Incorporating Green Living Design Principles into Your Home

There are many ways you can design and outfit your home, and if you’re looking at a way to add a unique touch, beautify your property, and feel better at the same time, then consider biophilic design. Essentially, this design trend features nature in the interior and exterior of your house so you can create the ultimate feel-good sanctuary. Below are the benefits of biophilic design and how you can add touches around your home.

Biophilic Design And How It Benefits Your Home

Popularized in the 1980s, biophilic home design is when homeowners create a deeper connection with nature by incorporating greenery, light, wood, and other natural trends into their decor. This type of design can really open up your home. In addition to looking nice, these natural elements can also improve the air quality inside and reduce the allergens in the space.

This type of design can include natural ventilation systems, water features, artwork that shows the beauty of nature, and other amazing elements that can make your home a beautiful and calming sanctuary.

In addition to elevating the look of your home, biophilic design also provides numerous benefits for your mental and physical health. Exposure to natural elements can help lower your blood pressure, enhance your mental well-being, and relieve anxiety. That’s often because being around nature reduces your cortisol levels, which is the hormone that increases in your body when you stress.

This is great because the effects of stress on your body are various. Chronic stress depresses the immune system, leaving you open to colds and viruses. The raised cortisol levels also set off your fight-or-flight response, which can lead to increased breathing issues and hyperventilation. The fear could also bother you so much that you consume more calories, which can lead to weight gain.

Keep in mind that biophilic design has some slight downsides — natural materials like wood can warp and will often require more maintenance. Plus, remodeling can be expensive. But overall, it’s a highly recommended style.

Interior Biophilic Design Ideas

You can incorporate biophilic design into your home in various ways, starting by adding more plants and greenery to the area.

That can be as easy as placing more plants around the room, hanging them from the ceiling, and putting them along your stairs. Add flowers here and there because they can instantly lift your mood and brighten the space. Many people are also decorating with moss these days because of its bright look and because it can often bring comfort and tranquility to your room. In addition to looking great, plants can also help to reduce dust in the room, and many of them purify the air.

There are other various ways to incorporate this design, including adding more natural materials around the house. Constructing shelves and stairs out of wood can add a unique touch that will enhance the depth of your spaces. You can also incorporate granite, marble, and concrete into the counters and floors of your kitchen.

Also, consider adding more natural light to the space by reducing obstructions on your window sills and incorporating more blinds instead of heavy curtains. If you can remodel, add more windows and skylights into the ceiling so you’re bathing in natural light. The light and a few mirrors will also make the space appear larger.

The beauty of biophilic design is that you can even do it if you’re on a budget. If you’re short on time and money, invest in low-fuss plants like ficus, spider plants, and peace lily. You can also make your own rattan pendant lights that you can hang for more light and a natural look.

Design The Outside As Well

Since it’s important for your well-being to be around green spaces, you can work on your patio and backyard areas once you're done decorating the inside. The same mental health benefits of indoor plants can work outdoors for you and your kids.

Children who spend more time outside often concentrate better and are more physical since they’re out there playing. Encourage kids to play outside by building a treehouse or adding a pond that could be home to some fascinating wildlife.

Think about how you can foster an indoor-outdoor connection by installing sliding doors that give you easy access to the backyard. You can open it on cool days and unite your living room with an outdoor patio. Start with the pond and then add other water features to your outdoor space, including anything from a waterfall to a fountain. Water features look amazing, and many will sound like a babbling brook, which is a sound that can immediately put you at ease.

The great thing about biophilic design is that it can be incorporated in many ways, so even a slight touch here and there can make a big difference to your decor and mood. Look into different ideas online and find the perfect update for your home.