It's not often we get to explore a completely new design idea, but for our lates Livingetc in Session event we dug deep into what nature-led design could actually mean. The beautifully nature-led Karndean showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour was the prefect place to pick apart this new phrase, working out what it meant, what it looks like and why it's relevant to how homes should look and feel right now. Designers Manuela Hamilford of Hamilford Design, Dhilnawaaz Khan Trotman of Atelier Savoir Faire and Brian Woulfe of Designed by Woulfe pooled their ideas in front of a packed audience.
They all agreed that many of the best interiors take their cues from nature, but this didn't need to be as strict as the principals of biophilic design. It could simply be color palette borrowed from a landscape, or a texture inspired by tree bark. But if you take the essence of what it is about nature that calms and nurtures you then you can build beautiful interior schemes. in design has come a long way since being about 'just' adding a home gym or sauna, and was now about designing spaces that manage stress levels, calm and uplift you, that nurture you in some way. 'When design manages to emulate that hug that nature gives you, you are allowing your home to decompress you and soothe yourself and your nervous system,' Dhilnawaaz says. And these are my five key takeaways, simple ideas that show why nature-led design is one of the key ideas shaping how decor not just looks, but feels, too.
1. Materials can be both natural, and nature inspired
Fabrics spotted in the Karndean showroom
The designers on the panel agreed that the majority of nature-led materials are natural. "Seagrass and sisal are having the biggest comeback," said Manuela. "And when you put it next to wood panelling and some muted colors, it all just instantly speaks of trees and forests and nature."
But Dhilnawaaz pointed out that it's enough to take the best of nature and not have to be slavish about it. "This doesn't have to be on the nose," she said. "Man-made materials can have the same texture, the same feeling, as you get in nature, and they are just as valid."
Case in point was the the impressive offering by Karndean, displayed near us in the showroom, of luxury vinyl floors that look and feel just like wood. 'The bonus being they're super durable,' Dhilnawaaz said.
2. Nature-led design doesn't have to include houseplants
Whereas biophilic design (the older cousin of nature-led design) tends to feature a proliferation of houseplants, this version is a little less strict about direct links to actual nature.
"It pains me to put house plants into projects, as will clients kill them - not everyone has green fingers!" said Brian Woulfe. "Instead, I look at other ways to forge a link between the inside and out - in a color palette or a texture or a placement."
3. It all starts with narrative
Flooring samples on display in the Karndean showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
There is no 'one size fits all' approach to nature-led design. Just as how some people respond better to a sun-drenched beach and others prefer a windswept moor, so deciding which parts of nature to take from has to be with the specific person in mind.
"You go through a deep-seated interview with the client before you start any designing," said Dhilnawaaz. 'You find out what colors they're drawn to and why, what places they felt calmest in, where in nature they feel restored. Then you map it out. We love to tell a story through our designs, be it evoking a Nordic escape or a Californian beach house.'
4. As in nature, good design contains contrasts
The living room of Invisible House, designed by Atelier Savoir Faire which Dhilnawaaz co-founded
Nature is all about contradictions, and that's what makes it interesting and rich. So we need to pull that same level of interest into design.
"What nature shows us is the beauty of contrast," said Dhilnawaaz. "Hard and soft, cool and warm, fluid and rigid. And that’s important to draw from. It’s the principles of nature that we’re drawing from as well the feeling we get when we’re in the mountains. Why do we feel so decompressed? Because there is a tension in the opposites of the fluidity of the ocean and the hardness of the rocks. Incorporating those different materials in decor is what makes design exceptional."
5. Nature-led design needs layering
A recent living room designed by Brian of Designed by Woulfe
"The key to good design is layering," said Manuela. "There is a reason why boucle is having a renaissance. You have a seagrass wallpaper and you layer those textures and patterns, and that gives it a depth which is really critical. And that helps with acoustics, which you end up with if you follow the principles of nature-led design."
Brian agreed that getting the acoustics right was essential. "You need to think about every detail, from what you're hearing to seeing and smelling, if you want to get the balance of nature just perfect,' he said.
Filled with an audience of designers, this Livingetc In Session seminar couldn't have been held in a more apt location. Karndean's showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, only opened last September but is already becoming a hub for people who want to spec surfaces in the inviting aura of a gallery-like space.
We'll be hosting another Livingetc In Session in the Kardean showroom in September — stay tuned for more details.