Biophilia, a connection with nature in the home, is an aesthetic more builders and homeowners are pioneering into their designs. As large cities and suburban life have taken people further from nature, the unintended consequence has been a loss of the connection between people and their living environment. Biophilia is a way to reintegrate people with natural surroundings, and besides adding beauty, science is proving there are many health benefits to the movement like reduced stress, lowered blood pressure, and increased creativity and cognitive function. Below are key ways to integrate biophilia into your home and the benefits they bring to your well-being.

Natural Light

Light is an essential part of life and bringing natural lighting to your home sets the stage for an environment that welcomes life. Natural light offers many benefits to our well-being and too often we’ve traded this for the convenience of indoor bulbs and fluorescent lighting. Natural light provides our body with vitamin D which helps aid our sleep and minimize depression. Incorporating large windows into your space helps your mind connect visually with the outdoors and invokes the stress-relieving benefits of natural light and fresh air.

Plant Life

Being in nature is an immersive experience, and adding a true biophilia dimension to your space with plants is best created on a larger scale using living walls, indoor trees, and large groupings of plants to recreate an irregular pattern like those which so beautifully exist in the wild. Being around plants is proven to boost your mood, increase productivity, reduce stress, reduce blood pressure and purify your air among many other benefits. Consider creating a plant sanctuary somewhere in your home to incorporate both living art and a healthy connection with plant life. Indoor gardeners, known as plantscapers, can help you choose the right plants, design, and maintenance level for your home.

Presence of Water

Water is a source of life, and when used as a feature in the home, it offers a natural calming effect. If you’ve ever stood by the ocean and listened to the waves or been soothed by a gentle rainfall than you’ve already experienced water’s power to lower your heart rate and decrease anxiety. Indoor fountains, luxury bathtubs, or water features on patios or outside of windows all create an environment that ushers in serenity and happiness. Water features have the added benefit of being a multi-sensory experience which further enhances the biophilia effect.

Wood Walls and Flooring

Having regular contact with nature can be effortless when everyday surfaces are made of natural materials. Wood floors, wooden planks on the walls, and wooden counters are just a few ways to regularly connect with the living world around us. Many studies have shown that people have a positive reaction to spaces designed with natural wood as opposed to manufactured building materials like steel beams. Creating spaces in the home that feel inviting parallel to creating spaces that keep us in tune with the natural world.

Views
Beautiful views of the outside world offer us a visual connection to nature even when the responsibilities of everyday life don’t allow us to physically step outside. Green is known as the most restful color to the human eye, so it’s not surprising that taking as little as one minute to look onto a green, scenic landscape can refocus our attention, improve our mood, and bring out our creativity and energy. While not all of us are lucky enough to live in the country or along the water’s edge, landscaping outside of windows and indoor art with beautiful scenery can usher in the same calming effect.

In a decade of concrete jungles, home and work environments beg for the health benefits of biophilia. Rather than construct from the artificial, it’s time to take our inspiration from the living world around us and embrace the masterpiece of nature.

Product Spotlight

ACCENT

Two Handle Lavatory Widespread Faucet

MODEL# L-7470

Description

  • Two Handle Lavatory Widespread Faucet
  • Lever Handles
  • J Style Rigid Spout
  • 4-3/4″ Reach, 3-11/16″ From Deck to Aerator
  • Ceramic Disc Cartridges
  • 3-Hole 4″ to 12″ Installation
  • 50/50 Pop-Up Drain Assembly
  • With 1.2 GPM Flow Rate

CERTIFICATIONS

  • ADA Compliant
  • Lead Free
  • IAPMO Listed
  • CUPC Listed
  • Cal Green Compliant
  • NSF Certified
  • WaterSense Certified