Biophilic design, in a nutshell, is all about taking cues from nature for your design choices. It provides a sense of harmony in your home that only nature can provide. Not all of us are lucky enough to design a home from the ground up, but you can still bring elements of biophilic design into an already built home. All it takes is a shift in perspective and looking to the great outdoors for inspiration.

Answering the question: what is biophilic architecture is beyond the scope of this post. This post is going to focus more on biophilic design ideas for your home. With that said, read on for more information on how to bring biophilic design into your home and enhance your connection with nature.

Materials Needed

Since this tutorial is focused mostly on what you can do with what you already have, there aren’t many materials or tools needed to follow this how-to. There are a few things, however, that you can bring into your home to add some biophilic design into your home and they’re listed below.

• House plants
• Natural fabrics and materials
• Natural shapes
• Water feature
• Nature-inspired art

Step One: Add Plants

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The first step is the quickest and easiest way to bring elements of biophilic design into your home, even if you’re renting. Since biophilic design is heavily inspired by nature, just add plants.

Houseplants have been particularly trendy for a number of years now and for good reason. Adding plants to your space immediately brings a natural element to your home that mimics the feeling of being in nature.

For added interest, mix and match potted plants or consider adding a green wall.

Step Two: Open The Windows

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Many houses nowadays rely on climate control. With the benefit of a carefully controlled interior climate, you lose out on air quality and the feeling of a fresh, cool breeze blowing across your skin.

If your climate allows, open the windows and let some fresh air in. Fresh air also boosts your immune system while connecting you to your immediate environment. As an added bonus, you have more chance of hearing snippets of bird songs or the wind rustling in the trees. The sounds of nature are an important sensory element that shouldn’t be forgotten. Which brings us to the next point.

Step Three: Add Water

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The sound of water will soothe your busy mind and calm your body at the same time. If possible, add a pond with a small bubbling fountain somewhere close to your home.

If it’s not possible to add a pond in your situation, you can get the same effect with an indoor water feature to create a calming space and experience getting in touch with nature.

Step Four: Embrace Natural Lighting

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Sunshine is one of the best mood enhancers there is. And I’m not making this up, there are many scientific studies to prove this fact.

To get the most natural light into your home, take a look at the openings in your home and consider how you can maximize the amount of natural light that has access to the interior of your home.

Look at all the doors and windows. Are they covered? Can you increase the aperture of the opening to let more light in? Is your furniture arranged in a way that allows you to benefit from that natural light?

Pay special attention to the doors and windows that face the equator; southern facade in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa in the Southern Hemisphere. These are the openings that could potentially allow direct sunlight into your home.

Step Five: Use Natural Materials

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A lot of products on the market today are made out of plastic, a material that doesn’t occur naturally. To bring elements of biophilic design into your home, ditch the plastic and opt for natural materials instead.

Consider wood, bamboo, and cork for furniture. Stone for countertops and floors, and natural fibers for coverings of any kind. Rattan is also a popular choice these days for nature inspired accents.

These are subtle details that will have a big impact in making your home feel like a natural place as opposed to an artificially fabricated one.

Step Six: The Shapes Of Nature

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Straight lines are uncommon in nature. However, man-made architecture is often all about straight lines and right angles.

Offset this artificial feel with curved furniture, round frames, and organic textiles. Embrace imperfections and forget about symmetry. Patterned cushions and rugs add to the natural feel.

If you’re keen on biophilia, ditch straight lines and pursue curves.

Step Seven: The Colors Of Nature

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Nature is full of colors. Bring this riot into your home by embracing bold colors and contrasts. You could paint a whole wall, or you could add a few colorful accent pieces.

Consider a floral or nature-inspired wallpaper to bring a tropical element to your interior. Each color will affect your mood differently, so read up on what you’re getting yourself into before you commit.

Step Eight: Art

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Natural themed art is a quick and easy way to immediately bring elements of biophilia into your home. Think of a tranquil forest theme, a desert vista, or botanical drawings of the wildflowers in your area. Animals in nature, like deer decor, are another example of incorporating the wild into your space.

Bring the outdoors in

And that's that. What do you think about this tutorial? Will you bring elements of biophilic design into your home? As you can see from the tutorial above, there are many choices you can make in your decorating decisions that will bring an element of biophilic design into your home.

If you're renting, all the accessories in your home can be inspired by nature to bring natural harmony and serenity into your interior space with a biophilic design.