I’ve hinted in various posts that I’ve spent much of the last few months working away on a big project, and I’m very excited to finally reveal what it is: a new book! It’s called Bring The Outside In – Biophilic Design for a Naturally Beautiful Home and it’s extra-special for two reasons. Firstly, it brings together two of my passions, interior design and nature. And secondly, I’ve been lucky enough to create it with a friend, photographer Tiffany Grant-Riley, whose gorgeous images feature throughout.
Biophilic design – design that reconnects us with nature – is something that has long fascinated me, shaping much of the way I’ve decorated my own house and much of my work for clients. It’s been proven to enhance our health and happiness, with research showing it can reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and productivity, lower our heart rate and even aid healing after illness. Many people mistakenly assume it simply means filling a room with lots of plants, but it encompasses much more than that. It’s about responding to our deep-rooted emotional and sensory needs by combining direct and indirect references to the natural world through things such as colour, texture and light – and it’s something we can all introduce into our homes, no matter what our budget or where we live.
Bring The Outside In explores the key elements of biophilic design, explaining the psychology and science behind them in a clear, easy-to-digest manner. It’s broken down into six sections, each focusing on a different area of decor and packed with practical advice that you can apply in your own home. There are also tours around 12 beautiful real-life spaces across the UK and Europe that demonstrate biophilic design in action in a wide range of settings, from small city apartments to converted rural farmhouses. My hope is that the book will give you the tools and inspiration you need to start harnessing the power of biophilic design for yourself – whether you’re embarking on a full renovation or self-build project, redecorating a single room, or merely looking to make a few small changes that will have a big impact.
Bring The Outside In will be published by Ryland Peters & Small on 14th October. It’s available to pre-order now, and you’ll find links to stockists around the world here. I’ll share more about the book soon, together with some behind-the-scenes glimpses revealing what went into creating it, but in the meantime here’s a sneak peek inside…
Book photography by Tiffany Grant-Riley © Ryland Peters & Small
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