In my last blog post I talked about Biophilic design and how you can incorporate it into your home (read here). Whilst researching this post I came across some fabulous products that can help you achieve this style in your home, here are ten of my favourites!

Rattan

There’s a reason why so many garden furniture items are made from rattan! Rattan is a great investment as, unlike other materials such as wood, it requires no other treatments (like paint or oils) to keep it strong and durable.

I always thought that rattan and wicker were different materials but have learnt that rattan is the material and wicker is the technique that is used to weave the material to make furniture. As rattan is so hard wearing, it makes it a fantastic material for larger items like beds, chairs and wardrobes!

You can style the Cocoon chair from Cox and Cox with these monochrome and tribal printed cushions and rug and finish this cosy chic corner with a sheepskin.

Biophilic Bamboo

A bit like rattan, bamboo is also a great biophilic and Eco-friendly material. It is extremely fast growing so it is easier to maintain bamboo forests and is naturally pest resistant so does not need environmentally damaging pesticides. It is also very strong and durable.

Cork

Cork is another natural material that is environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly. Designers are increasingly turning to cork to use in flooring, furniture, tableware and walls because it is extremely waterproof and a great alternative to plastic. You can even build an entire house out of cork (did anyone see the Grand Designs House of the Year with the Cork House?).

Cork comes from the bark of the Cork Oak Tree, does not harm the tree in anyway when it is extracted and takes around 9 years for the bark to grow back. The more demand there is for cork, the more trees will be planted to provide the bark so I think it is extremely important to support the cork industry.

Reclaimed Wood

I absolutely love reclaimed wood products and think it is really important to try and find products like this when looking for new furniture for our homes. Not only do they have beautifully unique character and grain, by buying this product, you are preventing the need for further trees to be felled to make furniture. Over-forestation has meant that we are rapidly losing our woods and jungles around the world and it is hugely important to preserve what’s left. Another way to make sure our trees stay where they should be is by choosing extremely good quality wood products that will last a lifetime.

House plants, the ultimate in biophilic design

Plants! I could write several blog posts about the benefits of plants and which ones you should have in your home, there are so many to choose from these days. But biophilic design doesn’t have to stop at the plant itself, there are also a huge amount of fabulous plant pots, plant stands and hanging planters to choose from.

Try not to buy plants that come in plastic pots, this is just adding to the already huge problem we have with over use of plastic in the world. It is estimated an eye-watering 500 million plastic pots are made every year and distributed in the UK. Go for terracotta pots, ceramic or metal pots.

Marble

There are so many different variations of stone that you can use in the home, all with their own beautiful and unique patina. Some of the more common stones include granite, slate, sandstone and marble. Marble has to be one of the most luxurious stones due to its contrasting vein and base colours giving it fabulous texture and appearance. But it doesn’t come cheap!

Buying products that are inspired and created by nature means we can all do our bit for the environment and sustainability. These products are built to last, reducing the need to send things to landfill and look great in the home regardless of whether you’re going for a biophilic, Scandi, Minimalist or any other home décor style.

Mel x