elements of nature in your home, using the right colours, textures and patterns, and making room for mindful experiences, you can incorporate biophilic design into your home.
Need some handholding and design inspiration? HomeLane is with you all the way!
