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One of the first things, of 
course, is bringing in as much 

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natural light as is possible in 
an environment. 

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Natural light is just something 
we respond well to. 

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We get a good emotional response
to natural light. 

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And I think we kind of noticed 
that with the change of seasons 

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and now that we're in, you know,
heading from fall into winter 

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and it's getting dark earlier, I
think we all have an emotional 

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reaction to that. 
And so bringing in as much 

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natural light, especially during
the daylight hours as possible 

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is really important. 
And lighting to enhance natural 

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light is important as well. 
You're now listening to Design 

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Curious, a place where you 
creative one, are here to learn 

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00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,760
about what it really is like to 
be an interior designer. 

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00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,000
And I'm your host and mentor, 
Rebecca Ward. 

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If you're worried about how to 
succeed in a creative career, if

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00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,600
you're ready to learn your next 
steps to become an interior 

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00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,960
designer, and if you want the 
satisfaction of doing something 

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you love every day, you are in 
the right place. 

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Grab a coffee, a notebook, and 
let's dig into today's episode. 

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Hello and welcome to episode 180
of Design Curious podcast. 

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Today on the podcast, we have 
returning guest Martha Laurie. 

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She was back in episode 14, way 
back when, and in that episode 

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she shared. 
Her start? 

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In how she got into design and 
switching over careers but let 

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me give you a refresher kind of 
a little bit about her she has 

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over 3 decades of experience in 
residential design. 

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Martha has put in the time to 
know what's what and honoring 

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both hemispheres of the brain. 
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in 

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mathematics and a Bachelor of 
Arts in interior design. 

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She is also in my international 
design group. 

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We call ourselves a design 
leaders collective and we meet 

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every month. 
And so she's just a joy to get 

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to know and to continue to see 
her to work in North Carolina 

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where she's at, and I love her 
projects. 

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Today she's talking about 
biophilic design, which is 

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something I'm learning more 
about. 

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So I think you're going to enjoy
our conversation with Martha 

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today. 
Let's get into it. 

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Hi. 
Martha, welcome back to Design 

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Curious Podcast. 
It's great to have you on again.

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Thank you so much, Rebecca. 
I appreciate you having me on. 

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Yeah, I always like having my 
friends back to talk and I know 

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today is going to be an 
interesting topic about 

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biophilic design, so. 
Let's get. 

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Right into it, because maybe 
someone who's listening isn't 

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even aware of what biophilic 
design is. 

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So could you describe it to? 
Someone who's never heard the 

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term before. 
Certainly. 

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So it's a somewhat new focus in 
the world of design and interior

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design, and it's really a focus 
on bringing the outside 

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environment inside because of 
how we react to the outside 

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environment in such a positive 
manner and how comforting and 

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calming and creative bringing 
that outside can be into the 

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interior of a home in 
particular. 

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So it's, you know, it's a focus 
on plants, but also light, the 

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correct lighting, bringing in 
things that you know, release 

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good oxygen and things like 
that. 

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So with plants and things 
looking at color very 

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intentionally and what is 
calming color as opposed to 

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jarring color. 
So things along that line. 

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OK. 
And what initially drew you to 

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this area of design? 
I think just the focus on 

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nature, looking at what really 
provides the best environment 

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for my clients. 
I have a lot of older clients 

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and they are really looking for 
that peace and calm in their 

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environment. 
They still want a comfortable 

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home, but they want a real 
emotional response to their 

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environment. 
And biophilic design kind of 

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goes along with this whole study
of neuroaesthetics, which is 

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really how we react to beauty in
the environment and how we want 

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beauty in our environment and 
what is beauty and how it's 

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subjective. 
So all of those things come into

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play. 
OK, OK. 

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So what kind of changes are your
clients looking at when you come

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in and you're like, do they, 
they might not specifically ask 

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for a biophilic design, right, 
but you're going to bring it to 

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them anyway. 
So what kind of changes maybe 

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are you looking to make in their
homes that would resonate with a

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biophilic design? 
One of the first things, of 

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course, is bringing in as much 
natural light as is possible in 

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an environment. 
Natural light is just something 

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we respond well to. 
We get a good emotional response

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to natural light. 
And I think we kind of noticed 

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that with the change of seasons 
and now that we're in, you know,

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heading from fall into winter 
and it's getting dark earlier, I

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think we all have an emotional 
reaction to that. 

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And so bringing in as much 
natural light, especially during

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the daylight hours as possible 
is really important. 

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So that's that's one of the big 
changes. 

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So maybe in some respects, not a
lot of heavy curtains, not a lot

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of heavy window treatments. 
Those have lightened up over the

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last decade or so anyway. 
And lighting to enhance natural 

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light is important as well. 
Yeah, for sure. 

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Yeah. 
I agree that lighting is so 

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important. 
And especially because as we're 

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recording this, it's, you know, 
heading into winter and we're 

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like getting those short days. 
I I just love having as much 

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natural light as possible come 
through the windows. 

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And it definitely does take an 
effect on you. 

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Some people don't recognize it 
consciously, but, you know, as a

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designer, you kind of have a 
responsibility to make sure 

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whether they're asking for it or
not, right? 

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To improve their mental health 
by by bringing in that natural 

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light. 
Yeah. 

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Right. 
Exactly, exactly. 

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That's all very true. 
And and I would say too, changes

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in color. 
So as I mentioned before, 

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looking at colors that are 
calming, not necessarily just 

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pale colors or real neutral 
colors, but colors that we 

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respond well to. 
And, and there's a whole 

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psychology of color where we 
respond well to, particularly 

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right now, Blues and greens, 
again, pulling nature in into 

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the interior, especially with 
the greens and things some of 

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the Berry colors are, you know, 
are important right now. 

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I'm trying to think what the new
Pantone color of the year is, 

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but it's, it's a warm, if I'm 
remembering correctly, it's kind

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of a warm neutral color. 
And, you know, really focusing 

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on that and bringing color in so
that you don't just have stark 

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white environments. 
That's not as calming as I think

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some people think it is. 
It comes across this being 

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sterile and institutional. 
And so I think if we can warm up

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our environments with some 
color, we're all better off. 

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For sure. 
Yeah. 

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Good. 
So what about looking at the 

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plants aspect of it? 
Is it necessary to have actual 

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live plants? 
Can we achieve anything by 

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bringing in some silks? 
Or, you know, some people have 

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strong opinions either way, but 
what's your opinion about? 

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Well, I, I think if you can do 
live, you know, but I think 

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silks, silks are fun, especially
a good quality silk plant. 

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Just anything and that leafy 
natural feel and I think to 

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bringing in materials from 
outside, like I'm looking at the

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background of your wall and that
beautiful wood and bringing in 

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wood tones and, and real wood 
into the environment is also 

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really important. 
You know, not not just solely I 

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focus on plants, but yes, I I 
would agree. 

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I think if you can do live 
plants, that's the way to start.

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And they came off for good vibe.
Yeah, it's making me think of 

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that practice. 
I think they do it in Japan 

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where they have like forest 
bathing or something like that 

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where they, the doctors were 
actually prescribed this to 

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people because being in a 
natural environment can be so 

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healing to to your body. 
Absolutely, Absolutely. 

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I think we all feel sense of 
peace and calm when we walk 

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through a beautiful outdoor 
experience. 

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You know, whether it's a nature 
walk or in a garden that just 

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makes you feel really, really 
good. 

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And I know I was in Victoria, BC
back in the fall and went to 

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Bouchard Gardens, which is just 
a phenomenal garden and 

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different types of gardens. 
So there was a Japanese garden, 

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there was a sunken garden, there
was a beautiful Rose Garden, 

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dahlias, and just walking 
through that, you just felt so 

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good. 
And the color responding to the 

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colors and and everything. 
And then you hit the Japanese 

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garden, which is all very green 
and serene, and you just feel 

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that peace come over you, and 
it's a really, really great 

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feeling. 
Yeah. 

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And I guess that's also a 
recommendation for bringing 

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home. 
Fresh flowers every. 

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Week trying to bring some of 
that inside, like build it into 

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your budget to bring some fresh 
flowers. 

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It's a small thing but I think 
it when I go I always get 

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excited in the fall because I 
love tulips and and my local 

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grocery store starts having 
tulips at a good price in the 

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fall and all through winter. 
So every week I bring home 

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tulips. 
Nice. 

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And it just makes me feel good 
to walk past evasive tulips. 

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Yeah. 
You know, especially in the dead

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of winter and I like forcing 
amaryllis bulbs in the winter 

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and especially having those 
right after the holidays where I

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just get a lot of bloom of 
color. 

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And as a post holiday Doldrum 
sets in, it really lifts your 

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spirit. 
Yeah, yeah, for sure. 

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Yeah. 
All those bright colors during 

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the holidays is so fun when it's
a little drab out. 

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Yeah, yeah. 
Yeah, January can feel a little 

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drab, So, yeah. 
So yes, I think fresh flowers 

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are bright. 
And you don't have to be an 

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expert flower arranger or 
anything, you know, just to put 

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a bunch of tulips in a vase. 
They're so pretty. 

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And so many flowers are just so 
pretty. 

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Just put them in a vase of 
water. 

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There are a lot of really good 
indoor plants that require very 

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little maintenance. 
You know, water maybe once a 

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week. 
Sometimes some can go twice a 

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week, like Spedophilia, which is
a really pretty indoor green 

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plant and it requires very 
little attention. 

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And succulents require very 
little attention. 

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They only have to be watered 
like every three weeks maybe, 

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and even air ferns. 
They're just fun and they 

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require no attention. 
So yeah, it doesn't take a whole

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lot of work to bring some of 
that inside. 

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Nice. 
Is there anything to think 

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about, like in shapes mimicking 
nature in our furniture or 

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artwork or bringing in 
Wallpapers or anything like 

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that, that we should consider? 
Absolutely. 

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You know, I'm seeing in a lot of
the trade publications, 

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obviously we've had a resurgence
in interest in wallpaper over 

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the last few years and I'm 
seeing more floral patterns in 

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wallpaper and I think it's 
exciting. 

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You know, we, we got away from 
that for a long time, but it's, 

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it's nice to bring that back in.
And you don't have to use it in 

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large doses. 
You can just do an accent wall 

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or do it in a powder room that 
you're not necessary in all the 

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time, but you go in every is 
every so often and there's a 

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bright cherry floral paper. 
And I think, yes, in terms of 

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shape, an emphasis on organic 
shapes as opposed to real hard 

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line geometrics is also 
important. 

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Curves are a little more 
interesting than boxy squares, 

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and they appeal to us because, 
well, we have curves. 

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00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:15,480
Right. 
You know, and, and so we, we 

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tend to like curves. 
So yes, I think that's important

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to deal with organic shapes. 
And I would say to bringing in 

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artwork. 
You can see behind me, I know 

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it's, it's not going to be 
shown, but I have a lot of 

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artwork. 
Almost every wall in my house 

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has artwork. 
I love to support local artists 

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as much as possible, but also 
when I travel I like to pick up 

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art and a lot of it is inspired 
by nature. 

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00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,360
Absolutely. 
So, you know, some florals, I'm 

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looking at a picture that my 
sister painted for me of a 

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Hummingbird, which is beautiful 
really to me brings the outdoors

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in. 
And so yes, all three of those 

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things are very important in 
terms of an emphasis on bio 

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00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,320
filling design. 
Yeah, for sure. 

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If I'm trying to create a space 
that is more calming for my 

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clients, like if they have a 
busy schedule all the time, you 

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00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:17,440
know, I do like to bring in 
landscapes and things of nature 

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and especially if it isn't a 
local artist because they'll 

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have landscapes that are 
familiar, that are of the 

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surrounding area. 
You're like, oh, that's yeah, 

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that's a California hills and, 
you know, whatever in my area. 

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And so I think that is 
beneficial because you can't 

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always get out. 
And then I think also people who

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work from home, maybe in home 
offices, if they can't get out 

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all the time, they're just stuck
in their house. 

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And then having that nature 
scene will help keep them calm 

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and grounded. 
Yes, they're, you know, maybe 

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working on the computer all the 
time. 

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Yes, I, I think that's really 
important because so many of us 

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are working from home these days
and as you said, we're we're 

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stuck in front of a computer for
a lot of, lot of the day and 

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having other things to look at 
really makes that more workable.

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I am currently sitting in my 
den. 

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I like to sit in here a lot 
because I have two French doors 

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and a large window in between 
that look out on my patio, and 

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to me, that's just really 
bringing nature in. 

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And I have a beautiful red 
Japanese Maple right now. 

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When I look at that, it just 
makes me feel really, really 

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good to see that space. 
So yes, like I said, supporting 

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local artists and as you said, 
things, familiar scenes can 

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really make a difference. 
I grew up in West Virginia, so I

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have some art of the mountains 
and things and rhododendron that

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is the state flower and all, and
it just makes me happy to see 

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those things. 
It's a personal emotional 

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connection. 
Yeah. 

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And, and I think that that too 
is a lot of what biophilic 

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design is about. 
It's about that emotional 

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connection or emotional 
connection to nature, to our 

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environment. 
And I, I don't think we can 

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downplay that at all. 
I think we really need to step 

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into that and and recognize that
we do absolutely have emotional 

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connections to our environment 
and then those connections are 

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very important. 
For sure, yeah. 

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So how did you go about learning
more details about biophilic? 

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Is there resources that we could
reference for people who might 

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be interested in exploring this 
area a little more? 

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Yes, there are obviously is a 
lot more information online now 

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about it and there is a group 
called Science of Design and 

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they talk a lot about biophilic 
and neuroaesthetics as a science

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and really with application to 
interior design and that's a 

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good resource for information. 
OK, Yeah, great. 

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Good. 
OK. 

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I love that. 
Is there any other 

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recommendations you would make 
to designers listening who want 

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to start being conscious of and 
designing with biophilic design 

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in mind? 
Obviously, learning what it is, 

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how to incorporate it into your 
design work, and just being 

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conscious of that as a focus can
be really a game changer in 

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terms of your work and how 
creative you can be. 

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So yes, I think just, you know, 
doing a little research, making 

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sure you understand what it's 
all about, but again, using your

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creative abilities to explore 
those different avenues that 

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we've talked about like light 
and plants and bringing nature 

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inside in many different ways 
through materials and things 

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like that. 
Yeah, really good. 

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And it's just another level of 
expertise and, you know, insight

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that you can bring to each 
project that just makes it even 

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more valuable to the client in 
areas that they might not even 

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realize. 
So that's great. 

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Absolutely, absolutely. 
And again, I would stress never 

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forgetting that not only do we 
have emotional attachments to 

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our environment, our clients 
especially have emotional 

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attachments to the environment. 
And we need to understand what 

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that is. 
We need to have a lot of 

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communication with them about 
that. 

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What pieces of furniture, what 
pieces of art, what accessories,

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what colors, all of that, what 
materials are important to them 

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that make them feel good and at 
peace and calm and and happy in 

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their environment? 
Yeah, because everybody might 

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resonate with a different type 
of nature environment. 

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Maybe some are drawn more 
towards the mountains or the 

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beach or desert, right. 
So there's going to be different

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colors and shapes that you bring
forward in each of those 

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scenarios. 
So probably exploring it with 

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your client and seeing, you 
know, what it what did you grow 

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up with or what really makes you
happy when you're starting to 

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the design process. 
Yeah. 

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Absolutely, Rebecca. 
I think that's so important And 

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yes, looking at what we grew up 
with, because a lot of that 

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place into how we feel currently
about our environment is, you 

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know, what are we bringing from 
our past and into the future? 

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We can never discount that. 
Yeah, yeah. 

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Like someone who, you know, 
visited the beach every summer 

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growing up, but they maybe they 
lived in the mountains or 

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something, but you, you might 
not have known that, that they 

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had, you know, an Infinity for 
the beach. 

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And they wanted to see those 
ocean colors in their home, you 

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know, because it just meant so 
much in the memories of them 

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growing up. 
So, yeah, it's good, good things

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to explore. 
Yeah. 

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00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,120
Great. 
Well, thank you so much, Martha,

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for sharing your expertise on 
biophilic design and getting us 

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00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,640
thinking about how to bring that
to our clients. 

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00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,600
Absolutely. 
I'm happy to share that 

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00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,520
information and I'm exploring 
even more about the subject 

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00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,200
myself. 
So, you know, I think we just 

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need to always continue 
learning. 

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00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,840
For sure, yeah. 
Anytime we're at market and 

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different events that you know 
offer CE us and different things

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00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,640
and biophilic and those areas 
would be good to sign up for it 

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so we can expand our knowledge 
on that. 

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00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:32,320
Absolutely. 
Well, great. 

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00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,360
Thank you for coming on again 
today and we'll, I'm sure talk 

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00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:37,400
with you again soon. 
OK. 

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00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,920
Thank you so much, Rebecca. 
I appreciate it very much. 

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00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,680
So if. 
You'd like to reach. 

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Out to Martha or see her website
itsdesignofthetimesinc.com and 

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00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,440
go ahead and get to know Martha 
a little bit more. 

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00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,520
I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 
And don't forget I have. 

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00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:05,760
Great things for you, freebies, 
downloads in the show notes, and

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00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,320
my design mentor is always there
if you're needing some coaching 

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00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,520
or mentoring in the interior 
design career. 

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All right, that's all I have for
you this week. 

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Next week we'll have another 
great episode and until then, 

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00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:22,000
stay creative. 
Thanks for listening. 

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If you love this episode, please
leave a rating and a review. 

348
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,360
This helps me reach other 
curious creatives like you. 

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00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,520
If you have a topic request or 
would like to contact me, simply

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00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,600
head over to my website 
arworddesign.com. 

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00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,160
Or e-mail me. 
At podcast@arworddesign.com.