Bring the Outside In: Biophilic Design for Your Aussie Home

Are you wondering or thinking about it for a while “What is Biophilic Design? And biophilic mean?” 

As an Australian, we’re blessed to live in one of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world.

From the red dirt and gum trees of the Outback to the golden beaches and turquoise seas of the coast, nature is an integral part of the Aussie lifestyle.

So why not bring some of that natural beauty into your home with biophilic design?

This post will explore some amazing ideas for a biophilic design Australia.

What is Biophilic Design?

Biophilic design is all about connecting your living spaces with the natural world. It draws inspiration from nature to promote health, wellbeing, and productivity indoors.

The term “biophilia” literally means “love of life” in Greek. Humans are drawn to natural elements like sunlight, plants, animals, and water.

Biophilic design taps into that instinctive bond by incorporating organic shapes, materials, colours, and patterns into interior spaces.

Some popular biophilic design strategies include:

• Using natural materials like stone, wood, cotton, wool, bamboo etc. These add warmth and texture while reducing plastic use.
• Incorporating curves and asymmetrical shapes that mimic nature’s randomness. Simple circles, spirals, and meandering lines add flow.
• Bringing greenery indoors through potted plants, living walls, moss art, etc. Live plants naturally purify the air, too.
• Adding water features like small indoor fountains or aquariums. The pleasant sounds are calming.
• Letting natural light and fresh air in through skylights, large windows, and balconies.
• Using colours and patterns inspired by nature like blues, greens, neutral earth tones, leafy prints, wood grain etc.
• Displaying natural artefacts like stones, shells, driftwood, pressed flowers, etc., as ornamentation.

The intention is to design interior areas that connect occupants with the outdoors on a subconscious level. This facilitates relaxation, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

Biophilic Design Australia: Local Inspiration

Australia’s varied landscapes offer endless inspiration for biophilic motifs. Here are some quintessentially Aussie elements to incorporate:

Colours from the Bush and Outback

The bush landscapes of Australia showcase iconic shades of olive green, earthy brown, and warm rusty red derived from the native flora and red dirt.

These earthy tones promote feelings of groundedness and tranquillity. Paints like Dulux Tranquil Dawn, Habitat, Roasted Pear, and Camelback echo the calming Aussie bush.

Timber finishes in natural jarrah, blackbutt, and spotted gum also bring organic texture. Or opt for bush-inspired prints featuring gum leaves, banksia, and wattle.

Coastal Hues

Nothing says Australian lifestyle like the beach! For seaside-inspired spaces, look to lighter blues and greens reminiscent of waves and sea glass. 

Examples are Dulux Whitsunday White, Sandy Cove, Diamond Bay, and River Gum. Add textures like jute, rattan, driftwood, sandstone, and wool in soft furnishings.

Display found objects like seashells, corals, or fishes for a touch of coastal biophilia. If you live far from the beach, just looking at these colours and items can evoke the relaxing feeling of being seaside.

Fauna and Foliage

What Aussie interior is complete without reference to our unique wildlife? Display artwork or photographs featuring native fauna like kangaroos, koalas, wombats, kookaburras, parrots, etc.

Alternatively, frame-pressed flowers feature Australia’s gorgeous endemic plants like Banksia, Grevillea, Waratah, Eucalyptus, or Bottlebrush.

Kids will especially appreciate seeing familiar animals and plants from Australian books and TV reflected in their home decor.

Natural Light

With an abundance of sunny blue skies, Australia is the perfect place to incorporate natural lighting.

Open up indoor spaces with large windows, solar tubes, skylights, and glass doors to let warm sunshine stream in. Studies show abundant natural light boosts vitamin D, energy, mood, productivity, and sleep quality.

Maximise sun exposure by orienting windows north and east. Install shading like pergolas, louvres, curtains and blinds to block glare as needed.

The interplay of light and shadow creates visual dynamism reminiscent of dappled bush sunlight.

Biophilic Decor Tips for Key Rooms

Ready to invite Mother Nature into your abode? Here are some biophilic decor ideas tailored to major rooms:

Biophilic Design Ideas for Living Room

As the heart of home life, the living room deserves special biophilic attention. Some ideas:

• Incorporate a natural focal point like a stone fireplace, a prominent landscape photography print, a wall mural or a living wall.
• Add an indoor water feature like a tabletop fountain or recirculating waterfall. The pleasant trickling sounds de-stress. Place it near seating areas to enjoy the ambience.
• Bring asymmetry and fluidity through curvaceous couches, oval rugs, arched floor lamps, etc. These free-flowing forms reflect nature’s beauty.
• Paint walls in earthy tones like Dulux Domino and Stonnington. Use raw timber, local stone, or brick for organic textures.
• Display found natural artifacts like driftwood, exciting rocks or shells. Style them on mantels, shelves, side tables, etc.
• Add indoor plants for visual interest and air purification. Floor palms, ferns, orchids, and succulents suit the humid Aussie climate.

Biophilic Entryway Ideas

Make a great first impression with a nature-inspired entryway:

• Welcome guests with a pretty planter box flanking the front door or a pair of potted topiaries. Native lavender, Lilly pilly and Callistemon add curb appeal.
• Consider a gabion-style wall filled with stone pebbles along the entry corridor or behind a console table. The tactile rocks make a mineral statement.
• Select a richly-grained wood, recycled timber or bamboo for flooring. Add a natural fibre area rug.
• Pick a leafy green hue like Dulux Peaceful Bay for entry walls—accent with botanical art prints or a round mirror that mimics a sun.
• Install a skylight above the entry space to stream in natural light. Add a comfy bench beneath to enjoy the sun’s rays.

Biophilic Kitchen Ideas

Since the kitchen is where we prepare nourishing meals, it deserves a relaxing biophilic design:

• Use recycled wood, eco-friendly bamboo or reclaimed timber to line cabinets or shelves. The organic grain patterns are soothing.
• Display edible indoor plants like herbs, strawberries, or chillies in hanging planters or on sunny window sills. Seeing food grow is fulfilling.
• Add a mini indoor water feature like a tabletop fountain, wall-mounted waterfall or countertop zen garden with raked sand. These add tranquillity as you cook.
• Accent walls with earthy mineral colours like Dulux Elephant, Cave Cliff or Wilderness. The warm clay tones are welcoming.
• Incorporate asymmetrical angles and oval shapes in pendant lights, stools, cabinet knobs, and drawer pulls. Embrace the randomness of nature.
• Install a skylight to beam in natural light during the day—grow microgreens or flowers on the windowsill beneath.

Biophilic Bedroom Ideas

Since bedrooms are for resting and rejuvenation, they must incorporate biophilic elements:

• Indulge in 100% natural fibre bedding, rugs, curtains and upholstery made from cotton, linen, wool, jute, silk etc. The breathability is healthier.
• Paint walls in serene blues and greens reminiscent of seas and forests, like Dulux Clouded Blue, Duck Egg Blue or Mystic Spring.
• Display pressed flowers or leaves behind framed glass on a wall—the preserved foliage ties to nature.
• Add a simple water feature like a tabletop rock fountain. The soothing trickle promotes deep, restful sleep.
• Allow abundant indirect light through large windows, curtains and skylights. Sun rays energise the spirit.
• Incorporate asymmetrical sensual curves via headboards, side tables, chandeliers, mirrors, etc., to break up boxiness.

No matter which room you’re decorating, look for ways to bring the beauty and rejuvenation of the natural world indoors. Your home will become a calming, energizing retreat that promotes health and happiness. Follow your biophilic bliss!

Practical Tips for Affordable Biophilic Decor

While some biophilic elements can be pricey, like commissioned art or custom architecture, you can also embrace biophilia on a budget:

• Forage for natural artefacts like pinecones, interesting rocks, shells, coral, driftwood, etc., on nature walks. Style them in vases or wall displays.
• Purchase affordable greenery like spider plants, pothos, ZZ plants, succulents, etc, from Bunnings or Ikea. Pot them in recycled cans or jars.
• Buy pre-framed nature photography prints for as little as $10-20 from Kmart, Target, Ikea, etc. eBay and Etsy also offer art under $50.
• Use removable wallpaper with botanical or jungle prints to instantly biophilic plain walls for around $30 a roll.
• Paint feature walls or furniture with earthy natural Dulux colours like Wilderness, Silkwort, or Merino. Sample pots cover 1-2 square meters. 
• Make DIY concrete planters or side tables from hardware stores using cement, sand, and pebbles. Shape them into organic freeform silhouettes. 
• Find biophilic fabrics like 100% linen, cotton, jute, or wool marked down in the $2-$5/meter range at discount fabric stores. 
• Upcycle old furniture, floor lamps, mirrors, etc., with new bamboo, cane, timber or rattan trim. Naturalise the pieces affordably. 

With a little creativity, any budget can embrace biophilic principles! Remember that spaces don’t need to be overwhelmingly naturalistic. Subtle touches here and there are enough to evoke nature’s beauty indoors.

For more details watch this video: 7 Tips for Mastering the JAPAN + SCANDINAVIAN Interior Style

Final Thoughts on Biophilic Design Australia

Humans innately crave connections to the natural world that foster our evolution. Yet modern indoor lifestyles often sever this bond, much to our detriment. Practising biophilic design principles helps restore our psyche’s vital relations with nature right inside our living spaces.

The options are vast with biophilia – you can take inspiration from the bush, the coast, native wildlife, natural materials, organic shapes, and abundant greenery and sunlight.

Simple tweaks like swapping plastic and synthetics for natural materials or adding a few potted plants and a sunlight-filled reading nook can make a world of difference. 

Embracing biophilia in your home promotes relaxation, vitality, creativity, productivity and overall wellbeing.

Much like diversifying your investment portfolio, diversifying your indoor space with natural elements helps buffer you from life’s stresses.

Why not start your biophilic journey today? Follow your instincts back to nature – mind, body and home.

Do you like this guide on what is biopilic design? and How you can achieve it. Share with me in the comment box if you have any other ideas!