What is Biophilic Design, Why Is It Important and How Can You Bring It Into Your Bedroom?
There’s plenty of research to show that a connection with the natural world has a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being. Being surrounded by nature can lower blood pressure and your sympathetic nervous system’s activity, as well as improve focus, serenity and creativity. This is fascinating to me as I’ve always been drawn to nature and used it to inspire my projects – a technique known as biophilic design. This can involve everything from building in views to the outside to including natural materials as finishing touches.
Here are six ways you can use biophilic design to bring Mother Nature into your bedroom:
1. Add plants
Arguably, one of the easiest ways to embrace biophilic design is with plants. Not only do they have a proven positive impact by lifting one’s mood, but they can also help reduce stress and improve air quality. What’s more, looking after your plants can be therapeutic!
My number one piece of advice when picking a plant is to check the conditions it needs to grow. For example, a plant that loves the sun will not fare well in a north-facing bedroom with very little natural light. Equally, plants that thrive in humid conditions are best kept in the bathroom rather than in a drier space like a bedroom. Within a room, location also matters. Plants don’t thrive when put next to a radiator, for example.
Once you understand the conditions your chosen plants need, do some research on taking care of them.
2. Pick an eco-friendly paint
Eco paints are made from natural raw materials and manufacturers should be able to provide a complete list of ingredients. Don’t be fooled by paints describing themselves as ‘water-based’: they may not be as eco-friendly as they sound. To check, look at what else goes into the paint besides water. If there are a lot of chemicals that could contribute to health problems, you’ll know that the paint is not eco-friendly.
Always take the production process of paint into consideration too. According to the experts at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, for every litre of modern acrylic paint made, around 30 litres of toxic waste are put into the environment. So, look for an eco-conscious company that makes compostable paints.
What ultimately sells me on eco paints is the fact that they let walls breathe. Acrylic paints form a barrier on walls that traps air, which can lead to mould as well as other problems. However, the natural ingredients that comprise eco paints allow walls to breathe.
3. Create a natural colour palette
What better way to invite the outside than with a colour palette that takes its cue from the natural world? The beauty of nature is that each season has its own colour palette, from the earthy shades of autumn to the pastel hues of summer. Using colours with a green undertone is an easy way to establish a strong link with Mother Nature. These colours also create a sense of calm, no matter how saturated or pale in shade.
Always test colours before committing to them. This is because the direction of your bedroom – north, south, east or west – will dictate the type of light that comes through your windows, which in turn significantly affects how colours look. In our office, we have large A3 boards painted in project colours. These are our go-to when making sure paint colours work with the schemes we’ve chosen for our clients. They’re also great to take to site and hold up against the walls to make sure the colour works in the space and with the light.
For this reason, I recommend tester pots of your favourite colours. Paint them onto large pieces of paper or cardboard, then move them around your bedroom so you can see what the colour looks like at different times of the day. In my experience, painting testers on paper is much better than painting directly onto the wall. This is because you’ll judge the new wall colour against the original wall colour rather than judging it in its own right.
4. Let in the light
One of the key principles of biophilic design is natural light – and lots of it! There are simple steps you can take to bring the light in. Make sure curtains are pulled back during the day and clear any clutter from your window sills. Also, keep your windows clean and cut back any trailing plants blocking your view. I often recommend moving a piece of furniture next to the window (if it’s not going to obstruct the flow of natural light). A small sofa or armchair always works well, or perhaps a desk. If your bedroom benefits from a bay window, ask your designer to build in a window seat with storage underneath.
If light levels are low, we will sometimes go so far as to adjust the position and size of windows. We will also hang a large mirror next to the window, which makes the space brighter and feel more spacious. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the size of your bedroom mirror – so often, the tendency is to go too small. To find the perfect size, stick lining paper to the wall (use removable sticky tape to protect paintwork) to mock up the size and shape of different mirrors. This will help you judge the right size and proportions for your space.
5. Introduce organic curve
We’ve seen a big shift from sharp corners to designs with soft, rounded edges that recall the shapes found in nature. From curved wardrobes, doors and sofas to rugs and door handles, a curved feature never fails to enhance feelings of comfort and contentment.
6. Improve air quality
People are often surprised when I tell them that the air quality in the street is probably healthier than the air in their homes. This is due to off-gassing (the release of chemicals from new products), vapour emitted from glue in furnishings, and aerosols and cooking gases, among other things.
We always look to improve air quality in our projects. For example, we might make sure the house is fully draughtproof with plenty of insulation or control the quality of air in the home through a rigid system of filters. This ensures that the environments in which our clients spend the most time – namely bedrooms – are much healthier than those in the standard British home.