Plants can enhance your home in so many ways—by purifying the air, reducing fatigue levels, and lifting your spirits with their mood-boosting “outdoorphins.” Of course, many people purchase plants for their decorative properties, as well. Whether colorful bromeliads, sculptural ferns, or unusually textured cacti, plants can serve as striking design elements in any living room, kitchen, or other interior space—just as they bring any exterior space to life, even modern residences and office buildings.

As biophilic design becomes more sought-after in architecture, interior design, and urban planning—many describe it as “the future of design”—follow our tips to finding it in your surroundings and bringing it into your home.

What makes interior design or architecture biophilic?

The word “biophilia” comes from two ancient-Greek roots, bio and philos, and signifies a love of living things and the natural world. In order to exemplify biophilic design, a building or a cityscape must incorporate references to nature, specifically in a way that promotes positive, loving feelings. The foundational text of biophilia, the biologist Edward O. Wilson’s treatise of the same name, holds that we actually need certain aspects of nature in order to be happy. Wilson once wrote, “Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” So, whether a space is biophilic or not largely depends on whether it makes you feel good!

Sociologists and designers have adapted Wilson’s views, and added new design principles, since he first shared his theory in the 1980s. Today, they emphasize that a cohesive, unified quality is also important in these spaces. Beyond bringing in plants or natural materials, there must be a sense that nature is somehow immersing or encompassing you. Also, engagement with the setting makes a space biophilic—it should not just build off, but reinforce, the innate fondness you feel toward nature. Finally, some biophilic designers have incorporated a sub-field called “biomimicry,” which focuses on borrowing design ideas from nature.

As you might imagine, there are many ways designers can work within these core principles, but the resulting spaces are typically easy to distinguish from others that are not biophilic. You will likely find not only plants and natural materials in these locales, but a naturalistic palette, images of nature, or shapes or silhouettes inspired by forms found in nature—like leaves, waves, and seashells. Some people also incorporate subtler nods to the natural world, like patinas that evoke worn stones or sea glass; geometric or mathematical sequences found in nature; or a general sense of forest-like contrast, layering, and variation.

Where can I find biophilic design around me?

Biophilic design can be found all over the world, largely because many traditional architectural styles showcase elements of it, such as natural materials and intuitive, harmonious design. For instance, treehouses, which have existed since ancient times; Japan’s minka homes, often featuring wooden frames, tatami mats, floor-to-ceiling windows, and gardens; Indonesia’s thatched-roof rumah adat; and Puglia’s stone trulli houses are arguably biophilic. There are even ancient geoglyphs etched into the Peruvian desert and biophilic “living bridges” throughout the Indian state of Meghalaya, woven in the 19th century from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree.