Each and every one of us has an innate love of life, an instinctive need to connect with nature and living things, which is known as biophilia. Nowadays, many of us are starting to rediscover our connections to the natural world, something we also want to reflect in our interiors.
Are you keen to renovate your living spaces based upon biophilic design principles, but aren’t sure where to begin? Together with a sustainable Quick-Step laminate floor as a natural biophilic design choice, our 7 design tips are just what you need.
Biophilia is a hugely popular interior design trend that combines the liberal use of houseplants with natural colours, soft shapes and organic materials. Inspired by the beauty and benefits of the natural world, biophilic design brings us closer to nature both in terms of lifestyle and surroundings.
Mother Nature’s beneficial effects on health and happiness are well-known – Flower Therapy, or Florapy, for example, taps into the inspirational and healing ability of flowers to help us deal with stress. Now psychologists have found that biophilic design also has a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being, boosting energy levels, proactivity and positivity.
Creating a biophilic interior is a rewarding experience - just follow these simple tips and tricks to bring nature’s benefits into your home.
Start by choosing natural materials such as wood, stone and lots of greenery, or other easily-integrated materials, for your floors, furniture and decoration. Sounds expensive? Don’t worry, it need not cost the earth: a Quick-Step laminate with a wood design, for example, is the perfect sustainable, budget-friendly solution.
Make sure that your lighting plan is in tune with your body’s internal 24-hour clock, also known as your circadian rhythm. Opt for large picture windows to maximise the positive effect of natural light throughout the day, and choose low furniture to avoid blocking sunlight. If this is not possible, then choose colour-changing lamps that reflect the way that light changes throughout the day: yellows in the morning, brighter blue-white tones in the middle of the day and amber for an evening glow.
When selecting furniture pieces, try to focus on organic materials, soft lines and natural colours that are reminiscent of a clean environment. Selecting soothing shades of green, brown, beige, grey and blue will help to create an aura of calmness and serenity.
For real biophilic design purity, match your colour schemes to the atmosphere you wish to create in each room. The natural world offers a wide array of colours and it’s yours to play with as you wish, so why not give your creativity free rein!
Firstly, you need to decide what sort of ambience you are keen to recreate. For energetic, stimulating spaces, include vibrant clownfish oranges, sunshine yellows or sky blues, perhaps within a mural, or as part of a biophilic wallpaper design. Dove greys and light blues are best for a restful, more restorative vibe in the bedroom.
Green is good! So don’t hold back when it comes to your biophilic interior planting design. Add houseplants to achieve the calming effect of natural beiges, soft browns and earthy greens. You could even think about a living wall! Otherwise, work with hanging plants at varying heights and choose plants of different shapes and sizes to create a healthy, positive, living space.
Wabi Sabi, the Japanese concept of searching for beauty in imperfection, is at the very heart of Japanese and Japandi interior design. Imperfections can be intriguing, so do consider including pottery, furniture and other pieces. They can be handmade or vintage, have interesting variations in the finish, curious fault lines, or maybe even a couple of chips or cracks! Just like nature - perfectly imperfect, perfectly unique!
Show how much you care for nature and the environment by bringing nature and natural products into your home. At Quick-Step, we have a longstanding commitment to sustainability.
All Quick-Step laminate flooring is created using only recovered wood – meaning wood by-products from other industries. Moreover, it’s PEFC certified and therefore sourced exclusively from sustainably managed forests and strictly regulated sources, making it your natural biophilic design choice. Last but not least: remember that all Quick-Step laminate flooring has a lifetime guarantee of no less than 25 years, making it the ideal choice for a luxurious, hardwearing, sustainable natural floor that’s guaranteed to last for more than a generation.
Sounds great, right? Bring nature inside your home without compromising on sustainable choices.
Combine a beautiful biophilic interior with a Quick-Step laminate floor.
Quick-Step sets the highest possible standards for its products. Discover how we became the first in flooring to receive the EU Ecolabel.
#laminate #hardwood #environment
Combine the best of Japanese interior design and Scandinavian design with Japandi.