Biophilic Interior Design and Why Is it Good for You

4 min readMar 4, 2020

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importance of biophilic design, home office decorated with plants — Barbulianno Design

Did you know we spend 90% of our lives indoors? Are you stunned by this number? I know I am.. For someone who loves nature and greenery and believes there is nothing more beautiful and calming than being surrounded by beautiful plants, this really gave me something to think about.

As the Colour Physiology says — Green is one of the most relaxing colours that restores your energy and it helps you to clear your mind (learn more about How Colours Affect our Mood).

Thankfully I’m not alone — there is a whole Interior Design Direction that is all about incorporating nature into our indoor environment. It is called Biophilic Design from word Biophilia — meaning Love of Nature. It focuses on human’s intuitive attraction to nature and it’s increasing importance of our health and well-being. At the end of the day, aren’t those the most important factors in our lives?

With that being said I am trying to implement as many plants as possible in my home. My husband says if I could, I would turn our flat into a jungle (that’s how bad it is 😊). I’m not kidding, take a look at my home office (above).

Why is Biophilic Design good for you?

It’s bringing nature closer to us by implementing Vegetation, Natural Lights, Textures and Materials that provide a positive impact on nature and our everyday life. In an urban world of technology, we somehow got disconnected from what should be natural to us. We have all the tools so why not bring in the beautiful outdoors into our indoor world. Not just in our homes but our workplace too. So many studies showed how important is to cleverly design workspace in order to improve employee’s well-being and productivity.

“The benefits of contact with nature often happen on repeated experience. People may possess an inherent inclination to affiliate with nature, but like much of what makes us human, this biological tendency needs to be nurtured and develop to become functional “.(Wilson 1986, Kellert 2012)

How to implement Biophilic Design in your home?

Get a good amount of greenery and you will see the difference instantly. I love waking up next to a beautiful Palm Tree (and of course my hubby too 😊). Plants are not just pretty, they are also natural air purifiers. Living in a polluted environment I don’t even have to mention how crucial is breathing clean air.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an expert on keeping your plants alive, just choose the ones with low maintenance.