As if seeking to reject the culture and stressors associated with technology and urban lifestyles, modern interior designs are embracing nature. This shift toward wild landscapes and the world outdoors is being named as biophilia, meaning a love for nature, and seems to directly oppose many of the rules modern living spaces are built upon.
Biophilia manifests within residential interiors in a number of ways and interior designers are beginning to learn more about how living spaces can not only draw impressive aesthetics from the outside world but also how our interior spaces can benefit well-being and health in the same way that nature does.
Sustainable Palette
Across many industries there is an ongoing pursuit of sustainability and interior design is no different. Homeowner preferences are now shifting toward designs and assets that improve their carbon footprint, as demonstrated by the rising figures of solar panel ownership. When it comes to design, residents are seeking to use materials that feel guilt-free, those that are both environmentally friendly and long-lasting.
This means that widely produced, artificial materials are out and locally sourced, natural alternatives are in, with stone, wood, cork, cane, wool, and leather being among the most popular choices from which to craft a comfortable and eco-conscious living environment.
Natural Light
Another way in which interior designers are recognising the advantages that natural resources have over artificial alternatives is through lighting. Perhaps the most significant advantage of natural illumination is found when considering the greater number of individuals now working from home. Being inside for a larger amount of time means less potential exposure to sunlight, to which individuals must have a certain degree of exposure to so as to help regulate a circadian rhythm.
Those largely exposed to artificial means of lighting can find their quality of sleep being reduced as their body struggles to regulate itself.
Garden Potential
Living space design has often overlooked and under-used the garden. Aside from an outdoor dining area and facilities of storage, gardens are often left to nature. Now, however, in the advent of biophilic design, designers are expanding living spaces into the garden with a host of new outbuildings, such as log cabins and summer houses.
These simple additions allow for a greater amount of living space to be created on a property and increase the crossover between our homes and nature.
Boundaries Of Shape
Traditionally, there have been a number of unspoken rules about interior design, especially when it comes to the architecture of a room. Designers have favoured (and generally limited to) straight lines. From doorways to countertops, straight edges and vertices have become the unquestionable norm for living spaces. However, now, when looking at the curvature of nature and its irregular shapes, designers are starting to reconsider the accepted standards.
The result of this reflection is significant, with archways making a huge comeback, alongside soft and rounded edges. Even furniture, such as sofas, is being increasingly designed away from its standard and straight design with a greater degree of experimentation. This does mean it will be more difficult to find the perfect fit but homes will, as they already are, have more character than ever.
