What is Biophilic Design? Connecting Nature with Interior Spaces

Biophilia translates to “the love of living things” in ancient Greek (“bio” meaning life, and “philia” meaning the inclination towards or love of something).
Modern life and technology can create a rift between humans and the rhythms of the natural environment, but biophilic design positions innate human needs at the heart, achieving mental, physical, and emotional well-being through natural materials and processes.

In its simplest terms, biophilic design aims to restore and enhance our connection with nature.

To bring biophilic design to our spaces, we should consider the core principles of biophilic design. Let’s look at the essential natural elements we can use to achieve the approach in our homes.

Try to maximize your exposure to natural light, fresh air, and the weather, and incorporate your favourite houseplants or floral arrangements. Plants like succulents, snake plants, or ferns create a soothing atmosphere and can improve air quality. Nature inspired murals, such as our Xylem Sage mural, are a fantastic way of stimulating the senses with designs from the abstract interpretations of the leaves.

Leaf patterns, wood grains and coral are some examples of beautiful, organic patterns in nature. Use natural materials like wood, bamboo, line and stone to stick to biophilic principles through color and texture. Installing a wall mural that blends nature with natural materials—like our Biome wall mural, featuring oversized leaves set against a concrete backdrop is a simple yet powerful way to incorporate biophilic design into your space.

Choosing open, neutral walls embraces available natural light for feelings of freshness, space, and airiness, whereas darker, moodier tones help create a safe sanctuary to snuggle away in. Using large scale wallpaper designs like the Naturalia or Redouté Green mural is an excellent way to bring the height and scale of a tropical forest to a space with an oversized botanical design.

Biophilic design has many physiological and emotional benefits for all ages and demographics. Incorporating the design approach into a home or office environment is multi-sensory, accessible, and scalable - small changes can have a positive impact.

Living with natural light can positively affects our circadian rhythm, mood, and sleep. Using natural materials also means lower VOCs and toxins contributing to indoor air pollution.

The cognitive benefits of being in nature are well-known and well-studied. Incorporating nature indoors via biophilic design can decrease blood pressure, help lower stress and anxiety, and reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders.

Introducing plants into homes or offices can significantly improve employees’ perceived attention, alertness and productivity and boost creativity. It also means a reduced number of sick days.

Searches in the US for biophilic design peaked at the outset of the pandemic and have remained significant. Between its aesthetic appeal and sustainable credentials, it’s a design movement everyone can get on board with.

As more people work from home and indoor time increases, access to outdoor spaces isn’t always a given. That’s why interior designers are embracing biophilic design—bringing nature indoors to spark creativity, lift moods, and reduce stress. Whether it’s a tropical-inspired bedroom, a botanical bathroom, or a bold leaf detailed dining room, biophilic wallpaper makes it easy to infuse any space with the beauty of nature while complementing its purpose.

If you're looking to embrace biophilic design in your home or office, the key is to bring the outdoors in. From the soothing elegance of gentle tropical leaves to the captivating depth of a woodland escape, nature-inspired elements can transform any space. To help you get started, we've rounded up our top tips for infusing your interiors with the beauty and tranquility of the natural world.

Think of maximising natural light during the day by keeping windows clear and open and opting for ambient lighting and blackout blinds to keep things dark and cosy when it’s time to sleep. Redouté Dark is an excellent option for cocooning yourself in nature.

Think of hanging planters if space is at a premium and wood, stone or marble in raw forms on furniture, fittings, and accessories. Consider growing edible flowers for physical and mental health benefits or installing Lacandon Green or another of our forest murals as an alternative to real houseplants.

Finding items inspired by naturally occurring forms and shapes is a big part of biophilic design and an easy way of achieving the approach in your home. Leafy murals such as the Ficus Green design are a good option, with detailed illustrations of foliage and fruit arranged in a naturally occurring arch shape; you’d feel you were sleeping beneath the boughs.

Biophilic design is as much about emotional well-being as it is physical, so surround yourself with items full of nostalgia and joy that make you feel good. Shells from seaside strolls, treasured family photos encased in wood grain frames, and houseplants in hand-crafted ceramic pots all align with biophilic principles and improve our feel-good connection to the natural world around us.

Catherine Jacob, Head of Design at Hovia explains, “To incorporate this style into your home, you can reference elements of nature, whether that’s through the use of beautiful woods and natural grains, or mimicking the shapes and texture of the outdoors through beautiful wallpaper prints and soft furnishings.”