A guide to biophilic design

Biophilic design has become vastly popular over the past decade. It's a concept that taps into our innate human instinct to connect with nature, encouraging us to immerse ourselves within natural surroundings as a form of holistic wellness. 

With increasing time being spent indoors, more and more of us are looking towards ways of designing and adapting our homes in a way that invites the outdoors in.

An introduction to biophilic design

We're beginning to take a much more human-centred approach to how we design our homes – with a focus on how our spaces make us feel, seeking improvement to our physical and mental wellbeing through our surroundings.

Rooms and spaces that connect us to nature are proven to boost productivity, stimulate creativity, encourage healing and even reduce stress and anxiety.

Biophilic design has become increasingly popular in established cities, where inhabitants have less access to nature and the idea of an inner-city ‘oasis’ that encourages escapism and wellbeing becomes particularly appealing.

Biophilic design in the kitchen

There are many ways to embrace the concept of Biophilic design into your home, whether that's simply upping your number of indoor potted plants, or opting for nature-inspired, tactile finishes and materials in your next decor palette update.

A key part of incorporating biophilia into any space is to create a light, bright, airy atmosphere by inviting natural daylight into our homes through large windows and openings.

Try to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior by drawing the curtains, opening your windows and allowing daylight to flood our internal spaces to shake off the cobwebs.

An easy, yet arguably the most impactful, way of bringing nature into your space is through the use of colour.

The colour trends looking to make it big this year all share a common thread: organic palettes that can be found within our natural world, and take us back to our roots, including sky blues, olive greens, and clay browns.

These colours can not only elevate our experience in our kitchen spaces but they also make a statement. Bolder and slightly more daring than more established shades, such as midnight blues and soft greys, they allow us to put our own stamp on biophilic design in our own homes.

Our Misty Moors colourway is the perfect green hue to offer that instant connection to the nature.

It's a trend-led colour that’ll also stand the test of time to create a harmonious, tranquil look in any home. It sits best when used alongside refined natural materials, which give it a more relatable, familiar feel.

Veined marble worktops, unfinished oaks and plenty of house plants compliment the down-to-earth quality of our Misty Moors colourway – but it would also look beautiful against punchy terracottas, rattans and raw stone finishes.

Green kitchens, in general, are incredibly versatile, as they are in nature. Misty Moors offers a well-rounded, adaptable colour, which also works as a great base alongside many other colours and materials.

Alternatively, opting for a more tactile approach through the use of wooden cabinetry is a great way to bring the outdoors in, as seen in our Nordic Nature range.

We are seeing the return to a more rustic approach to woods within our interiors, which give us that instant, grounding connection to nature.

Textured, fluted cabinetry and raw stone finishes give a multi-sensory aspect to the space which is influenced by nature , bringing a sense of calm into the home. The warm, tonal palette highlights serenity, muted tones and raw materials.