Designing with Nature: How Biophilic Design is Changing the Way We Live

In a world that rarely hits pause, it’s no wonder we’re seeking homes that help us slow down and reconnect. Enter biophilic design – one of the most talked-about interior trends of the moment, and for good reason.

More than a fleeting fad, biophilic design taps into our deep-rooted desire to feel connected to nature. It’s not just about houseplants (though those help); it’s about creating homes that support wellbeing and calm through light, layout, materials, and texture, that symbolise our human connection to the natural world.

Here’s how biophilic design is reshaping modern Australian homes, and how you can embrace it in the home you buy, or the home you design.

Let the light in

Natural light is at the heart of biophilic design. It lifts mood, supports our body’s natural rhythms, and creates a sense of openness and energy.

Designers are embracing this through high ceilings, atriums and expansive glazing that allows the sun to move through the home. It’s not just about brightness, it’s about shaping spaces that feel alive and attuned to nature’s daily rhythm.

Take Carlisle Homes’ Astoria Grand Atrium 54 at Woodlea Estate in Aintree, where a dramatic double-height atrium draws light into the centre of the home. Elsewhere, features like splashback windows in the kitchen invite both daylight and glimpses of the garden – subtle yet impactful connections to the outdoors.

Designing with orientation in mind

One of the most powerful tools of biophilic home design is orientation – how a home is positioned in relation to the sun and landscape. With a new build, this can be planned from day one.

Picture a main bedroom that opens to leafy views and welcomes morning light, or a living area that basks in warm afternoon sun. These details not only enhance daily life but also improve thermal comfort, helping to keep the home cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Carlisle offers the ability to flip your floorplan to help homeowners optimise their design for their block.

Materials that mirror nature

To bring the outdoors in, biophilic interiors rely on authentic, tactile materials that evoke a sense of connection to nature. Stone, timber, linen, leather, and clay all have something in common: they come from nature, and they carry its quiet, grounding energy.

You’ll feel this in oak-look flooring, marble-veined Caesarstone benchtops, linen drapes, warm-toned furniture and brushed or woven finishes. Even the colour palette plays a role – sage-green cabinetry that recalls eucalyptus leaves, terracotta hues like sunbaked clay, or stormy blues that mimic dusk skies.

And yes, houseplants have a role too. A trailing devil’s ivy or sculptural monstera can soften a room and serve as a gentle reminder that nature has a place inside as well as out.

Bringing the outside in

Biophilic design works best when there’s a seamless flow between indoors and out. Open up sliding doors to an alfresco zone and suddenly mealtimes, morning coffee, or evening drinks become part of the natural world.

In homes like Carlisle’s Sorrento Grand Deluxe Theatre Atrium 54 at Bankside Estate in Rowville, these elegant outdoor living spaces are integrated into the floorplan, offering a relaxed, year-round connection to nature that feels effortless and elegant.

Why it matters now

In a time when our lives are increasingly screen-based and fast-paced, many Australians are craving homes that offer calm, connection, and presence. Biophilic design responds to that need, offering spaces that feel balanced, grounded and good to be in.

Carlisle Homes adopts this approach in every aspect, from layout to materials, enabling homeowners to design a more mindful, nature-connected life.