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E mbracing natural design elements such as plants, wood and floral wallpaper can have many physical and mental benefits
Biophilic wall covering from Instabilelab
Biophilic wall covering with predatory tiger from Instabilelab
Morvah Ceiling Hanging Planter from Tom Raffield
Garden designer Peter Dowdall. Photo: John Allen
Balcony with Living Wall by The Irish Gardener
Palm duvet set from Marks & Spencer
Bee Bloom Wallpaper from Hattie Lloyd Home
Gold Marrakesh Hammered Bowl Planter from Lime Lace
Biophilia is a buzzword that gets casually dropped into conversations about interiors.
T he name is Greek in origin and translates as “a love of life or living things”. In design terms, biophilia is a systematic approach to creating interiors that interact with the natural world.
It’s broken down into three basic categories. The first is ‘Nature in the Space’. That means bringing natural elements — plants, flowing air, water, changing light — into the interior.
The benefits for physical and mental health are myriad. Most famously, certain plants are excellent at purifying the air.
There’s also good solid science to show that a visual connection with nature lowers the blood pressure and heart rate.
The second category of biophilic design is called ‘Natural Analogues’. Things that remind us of nature, but aren’t actually living, are also good for us. These include natural materials like wood and stone, but also pictures of nature. A palm-print wallpaper, for example, has some of the benefits of actual plants.
The third category looks at patterns relating to the ‘Nature of the Space’. This one is a bit harder to understand. It includes incorporating dark and quiet rooms that remind us, at some ancestral level, of the safety of a cave.
Under this heading, the final (and my favourite) point relates to risk and peril. It’s about giving an experience of risk or danger while ultimately knowing that you’re safe.
That’s certainly tricky to translate for domestic interiors. One of the best examples is the Tiger mural from the Italian wallpaper company Instabilelab, showing a life-sized tiger prowling within a subtle pattern of foliage. It makes you feel like prey.
Biophilic wall covering with predatory tiger from Instabilelab
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On a purely visual level, biophilic design and sustainable design have a lot in common. Both prioritise nature, but their reasons for doing so are different.
Biophilia aims to benefit the people that inhabit a building; sustainable design intends to benefit the wider world. Faux florals and foliage, for example, can be part of a biophilic design scheme. They may or may not be sustainable. That said, there’s no reason the two approaches can’t work together.
According to research conducted by Bord Gáis Energy, 89pc of Irish homeowners say making their home more sustainable is important to them.
Morvah Ceiling Hanging Planter from Tom Raffield
The research led to an online series, Imagine A Better Way, hosted by Darren Kennedy and including an episode with Peter Dowdall, a garden designer based in Cork. Dowdall is a passionate advocate for plants.
“Indoor plants are the best air purifiers that money can buy,” he says. “You can’t get a more sustainable way of regulating your space. And now that the climate is becoming such a serious concern, plants offer the answer to that too.
"Think about cladding the outside of your home with a living wall. It will keep the building cooler, reduce the amount of water going into the building and alleviate flooding.”
Garden designer Peter Dowdall. Photo: John Allen
Until recently, installing a living wall was a massive undertaking, both in terms of installation and cost. Now starter packs are available.
“There are plenty of DIY solutions, but the easiest way to start off is with a Plant Box living wall system,” says Dowdall. The smallest kit (€119 from The Irish Gardener) includes three troughs (each 60cm x 20cm) with a built-in watering system. A 10-trough system will set you back €299.
“What you plant in it depends on how much sunlight you get. They work for anything from succulents and salad leaves, depending on the aspect of your wall. I have strawberries in mine.”
Balcony with Living Wall by The Irish Gardener
Planting for wildlife — bees and pollinating insects — has considerable environmental benefits. “If you want to attract wildlife, go for simple plants,” adds Dowdall.
“For example, if you plant dahlias, go for the naturally occurring varieties. The ones with layers of ruffled petals are hard for bees to access.”
Palm duvet set from Marks & Spencer
Similarly, plant hybrids developed for flower colour and a taller stem are often sterile for bees and insects. If in doubt, ask at your garden centre. Dowdall also points out that planting for nature can be as manicured as you want it to be.
“Everyone is aware of rewilding, but not everyone wants that unkempt look. You can still have a show garden. You just have to choose the correct plants.” Rewilding is not the same as neglect.
Dervla Farrell, Online Colour Consultant with Colourtrend, suggests people who are already planting for wildlife in their outdoor or balcony spaces can use paint colours to help attract birds and bees. Colourtrend’s Weather Collection (from €32.50 for one litre) is designed to work with the Irish climate.
Bee Bloom Wallpaper from Hattie Lloyd Home
Farrell suggests planting calendula and buddleia, also known as the butterfly bush, in planters painted in Foxmount, Furze Lane or Pink Chocolate as butterflies are reputedly attracted to yellows, pinks and reds.
“You can also opt for these colours as a bold choice for an exterior door, but make sure to have some of their favourite plants nearby so they don’t feel hard done by!”
Gold Marrakesh Hammered Bowl Planter from Lime Lace
Birds have excellent colour vision. A 2017 survey published by researchers from the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Hull in England indicated that silver and green feeders were more popular among garden birds than red and yellow ones.
In contrast, people preferred red, yellow, blue and green feeders. The researchers concluded that green feeders may be simultaneously marketable and attractive to foraging birds.
The excellent bird silo (€59) from Designist comes in slate, green and terracotta. It’s designed by Finnish bird enthusiasts Mika and Julie Tolvanen based on several years’ study of the eating habits of birds.
Then there are the neighbours to consider. “Irish people favour neutral colours in their outdoor spaces,” says Farrell. “We tend to look at what other people have locally and reflect that. They want to respect the neighbours.”
Her own favourite shade is Mucky Swan, a greige she describes as “the perfect neutral” and Newgrange: “It’s an earthy plum colour with a richness that’s somewhere between a neutral and a pop.”
Planting for nature without letting nature run amuck and using colour to attract birds, bees and butterflies, without offending the folks next door. At the end of the day, it’s a balancing act.
A 15-minute colour consult with Dervla Farrell is free; a 30-minute session costs €50 with €25 refundable as an online voucher for paint, see colourtrend.ie. Bord Gáis Energy: Imagine A Better Way is available on YouTube. See also theirishgardener.com, webb.ie and shop.designist.ie.
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