Designing Wellbeing: A beginner’s guide to biophilic design

We’re currently planning a conference called Designing Wellbeing which is about how beauty, nature, and thoughtful design can improve human health. This topic has been sparking lively conversations within the architecture and design community—and what’s really exciting is that medical professionals are leaning into it too.

Through research, case studies, and real-world trials, science is proving what many of us instinctively feel: design directly impacts our physical and mental wellbeing.

The Buzzword: Biophilia

One word you’ll hear a lot in this conversation is biophilia, which refers to our innate connection to nature. From this idea comes biophilic design—an approach to design that intentionally brings nature into the built environments. Studies show that biophilic design can reduce stress, lower heart rates, boost productivity, and even elevate mood.

Think about it: how many times have you read a book or watched a movie where the main character escapes into nature to clear their mind, reset, or find inspiration? Nature calls to us—it’s in our DNA—and when we answer, the benefits are real.

The best part? You don’t need to hire a design professional to embrace biophilic design. There are easy ways to bring these concepts into your own home. Adding live plants is a great place to start, but here are five more ideas you can try right now.

1. Prospect: Embrace the View

At its most basic, Prospect refers to the view. It’s all about seeing the big picture—taking in the landscape and planning ahead. Evolutionarily speaking, humans used prospect to scan for safety, food, or shelter. In your home, you can create this sense of expansive perspective by positioning your furniture to take advantage of the beauty you find outside.

This is an opportunity to welcome a new daytime ritual. Move a desk, lounge chair, or comfy bench by the window, and use it as a perch for journaling, sketching, or sipping your morning coffee. Taking a moment to mindfully observe the outside world can be grounding and inspiring.

Examples of Prospect

2. Refuge: Create Your Cozy Retreat

Refuge is the feeling of safety and shelter—a space where you can withdraw from overstimulation and carve out a little sanctuary for yourself. Think of it as your personal cocoon.

Furniture can help create this sense of refuge—high-back chairs that hug you, canopy beds, or headboards that feel solid and substantial. For kids, it might be a tent, a lower bunk draped with fabric, or the habitat under a loft bed.

Examples of Refuge

3. Wood: Nature’s Remedy

Wood isn’t just beautiful—it’s healing. For centuries, wood and its extracts have been used in ointments, tinctures, and traditional medicine. In interiors, wood brings warmth and texture, from the smooth feel of a well-worn table to the fascinating grain patterns that evolve with age.

There’s even research showing that people who sleep in solid wood beds (versus manmade alternatives) experience better sleep and lower resting heart rates. Consider adding more wood elements to your home: paneling, furniture, cabinetry, or flooring. It’s a natural health boost wrapped in timeless beauty.

Wood in all its natural glory.

4. Organic Forms: Embrace the Curve

Nature rarely deals in straight lines—and our brains seem to know it. That’s why curves, waves, and organic shapes feel so inviting. Rounded edges are softer to the touch and easier on the eye, which might explain why retro-inspired furniture continues to trend.

Look for arched mirrors, rounded seating, waterfall tables, and furniture with soft silhouettes and exaggerated padding. These shapes not only echo nature but also make your home feel more fluid and relaxed.

Focus on curves and softened edges.

5. Nature’s Likeness: Bringing the Outdoors In

If you can’t always surround yourself with actual nature indoors, artwork and decor inspired by nature can have a similar effect. Nature has long been a muse for artists, photographers, textile and furniture designers whether representational or abstract.

Whether it’s a landscape painting, botanical wallpaper, or a rug patterned like the depths of the ocean, nature imagery has a calming, transportive power. Colors drawn from sea, sand, and forest can shift the mood of a room, while patterns inspired by leaves, flowers, and organic textures add visual interest and emotional connection.

When live nature isn’t readily available, representations do their part.

Intentional Surroundings = Better Health

The takeaway is simple: what you surround yourself with at home matters. The colors, materials, textures, and views you choose all contribute to your physical and mental wellbeing. Making even small, intentional changes can help create a healthier, happier home—and a healthier, happier you.

And if you are visiting High Point and need a dose of nature to reset or simply because it’s beautiful do check out our Greenway Trail or venture to Cohab.Space for a coffee in their garden.

This blog is a collaboration between HPxD and Visit High Point in an effort to bring meaningful, beautiful and fun ideas, knowledge and trends swirling about in the High Point design world to a broader audience. It is written by Jane Dagmi, managing director of HPxD.