6 design elements and attributes to incorporate Biophilic Design into your home

Biophilic design elements are proven to have a positive impact on overall health and wellness and can be easily incorporated into your interiors through materials, shapes, forms and patterns. Environmentally inspired design features and materials are consistently reported as preferred attributes over artificial products. Biophilic design incorporates the biological based human affinities towards the natural environment. Selecting natural materials for your space adds depth and interest while increasing the human-nature connection we all intrinsically crave. Do you remember the last time you went for a hike in the woods or a walk on the beach? I bet you felt inspired, hopeful and renewed. It’s why our intake process includes a questionnaire that asks what you want each room in your home to feel like. By incorporating Biophilic design elements like natural materials, organic shapes and “living finishes” we can evoke those feelings in your home. How incredible is that? There are six main elements that encompass Biophilic Design listed below, along with the design attributes to help you incorporate this style into your home.

Environmental Features

The architectural design of your home is of great importance when it comes to creating an interior that looks looks great and feels amazing. Biophilic spaces are designed not just by the materials, patterns and colors you select, but also the layout of the space. Maximizing views of natural vistas, especially water features and vegetation, are often highlighted in Biophilic architecture. Incorporating operable windows allows fresh air into your home and helps improve indoor air quality while also providing a source of natural light. One thing that sets Bartone Interiors apart from other design firms is our ability to provide interior architectural services AND furnishings. We love having complete control over the space to make the most impactful renovations for our clients.

Using natural building materials like stone, wood and granite incorporate Biophilia while avoiding the unwanted toxins synthetic materials can bring into your home. From a decorating side, there are numerous natural wallcoverings that range from thin wood veneers, grasscloth, hemp and even 14 karat gold! Selecting a color palette of earth tones is another soothing element that can be incorporated through building materials and furnishings.

Have you even struggled with the final touches or “styling” of your home? This is one of our favorite parts of the design process and another way to layer in biophilic inspired design into your home. Adding. plants is a great way to breath life into your space while helping to improve your indoor air quality.

Natural Shapes and Forms

This design element includes representations and simulations of the natural world incorporated into our homes through botanical motifs. These can be almost any pattern found in nature from plants and vegetation to animals like snails, ocean life and their shells. While incorporating some of these elements in actual products like polished stones and shells as accessories, you can also use biomimickry to utilize wallpaper patterns and textile or upholstery. Many lighting designs incorporate natural shapes and can be a creative and unexpected way to incorporate botanical motifs into your home.

Natural Patterns and Processes

This design element emphasizes the incorporation of attributes and experiences found in the natural environment vs. representative shapes and forms. For example, using materials that change and. patina over time creates an ever changing environment which is very similar to nature. Your design created a living breathing interior out of an otherwise static architecture. Similarly, using fractal patterns in textiles and other furnishings mimics the patterns found in nature that repeat at various scales without being exactly identical. No two snowflakes are identical; selecting variable vs. identical furnishings will enhance the design of your space and increase interest. Think about selecting nightstands or side tables that coordinate vs. using two of the exact same piece. Just make sure to confirm the heights are similar if you are adding table lamps!

Creating a variety of sensory experiences like touch, sound and smell, you create informational richness within your interior design and a deeper connection to a natural environment. Aromatherapy is a great way to enhance the experience of living in your home and can change based on the season.

Finally, having a focal point in each space is important to our human history of way-finding, as well as clearly delineated spaces and consistent boundaries to increase feelings of comfort and safety. Doesn’t everyone want to feel safe and secure in their home?

Light and Space

Natural lighting is a preferred home feature and has been proven to be physically and psychologically rewarding to people, contributing to their health, productivity and well being. There are numerous ways to light a space both artificially and naturally while controlling the lighting within your home to maximize functionality. Utilizing diffused and reflected light as well as drawing people into a space with “light pools” foster feelings of security and protection. This can be achieved through natural light based on window placement and treatments or using directional light on your fireplace hearth and mantle.

Take a look at the windows in your space and see how you could get more natural light into your home. We often place window treatments, specifically valances or roman shades, slightly higher than the window frame. This allows the shade to only slightly cover the window opening and allows more natural light into your home. Another tip, the higher the window or source, the deeper the light travels into your interior! Think about clerestory windows on yoru windows and doors if you are adding or replacing.

Place based relationships

Place based relationships focus on geographical context and supporting the inherent human need to establish territorial control. Bathroom and Kitchen renovations are top on the list for many home owners looking to improve their space while adding economic value and a great place to incorporate place-based relationships into your home. The “spa” like home bathroom trend creates sanctuaries and places of ritual within your own home, vs. having to travel to another location.

Geography, history, ecology, culture and use of indigenous materials are all ways to support place-based relationships in your design. Out of all these connections, simply avoiding “placelessness” in your design can help in creating a deeper connection to the people and places you love and enjoy.

Many. of our clients pick up art, small accessories and even rugs during their travels that we incorporate into the design of their homes. This adds a connection to a happy time and provides a story to tell friends and family.

Evolved Human - Nature Relationships

This element focuses on the fundamental and inherent relationship to nature for food, protection and security. It’s about balancing opposing forces to obtain all human needs; prospect and refuge, order and complexity, curiosity and enticement. A great example is the open floor plans. As we have spent more hours working and learning from home, the open floorplan has been a challenging environment to live within. People need secure spaces with doors to create quiet sanctuaries and safe places to unwind with their own thoughts.

Using Biophilic design principles to set up your home can aide in creating a calming environment that allows your home to be a restorative place. Mother Nature really does know what she’s doing and is a great source for inspiration in all of our designs.

If you’d like to know more about getting started with Biophilic Design in your home, simply get in touch!