Sharon Lomas is an award winning Biophilic Interior Designer, writer and founder of candle brand FERN+FELL, based in the Lake District, Cumbria.
Having a garden room or conservatory in your home is special. Their vast glazed walls, windows or ceilings act as a “bridge” to the garden, a place where you can enjoy feeling connected to nature whatever the weather outside. In Biophilic Design, making the most of your garden room can help support your physical and mental wellbeing in a very positive way. It is a space to soak in natural light, be absorbed in a direct connection to nature and all the while providing a restorative refuge, a place to pause and observe the natural world outside.
Garden rooms and conservatories haven’t always been the easiest spaces to design, they can be too hot in summer and too cold in winter and can easily become neglected and unused. But making the most of this space and using for much of the year is a great way to help support feelings of wellbeing at home. Let’s take a look at ways to breathe new life into your space. Don’t have a garden room/conservatory? No problem, you can still use these ideas in any garden facing room.
Use natural materials
Tactile, natural materials are perfectly suited to garden rooms, giving you a natural feel and a material connection to nature. Don’t be afraid to mix rattans with metals, wood, and stone, adding visual texture by layering natural materials will not only create interest but help the space feel calmer and more relaxed.
Rattan or wicker are wonderful materials to use in your garden room which add great texture. If you are looking to upgrade your seating, choose a rattan sofa or chair which can look equally good out on your patio too. The natural light you experience in a garden room is so beneficial to your wellbeing so it’s worth making the most of your garden in any season. For added softness and all year round cosiness layer your rattan furniture with soft furnishings made from natural fibres like cotton throws and linen cushions. Have a sheepskin on hand and wool throws for cooler days and seasonal shifts.
Botanical pattern
An effortless way to bring Biophilic Design into your space is with nature inspired, botanical patterns. This is a great starting point for incorporating more reference to nature into your home and these designs are perfect for garden rooms. The easiest way to do this is choosing botanical prints for your soft furnishings – cushion, lampshades and curtains/blinds as they are easy to install, and they add instant impact for quick design updates.
Experiencing natural processes, like the shift in the seasons, also helps connect you to nature. Consider having a spring/summer look for your soft furnishing and an autumn/winter look for your garden room. Swapping out your soft furnishings can help you make the most of your garden room throughout the seasons.
Mimic nature underfoot
A change in flooring level, texture and temperature is another way to connect your space to nature. So just as you would experience a variety of ground levels and textures underfoot when outdoors, you can mimic these qualities indoors through your choice of flooring. Choosing a stone, tile or wooden floor makes a practical solution for a garden room, but adding a rug will not only help the space feel softer and cosier, it will also help you mimic varying floor levels and textures found in nature.
If your garden room or conservatory acts as a thoroughfare between the house and the garden then you will definitely need to add a robust rug that can handle the traffic. Natural fibres like jute or coir will not only look good, they will bring in another natural material and most importantly they are hardwearing enough to handle the footfall. Opting for a patterned design in a natural tone will also help hide any dirty foot/paw prints. One of the many benefits of natural fibres, tones and abstract pattern is they will work with so many décor styles too.
Plant life
Giving a direct connection to nature, plants bring so much life to any room, and they will love living in a garden room or conservatory (just be mindful that plants in this space may need more watering during the warmer months and possibly rehoming during winter if your space has no heating).
To create real interest though play with scale and height, out in nature we experience living greenery at a variety of heights and focal lengths, so try not to have all your plants on one surface or at one level. Use a mixture of planter styles too - think back to the earlier point about mixing natural materials, use wood, rattan baskets, stone and terracotta pots to add texture.
Go big! basket potted trees, extra-large Bird of Paradise plants, potted palms and oversized ferns will help give you a feeling of being immersed in nature, further helping you to feel calm and connected.
Be playful, add a pleasing thrill
In nature we experience a thrill by climbing trees, hanging from branches, looking down from a height or inching across a fallen tree over a river. The combination of a gentle relaxing swing with the thrill of being held and suspended makes swing seats an exciting addition to a garden rooms or conservatory.
If your room has ceiling joists or beams you could consider a hanging chair or swing seat suspended directly from the ceiling. This will give you a quiet refuge to retire too, helping to relax and restore a busy mind. And if you can’t hang a seat from the ceiling there are now many free-standing swing chair designs to choose from that can be positioned anywhere.
Always add a mirror
Adding mirrors to your garden room not only helps reflect light on gloomy days, but will also incorporate reflected views of your garden which will help foster a sense of being out in nature, creating a more immersive experience.
Biomorphic shapes (shapes that represent or reference nature) help evoke a feeling of being connected to nature without being present in nature. Try an organic shape mirror with minimal frame and position facing a window to catch as much natural light as possible.
Consider adding your mirror to a gallery wall of nature inspired artworks and trailing plants. Studies have found that views onto nature (real or artistic) calm and soothe our autonomic nervous system leading to improved mood and reduced blood pressure. Mixing framed prints, fabric wall hangings, plants and mirrors will help create an eclectic focal point.
Natural light and ambient lighting
Garden rooms or conservatories maximise glazing, allowing natural light to flood in - it’s one of the key health benefits in having a garden room. But on gloomy days or late evenings, you will need extra help lighting your space and by creating a soothing atmosphere with soft lighting you can utilise the space for longer during the day and the year as the seasons change.
When creating a soothing biophilic space you always want to look to natural materials to feature in your design and lighting is no different. To further layer the natural textures in to the space, consider rattan bases paired with linen shades, or organic shaped stone or glass lamp bases teamed up with cotton velvet or wicker shades for added texture and contrast.
Creating a garden room, bringing nature inspired materials, colours, textures into your home is a wonderful way to feel connected to the natural world outside. If your garden room or conservatory is feeling a little tired, now is a wonderful time to start planning a revamp so you can maximise the spring weather and make use of the space throughout the year.