Biophilic Home Office Design for Remote Workers: How to Bring Nature into Your WFH Office

As a freelance writer who works remotely, I spend a lot of time in my home office. If you’re like me and you find yourself craving a little more nature in your day-to-day, you know that small plant on your desk doesn’t cut it. This is where biophilic design comes in.

Biophilic design is a way to bring nature into your indoor spaces and enhance your connection with the natural world. And the best part? It’s not just aesthetically pleasing but also has some pretty cool benefits for your well-being and productivity. 

To help you reap the benefits of biophilic elements, I’ve put together this guide on biophilic home office design. It includes easy tips that you can incorporate today.

What is biophilic office design?

E.O. Wilson introduced biophilic design in 1984 in his book Biophilia. Wilson proposes that humans are evolutionarily wired to seek out places that feature natural light, vegetation, and beautiful landscapes. 

According to Wilson, this connection to nature is essential for maintaining our physical and mental well-being. 

Since modern humans (especially those of us working from home!) typically spend up to 90% of their time indoors, biophilic design allows us to engage in natural connection from the comfort of our office chairs.

Basic elements of biophilic design

Like any design concept, biophilic design is comprised of key elements. I’ve listed ten here, but remember that you don’t need to use all ten to benefit from biophilic design, so don’t worry if some elements seem intimidating.

The 10 basic elements of biophilic design are:

1. Lighting: Maximizing exposure to natural daylight by using open spaces, skylights, and windows. Reducing glare and embracing soft, natural lighting.
2. Vegetation: Incorporating greenery through indoor plants, wall art, or paint colors
3. Water: Views of bodies of water, incorporating water features like fountains or ponds.
4. Natural Materials: Using materials like wood or stone and including natural textures in furniture, flooring, and decorations.
5. Views: Seeing views of nature from your indoor space, such as gardens or landscapes.
6. Natural Shapes: Using shapes that mimic natural forms like curves, fractals, or spirals in your design and decorations.
7. Environmental Quality: Controlling noise and air pollution in your indoor space.
8. Color and Texture: Incorporating natural colors and texture into your office decoration and design.
9. Natural Rhythms and Processes: Simply put, designing your space or arranging your furniture to work with things like the changing light throughout the year or seasonal changes.
10. Connection to Place: Using decorations that reflect the nature of your geographic location or using locally sourced materials, if possible.

How biophilic home office design elevates productivity, creativity, and wellness

According to the NRDC, biophilic design supports “cognitive function, physical health, and psychological well-being.” 
And research shows (by the University of Melbourne and the University of Exeter) that adding plants to otherwise sparse office spaces boosts productivity by 15% – and that’s just using one element of biophilic design.

Other benefits of biophilic design include:

• Better mental health and well-being: Biophilic design contributes to reduced stress, better mood, and increased mental restoration (basically, the elements of biophilic design offer respite during breaks and can rejuvenate your mental energy).
• Better productivity and creativity: Having natural elements in your space enhances your cognitive function, including memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities. This results in a more creative and productive you – better focused and able to tackle the tasks at hand.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: The elements in biophilic design, such as water, beautiful views, natural colors, and textures, help create a soothing environment. The balance that comes from using biophilic design can contribute to a more relaxed and enjoyable work experience.
• Better physical health: Reduced stress and anxiety lead to better health in and of themselves, but additionally, having plants in your office improves your office’s air quality by filtering pollutants and increasing oxygen levels.

Tips for boosting biophilic design in your home office:

To help you incorporate the 10 basic elements we talked about earlier, here are some tips for adding a biophilic touch to your wfh office. I picked tips that are workable for most people, spaces, and budgets to help you find some that will work best for you.

Natural Light

1. Put your desk near a window. I have mine next to a pair of French doors that open to my balcony.
2. Use light-colored curtains or blinds to let natural light come through without causing a harsh glare on your screen.

Vegetation 

1. This one is pretty obvious, but get some plants in your home office. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can always use succulents or resilient plants like peace lilies or spider plants. 
2. Plants not your thing? Use posters of plants or plant-like decorations. Fake plants aren’t my favorite because of all the plastic, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a couple in my house.

Bonus: Build a plant shelf above your desk.

Water Elements

1. I live in the Netherlands, so I just fling my French doors open to get the sounds and smell of that ever-present drizzle, but if you live in a dry climate, try playlists with sounds of rain.
2. Use a screensaver or paintings that include water as a key feature in the image.
3. Have a lot of space? You can always create a small water garden with lilies and smooth stones to put on your desk or a shelf nearby.

Bonus: Some plants grow well in water, so instead of a traditional pot, combine the vegetation and water elements by featuring house plants that grow in water.

Natural Materials

1. Wood is an easy element to incorporate – you can have a wooden desk, wooden desk accessories, shelving, or art to bring natural materials into your space.
2. Use jute or sisal on your floor as a rug or on your walls as decoration to contrast with all that lovely green and add more texture from natural materials.

Bonus: Bamboo grows quickly and is easy to maintain. Because of its stalks, bamboo is a great natural material to incorporate and also checks the “vegetation” element box.

Views and Vistas

1. Ah, the dream of someday having a gorgeous, expansive view right outside my office window. Yours too? Until you get there, choose a room in your home that overlooks a beautiful natural view, even if it’s just your own backyard (or in my case, the neighbors’).
2. No window? Or…not the best view? Use posters, photographs, screensavers, anything that depicts a view that you find beautiful. Place them behind and above your computer so you can easily take in the view.

Natural Shapes and Forms

1. Embrace curves – think furniture with rounded edges or organic shapes, like a curved standing or desk lamp.
2. Use items from nature in your decorating. Things like shells, rocks, or driftwood are all easy ways to bring some natural shapes and forms into your biophilic office space.

Environmental Quality

1. As mentioned before, plants are a great way to help purify your air and boost the oxygen in your office. Along with this, if temperatures allow, try working with the window open to improve the airflow of the room.
2. Use calming nature playlists to help filter out background noise, especially if you work in a more urban area with lots of traffic or construction.

Note: While the smell can be nice, I don’t recommend using chemical sprays, air fresheners, or scented candles in your home office. You want clean, fresh air in your office space, not artificial chemicals.

Color and Texture

1. Use nature-inspired colors on your walls, like greens, blues, and earth tones. You can do this by painting your home office or through the use of posters, photos, or tapestries.
2. Make your space extra comfy with textured fabrics in the form of pillows or a blanket for your office chair

Natural Rhythms and Processes

1. I’ll be honest; this one really threw me for a loop at first, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, I use a day lamp in the winter months to simulate natural light cycles.
2. Fresh flowers in the spring or summer, dried wheat in the autumn, or eucalyptus and poinsettias in the winter – change featured elements of your decoration with the seasons.

Connection to Place

1. When choosing natural elements to incorporate, try to find ones that reflect those found in your geographic region. For example, wood from trees that grow nearby or river rocks from a local stream.
2. For houseplants, try to pick ones similar to (or the same as!) local plants from your area.

Bring nature into your workspace with biophilic home office design

There you have it! Rather than stare wistfully out the window wishing you were outside, bring a little nature inside by incorporating some of these biophilic elements into your work-from-home space.

Which elements are you excited to try? Which ones do you use already? For more remote work tips, sign up for our newsletter, Making it Brighter.