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Looking at Biophilic Design

September 23, 2019

Subtle but growing in popularity, there has been a trend in wellness that has permeated the kitchen and bath industry. Biophilic design incorporates experiences of the natural world – such as circadian lighting, natural sounds or scenes– into the modern built environment.

Incorporating elements of nature into the built environment can reduce stress and lower heart rates and blood pressure, while also increasing creativity, productivity and well-being. Corporations like Apple, Google and Amazon are at the forefront of instilling biophilic design in their workspaces, and the idea has spread to homeowners and designers. KBB spoke with five manufacturers taking on this new trend to find out more about why and how to use natural elements in residential projects.

Defining Biophilic Design

“Biophilic design is the architectural framework that weaves patterns of nature, or biophilia, into the built environment – it can help to inform building, design and construction as it pertains to the relationship between humans and their surroundings. With its nature-inspired patterns, forms and textures, biophilic design helps reinforce our inborn connection to the natural world and balance our need for it even when we are inside.”

Tammy Weadock, senior communications manager at Wilsonart

“As people seek to create more healthy spaces at home, we’ve seen an increase in the use of saturated earth tones, such as deep moss, burnt umber or blues. Along with these earth tones, designers and homeowners can work to incorporate nature-inspired hues and natural elements such as plants, creating a contrast with the colors in these spaces.”

Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams

“Biophilic design refers to the integration of natural elements into architecture and interior spaces, including things that can be dynamically controlled and monitored, such as natural lighting, audio and air or water quality.”

Angela Larson, vice president of sales operations at Savant

Grand Banks Limestone from Eldorado Stone is an architectural stone veneer that balances cream and silvery blue hues with accents of rust and gray-green tones.. This chiseled profile conveys traditional formalities and is roughhewn into a rectangular shape for a natural but sophisticated look.

The Why

“As neighborhoods become increasingly urbanized and technology continues to influence more of our daily activities, it’s not surprising that we feel an elevated desire to stay connected with the natural world. By embracing biophilic design, we can bring the appeal of natural textures, color tones and features into our everyday living spaces, rather than waiting for a weekend or seasonal vacation to provide an opportunity to ‘escape’ to nature.”

Ramsay Hawfield, vice president of marketing and product development at Eldorado Stone

“People feel intuitively better when connected to the outdoors, and there is a growing awareness of how profoundly different the experience is in a space that feels natural. As technology has evolved to allow companies to offer increasingly realistic, nature-inspired design elements, it’s become easier for homeowners to embrace – and consumers are latching onto the trend.”

Liana Frey, vice president of marketing at Ketra

“In today’s hectic world, people are seeking ways to slow down, take stock and bring our best selves into the next decade. As a result, homeowners want to bring biophilic elements into their spaces, and that translates to color and how we’ll decorate our homes. For example, this year Sherwin-Williams focused our 2020 Colormix Forecast around wellness and the colors in the five palettes – Alive, Mantra, Play, Haven and Heart – pave the way for self-nurturance and brings warmth into the home.”

Wadden, Sherwin-Williams

Ketra’s Natural Light slowly transitions from bright and cool in the morning (left) to warm and dim in the evening (right). Ketra is a premium LED lighting system known for making any space feel bathed in sunshine by producing a near-infinite spectrum to mimic the color and intensity of sunlight. Photo Credit: Zio & Sons

In the Kitchen
“The inclusion of natural or biophilic elements or the direct, physical connection to nature can create a welcoming atmosphere for one of the most-used spaces in the home. For example, creating a space that has an abundance of sunlight and/or direct access to the outdoors (i.e. an indoor/outdoor dining space) is an excellent way to integrate biophilic design into the kitchen. Other more subtle means would include adding plants around the space or integrating materials into the design that mimic the look and feel of organic materials like wood and natural fibers.”

Weadock, Wilsonart

“The right kitchen lighting is important to create an experience for homeowners and guests. Making the space feel bathed in sunlight creates an environment that feels welcoming and invigorating for daytime meals or meal prep. For evenings and entertaining, the dynamic lighting allows the homeowner to set the mood for a cocktail party or an intimate candlelit dinner, offering a variety of scenes from vibrant and exciting to warm and inviting and beyond.”

Frey, Ketra

“Common healthy living elements utilized in a kitchen include control of advanced lighting solutions and motorized shades to bring more natural light into the space. As an example scenario for the kitchen, users might choose to set the kelvin temperature of white light based on time of day (cooler in the morning and warmer in the evening) and have that temperature seamlessly shift throughout the day, mimicking the sleep/wake cycle otherwise known as circadian rhythm. Living in such an environment enhances wellness.”

Larson, Savant

Nature Beckons is a collection of biophilic designs created by Wilsonart to nourish the human-nature connection. Designs range from bold, green, graphic designs inspired by a canopy of trees to rustic, white-washed woods and the hexagonal prismatic wax cells of a honeycomb (shown here in Pumpkin Honeycomb).

In the Bath

“You see many luxury spas that incorporate stone and rustic-looking wood on their walls because they understand the connection between relaxation and nature. This same philosophy can be translated into home bathrooms. Wall coverings that evoke a more natural setting will continue to grow in popularity, especially those that are sustainably made and more affordable than other options that create the same effect. Whether you’re looking to reminisce about the calming ambiance of a rustic log cabin or a natural hot spring, there are sustainably created stone veneer options available in a diverse range of shapes and color palettes to meet that need without breaking the bank.”

Hawfield, Eldorado Stone

“There are also plenty of opportunities to integrate biophilic design or healthy elements into the bath. Similarly to the kitchen, the inclusion of natural elements provides comfort and creates a calming and tranquil atmosphere. Biophilic design can be used to make a home bath feel like a spa — incorporate lush greenery or a plant wall, water flows that mimic the feel of a natural spring and luxurious surfaces and materials.”

Weadock, Wilsonart

“Dynamic lighting in the bath is a powerful upgrade that helps homeowners make the most of their ‘me-time.’ The lighting can be set to a bright and cool temperature and intensity to energize a morning shower – or warm and dim for a more relaxing mood during an evening bath. Advanced lighting in the bath space further enhances the experience when applying makeup or grooming, providing lighting that evokes a variety of environments, such as a morning coffee date, a mid-afternoon board meeting, a red carpet event or a candlelit dinner, giving the homeowner an accurate portrayal of what they’ll look like outside of the house.”

Frey, Ketra

Smart home automation company Savant gives the user full and remote control over their home’s lighting systems for a more natural experience. Use the settings on a smart home app to warm a tub before returning home from work or lower and warm the lights to relax before bed. The thermostat, security system and sound speakers can also be manipulated for a full-home-controlled experience.

The Future of Biophilic Design

“Biophilic design provides a versatile framework for understanding and addressing our common need for connection, both to the physical world around us and to one another. As nature-inspired design elements and solutions continue to grow, both in terms of volume and level of sophistication, the pull toward this new design paradigm is bound to be irresistible for designers and consumers alike.”

Hawfield, Eldorado Stone

“2020 will be an empowering year of change, so I expect biophilic home design to continue to grow as people continue to look for ways that incorporate nature and wellness into their home. Wellness can mean something different for everyone, but as people seek to create more tranquil spaces at home, I believe they will aim to bring colors that evoke these emotions. When it comes to choosing color and designing spaces for our homes, this means being thoughtful about the purpose of a space and how it can round out a sense of well-being at home, whether this is achieved by incorporating more bolder, earthy tones or with more neutral and traditional tones.”

Wadden, Sherwin-Williams

“Biophilic design will absolutely continue to benefit as smart home technologies progress, bringing more intelligent, healthful solutions to consumers. Today, homeowners can take advantage of smart lighting, shades and audio products, however, we anticipate that innovations will impact other devices as well, such as flat-panel displays that may further contribute to biophilic design. Devices throughout the home will be utilized to bring natural sounds into a space, and lighting form factors will continue to evolve so that healthier lighting can be deployed into every room in the home.”

Larson, Savant

Sherwin-Williams’ Harmony is an interior paint that helps improve indoor air quality so rooms can stay fresher longer. Harmony has odor-eliminating technology, which reduces common indoor odors from cooking, pets and smoke, while providing a durable, washable finish. Harmony’s formaldehyde-reducing technology helps improve indoor air quality by reducing VOC levels from sources such as cabinets, carpets and fabrics.