Since we came from nature, it’s a wonder how much we drifted from it at some point. On the other hand, we are slowly starting to return to nature. Biophilic design aims to add nature back into our living spaces. As there’s not a single invention in this world that can make us feel relaxed and grounded as some quality time spent outdoors. Therefore, it’s no wonder that people are increasingly trying to bring the outdoors indoors with strategic interior designs.

So, if you are also looking for ways to include more natural elements in your decor, try some of these biophilic design ideas.

Welcome Lots of Light

The key element of a true biophilic design is plenty of natural light. There’s no cheaper lighting solution than natural light, but there’s also no healthier one either. Having plenty of sunlight in your home will improve your overall mood, as exposure to sunlight boosts the production of serotonin (the happy hormone). It is believed that a drop in your serotonin levels can trigger depression.

Furthermore, having plenty of natural light is good for your eyes, as it actually reduces eye-strain – eye-strain can cause permanent damage to your sight, as well as trigger migraines. Therefore, for your own health, as well as the health of your housemates, remove all of those heavy curtains and embrace natural light as much as possible.

Bring Nature Indoors

Another staple of a true biophilic design is fully embracing nature. No, we’re not suggesting that you should live in a tree or a cave, but instead, bring some of the most beautiful outdoor elements into your home.

For example, a good starting point would be filling your home with lots of plants. Plants and various greenery have the ability to put our minds at ease by just being there. Furthermore, they are better at purifying the indoor air than any artificial purifier, and they waste zero energy. Finally, you can even implement a living garden in your kitchen design and grow your own herbs and spices, thus making the greenery in your home even more useful.

Design with Natural Elements

The raw beauty of natural stone or various types of wood can hardly be recreated by a machine. The quality of these natural materials is what truly sets them apart.

Think in terms of covering your floors with cork – it is very durable and provides excellent insulation, plus it looks amazing and it’s extremely eco-friendly; opt for pieces made of stone whenever you can – washbasins, bathtubs, sinks – as they will bring that raw, rustic vibe to your interior, and they are significantly more durable than other alternatives; finally, introduce a big wooden bed with drawers to your bedroom, as the aesthetic appeal and natural warmth of wood will help you drift off to the dreamland in no time.

Opt for Natural Hues

This one is pretty self-explanatory. When choosing the colors you wish to include in your design think nature all the way. What are the colors you see when you look out the window?

Aside from the mandatory green (your plants), you can also go with various shades of blue (think of the night sky vs. morning sky, winter blue vs. summer blue) for accents, and neutral earthy tones or even off-whites for either furniture or the walls (or both, really).

Embrace the Green Mindset

Being one with nature includes so much more than just filling your home with greenery and decorating it with natural materials. A true biophilic design is most commonly supported by completely embracing the green mindset.

Imagine just how silly you’d look like sitting in your home surrounded by all that nature eating with a plastic fork. Or if you tried so hard to embrace nature in your indoors but don’t have a recycling bin or a rainwater collection system in your yard. Therefore, enhance your biophilic mindset by fully immersing yourself into a green lifestyle as well.

So, to conclude, if you want to welcome a true biophilic design into your home, embrace nature with open arms – both figuratively and literally – and enjoy your new interior.

Cooper Klein

Cooper Klein

Guest Author

Cooper Klein is a cool dad and an interior designer. He’s currently working from home as a blogger for SmoothDecorator and several online magazines. You can find him on Twitter.