What is Biophilia and How is it Influencing Kitchen and Bathroom Design?

How Does Biophilia Impact Kitchen Design?

Earthy tones, such as green, brown, or cream relax us by resembling the neutral colors of nature. An easy way to incorporate these natural colors is by opting for a common soothing palette across your home. For example, choose shades of green as your primary kitchen color and then apply it to the most visually spacious parts of the room such as the wall for a bold breath of fresh air. A good secondary color, like creme, can fill in the gaps and let the color pop. Use this for items like the floors, stools, and countertops. You could also switch the primary and secondary colors described above for a similar effect. Next choose a finish such as brushed nickel or matte black as a highlight color for faucets and fixtures such as the brushed nickel on Pioneer’s Single Hole Deck Mount Electronic Sensor Faucet. 

Lighten Up | Allowing more natural light to enter your space is a simple way to adopt a biophilic design, even if your kitchen lacks large windows. Eliminating thick curtains that block sunlight, removing items that obscure the window, and rearranging furniture to face the light are just a few ways that one can maximize natural lighting in a kitchen. Give yourself more opportunities to adore your view outside, even if it is small. No greenery outside the window? Potted trees can be placed nearly anywhere. Even a small connection to the outside can better your state of mind.

Embrace Mother Earth’s Materials | Natural materials will make this easier or for a cost-conscious choice, synthetic flooring does a wonderful job of mimicking the outdoors. If you can, opt for wood, bamboo, or cork flooring as those are eco-friendly, sustainable and bring nature straight to you. For countertops, try marble or stone for a solid, earthy feel. 

How Does Biophilia Impact Bathroom Design?

Since tiles or vinyl squares make up most of a bathroom, their color sets the tone for the room. A dark brown reminiscent of tree bark or a leafy green will give your bathroom a bold dose of nature. Although stark white is the most common color found in the bathroom, it’s not usually found in nature, so opt for beige instead. Yellows, pinks, reds, and violets in small doses via artwork, towels, soap dispensers, etc. bring a spring day inside year-round. 

Embrace Curves | Breaking up straight lines is a great way to introduce a natural pattern into your kitchen. Since straight lines and right angles rarely appear in nature, break up stark lines with circular, jagged, or curved patterns when choosing your wall and flooring styles. A great way to do this is to roughen the materials with three-dimensional textures. Avoid flat tiles and instead, go with uneven stone or a bamboo-stalk lined wall. Choose a finish for your shower set with texture, such as the Moroccan Bronze from Pioneer’s  Handheld Shower Set. If natural materials are difficult to come by, a leafy pattern on the bath mat or a potted palm in the corner will lend a leafy feel.

Private Light | Although bathrooms that aren’t in the luxury sector rarely have large windows, it’s still quite possible to bring in a fresh dose of oxygen by propping a window open or buying a plant that thrives in humidity. Even a single window, when used the right way, can bring the outdoors in. If floor space is in short supply, hanging plants are the solution. Can’t keep a plant alive or don’t want to? Faux plants provide the feel-good aspect of living plants and have the benefit of malleability impossible with living plants.

In Short, Biophilic Design Improves Life

Aside from being a much-lauded trendy aesthetic at the moment, biophilic kitchen and bathroom designs have been used for centuries for a reason. Connecting with nature is good for the soul. Their neutral color schemes, organic shapes, bright natural light, natural and nature-inspired materials, use of plants and three-dimensional textures improve wellbeing. As life increasingly becomes more indoor-focused, it would do us all a tremendous amount of good to remember to bring more of the outdoors into our homes.

There are many ways to the same destination. This saying applies to multi-family housing builds just as much as to anything else in life. The ultimate goal is save as much money as possible while delivering a great finished project – that’s simply showing smart business sense. But, finding a one-off deal or sacrificing quality isn’t the only way to get a healthy ROI. We have a better way.

Pioneer works with professionals every day to develop specification packages and plans that save our valued partners both time and money, sometimes in surprising ways. It’s our goal to ensure your project meets or exceeds its expected outcome. We want to get to know you and your company and show you how we can save you money.  Please reach out via our website form or call us at (800) 338-9468.