Nurturing spaces
Sarah Parry from Testament Interiors talks about the importance of biophilic design in your home.
photo GISELLE BROSNAHAN
Biophilia is a new term that has recently gained popularity in the world of interior design. But what does it mean?
Biophilia forms a connection with nature and living organisms to positively affect your health and wellbeing. We spend an average of 90 percent of our lifetime indoors, approximately 22 hours a day.
It's no wonder we face so many mental health and wellbeing issues in society today. With changes in urbanisation over the last few decades and the rising cost of land, more people are living on smaller sites or in high-rise apartments, and outdoor green spaces have either shrunk or disappeared completely.
Interior design that incorporates biophilic principles can lead to improvements in personal health, cognitive function, mood, and relationships.
With whenua-inspired design, you create an environment that nurtures both body and mind, fostering a sense of wellbeing and harmony in your daily life.
It’s important to determine the biophilic brief from the outset – these could include open-plan living, easy access to a garden or outdoor living space or a play area for children and grandchildren.
There are three main principles of biophilic design – nature of the space, natural analogues and nature within a space.
Sarah’s biophilic top tips
1. Nature of the space – One of the greatest ways to benefit your health and wellbeing is choosing a site or home that has all day sun and harness the sun’s natural heating properties. Other ways include water features and access to whenua through sliding doors onto patios or gardens to enable air movement, wind chimes and bird feeders.
2. Natural analogues – These are man-made items that are designed to mimic nature. Examples include furniture with organic curves and using natural fabrics in earthy tones. Artwork that recreates nature scenes and using lighting solutions can help our circadian clocks to unwind and reset with the use of dimmer switches, timers and daylight bulbs.
3. Nature in the space – This involves the use of natural elements within the interior spaces. Including living walls, house plants, aquariums and the use of natural or recycled materials like wood, stone and organic fibres like wool, cotton and jute in rugs, floor coverings and décor. This also includes having pets, so don’t forget to plan spaces for your fur babies.