Mother Knows Best: Home Design Inspired by Nature
(Page 2 of 4)
March/April 2008
By Deborah Coburn
If you install solar panels at your house, the life-giving sun will provide your home with electricity or hot water. You also can save energy by relying on natural light whenever possible. If rooms are dim, consider installing skylights or daylighting tubes. Recent studies show that people think and perform better—and stay healthier—when they’re in sync with natural light cycles.
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Make connections. In nature, diverse organisms form webs of interconnections and cooperative relationships. Ecological stability is a function of this complexity. Nature rewards cooperation with survival; species that endure are in harmony with their environment and with each other.
When this principle is in action in your home space, furnishings depend on one another for visual impact. A room comes alive with a mixture of patterns, textures, shapes, sizes and colors—all working together to create visual order. Keeping the room’s function and focal point in mind, you should distribute the furniture in a way that balances the room.
Next, hang art and arrange accessories to set up connections and correct imbalances. For instance, balance an off-center picture with a lamp or an object on a table. When framing and hanging art, try a variety of sizes, shapes, styles and frames in different finishes. When placing accessories, select a theme or color, then experiment with groupings, materials, textures, size and scale until you arrive at an arrangement you like.
"Come forth into the light of things. Let Nature be your teacher."
—William Wordsworth
Combine form and function. Successful organisms have evolved to make the most of their environment, adapting their shapes to their ecosystem. A giraffe has a long neck to eat treetop leaves. An elephant has a trunk for feeding, drinking and showering.
When you choose home furnishings, you probably already select items based on their shape and function. Small chairs with upright backs are useful for dining, whereas upholstered lounge chairs say "relax." Keep function in mind when selecting every piece of furniture. Does a large coffee table with drawers for storage make sense for you, or do you need something that’s easy to move? An ottoman might serve many functions: a place to rest feet, additional seating and a spot for a tray so a coffee table isn’t necessary.