Whilst you may have been unaware of the term, the trend for ‘biophilic design’ is something that most of us have experienced in our day-to-day lives or maybe have made a conscious effort to incorporate into our everyday surroundings.
The basic tenet of biophilic design is bringing nature more into our personal spaces through the use of natural elements, shapes patterns and materials with the aim to enhance our lives through reduced stress, an improved sense of well-being and maybe a better environment to work in. Think added greenery through plants and flowers, more natural light and even the possible incorporation of water.
Radiators can have their part to play within this design concept as well.
Colour is the most obvious contribution to a biophilic interior. The inclusion of greens to represent aspects of natural word would seem an obvious choice and there are plenty of options to work with from RAL6005 Moss with its deep earthy tones to the softer RAL6034 Pastel Turquoise which evokes the clearest of seas and rivers.
Specialist colours from the likes of Farrow and Ball, Little Greene and Benjamin Moore can also be applied to some radiators to be either integrated with surrounding foliage or form part of nature inspired backdrop.
Yellow and Oranges can bring a touch of sunshine into a space with colours that go from a field of sunflowers (RAL 1004 Golden Yellow) through to the intense orange of a setting sun (RAL 2001 Red Orange).
And finally using blues to summon an element of water or sky. Perhaps RAL 5015 Sky Blue or a deeper shade with RAL 5002 Ultramarine Blue.
Mirrored radiators have played an interesting part in some biophilic interiors, especially conservatories and orangeries which are arguable rooms designed to put you closer to nature.
Placing mirrored radiators amongst plants will serve to increase the volume of greenery seen through the reflection so giving an impression you have more. Their surfaces also draw plants that are outside in through their reflections, as well as lighten a space with the transference of sunlight into a room.
Stone offers an ideal material to base radiators on and still create an element of the natural world. Radiators using crushed stone or marble are excellent absorbers of heat which can then be emitted in a controlled and efficient way. Their facia can encapsulate everything from the soft grainy texture of a sandy beach to rocky outcrops inspire by the mountains of central Italy.
A great example would be the Livingstone Gransasso based on the famous Italian mountain and created from Italian crushed marble.
Some radiators have cleverly integrated shapes that you would not usually associate with radiators but making them potential contributors to your natural, biophilic space.
The Ocean, with its gentle waves of bars along its length, conjures thoughts back to watching the tide roll in on a beach. Its sister radiator, the Oslo, can appear like ivy climbing a wall.
The Londra is the epitome of a biophilic radiator with its natural looking vines crawling up the length of its vertical central column.
And some radiators can include imagery taken from the outside to further enhance that sense of nature being indoors. Consider the Frame with its various designs using grasses and flower motifs to add a flavour of flora and fauna to a wall. Essentially these are pieces of natural art with the benefit of a heat source behind.
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