We will always have an unspoken connection to the natural world – as evidenced by that freeing sensation we all feel whenever we find ourselves in the rural countryside. This unspoken connection extends beyond our reaction to the natural world, though – in times of increasing urbanisation, we can’t help but to flood our homes with houseplants. As a houseplant enthusiast, what can you do to fully embrace your natural tendencies?
Biophilic Design
The continued proliferation of houseplants as interior design is a small signifier of a much larger interior design phenomenon, known as biophilic design. Biophilic design describes the incorporation of natural and material elements into the design of interior spaces. This is done in a number of ways, from the use of raw and sustainable materials in the creation of a space to the incorporation of natural shapes and designs into the architecture itself.
Biophilic design is a complete philosophy, but not one that can be necessarily fully realised in a standard domestic home. However, its impact is being keenly felt on windowsills across the country – and for good reason.
Benefits of a Green Indoors
Incorporating natural elements indoors – particularly by introducing living plant life to your living spaces – can have profound impacts on both your mental and physical health. For one, houseplants serve to improve our mood, in part from the vibrant colours they introduce but also due to the routines they inspire.
Houseplants can also have a subtle impact on the literal atmosphere of the home, removing certain pollutants from the air in small amounts while releasing scents of their own. The result can be clearer air, and a clearer head.
DIY Ideas for an Indoor Oasis
But what can you do to further embrace the philosophy of biophilic design, and create your own little indoor nature reserve? Here are some simple DIY ideas to help you achieve your goal – for which you will need little more than a set of Milwaukee power tools and some everyday materials.
The Living Wall
If you’re running out of space in which to place your houseplants, you may be looking at an extremely cluttered indoor space. You will also have a lot of space going unused – namely, vertical space. Try mounting a vertical panel covered in semi-permeable membrane, and using it to cultivate a living moss wall.
Herb Garden
Your indoor plant space can work for you functionally, just as much as it does aesthetically. You could hang a pocketed membrane, and use it to grow herbs of different varieties for use in your kitchen. You get an added bonus from the scents they produce!
Terraria
For smaller homes with much less room for growing plants in, or for homes where soil and compost is a bad idea, you could turn instead to building your own terraria – enclosed ecosystems in which plants and life sustain themselves.