When Janet Koenig and her partner, Tom, bought their Cardiff home back in 2011, the house reflected its 1980s vintage, especially in the primary bathroom. Between the gold and beige colors of the tile and the carpet, “it was really, really gross,” she said.
At the time, Koenig was working hard as a software engineer. At one point she was director of engineering at Sun Microsystems and then Cubic Transportation Systems.
“I honestly didn’t really know what I wanted,” she explained. “I just know I was working a lot at that time and really wanted less stress in my house. I always loved having plants in the house and a more organic look and feel.”
Before, the 1980s-era primary bathroom in Janet Koenig’s Cardiff home had dated beige tile and a squared-off plan.
(Gail Owens Photo)
By 2016, Koenig, who retired last year, was ready to take on the project of renovating not just the primary bathroom, but all three of the home’s bathrooms. She found interior designer Megan Siason, principal at M Studio, to take on the project. Siason asked her to sign up with the website Houzz and send her pictures of bathrooms or elements in bathrooms that she liked.
“I sent all sorts of pictures of different things, not even necessarily bathrooms, just rooms that felt good to me to give her a feel for what kind of space made me feel good,” Koenig recalled. “And she came back with three different designs for the primary bathroom.”
Plants are placed intentionally on horizontal shelves alongside the new freestanding tub, adding to the tranquil, nature-inspired feel in the remodeled primary bathroom.
(Gail Owens Photo)
The one Koenig chose gave her an open space wet room with an expanded view of the ocean.
“And this is still my happy place, taking a shower and looking at the ocean. It’s just pure magic,” she marveled. “I still love going into that space every day.
Before, the 1980s-era primary bathroom in Janet Koenig’s Cardiff home had dated beige tile and dark cabinets.
(Gail Owens Photo)
“Megan just created magic for me with all the natural materials and colors and plants.”
What Koenig is describing actually reflects a design philosophy called biophilic design. The late Stephen R. Kellert, a professor of social ecology at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, was dedicated to advancing the understanding of the connection between humans and the natural world and was a pioneer of biophilic design.
After, Janet Koenig’s primary bathroom has a lighter, calmer feel, with neutral-toned cabinets and smooth, white counters.
(Gail Owens Photo)
“Biophilic design seeks to connect our inherent need to affiliate with nature in the modern built environment,” he wrote for the publication Metropolis. He pointed out that since today’s “natural habitat” is largely the built environment, biophilic design “seeks to satisfy our innate need to affiliate with nature in modern buildings and cities.”
In the publication, “The Practice of Biophilic Design,” in collaboration with architect Elizabeth Freeman Calabrese, Kellert and Calabrese identify five principles of biophilic design:
1. Biophilic design requires repeated and sustained engagement with nature.
2. Biophilic design focuses on human adaptations to the natural world that, over evolutionary time, have advanced people’s health, fitness and wellbeing.
3. Biophilic design encourages an emotional attachment to particular settings and places.
4. Biophilic design promotes positive interactions between people and nature that encourage an expanded sense of relationship and responsibility for the human and natural communities.
Natural textures and materials abound in this Encinitas living room with design by Megan Siason, where the owners requested a beachy, modern farmhouse look.
(Natalia Robert Photography)
5. Biophilic design encourages mutual reinforcing, interconnected and integrated architectural solutions.
They maintain that if biophilic design is successfully applied, it should have “a wide spectrum of physical, mental, and behavioral benefits,” including lower blood pressure, increased comfort and satisfaction, improved health, less stress and anxiety, better coping and mastery skills, and improved social interaction.
A live-edge coffee table in the Encinitas living room is topped with carvings and plants.
(Natalia Robert Photography)
These principles sound lofty, but also quite humanistic and potentially comforting for people saturated in chaotic urban life. The examples Kellert and Calabrese provide tend to be public spaces, like hospitals, office buildings and their lobbies, restaurants and civic centers, but not individual homes. They’re airy, incorporate natural materials like wood and rocks, are filled with plants, and are plentiful in windows that connect to the outdoors. Some even include waterfalls.
But while the emphasis is on spaces grand in scope, biophilic design is taught in interior design classes and Siason, a graduate of San Diego State University, was a student in one of those classes.
“The phrase ‘biophilic design’ doesn’t resonate with anybody, though, because it sounds like a very scientific term,” she said. “So, we don’t use it when talking to clients, but what I love to do is talk with them about how they want their spaces to feel. And ultimately when you think about when somebody wants to find themselves in a relaxing space, a quiet calm space, they’re usually describing a memory from vacation.
“For example, one of my clients had described her experience in Hawaii. ‘I love that feeling of when I go out to Hawaii, and I’m surrounded by nature.’ These are actual words that she used. ‘I go on my hikes. I go swim out in the ocean.’ For that one client, everything that she touched on was her immersion in nature.”
It’s then up to Siason to reconcile creating a space from both a functional standpoint and, as she said, “breathe life into it with all the different finishes.”
“I love bringing in a look of wood, but in a bathroom you probably wouldn’t want to bring in a natural wood just because of the moisture component. So, Janet’s bathroom in Cardiff has a horizontal wood slat wall that’s actually porcelain tile,” she explained. “But that earthy finish brings in the warmth. The walls are white tile with a beautiful soft, elegant brushstroke that has horizontal movement. It’s something I love to incorporate in homes using biophilic design.”
The Encinitas home remodel by designer Megan Siason continued in the kitchen, with nature-tinged patterns, colors and materials. An 8-foot-wide window over the sink looks out over the backyard
(Natalia Robert Photography)
Siason explained that it was also very intentional to place plants on shelving by the white freestanding tub.
“To see the plants running in a horizontal orientation is something that brings repose, relaxation and tranquility rather than vertical movements that start to feel almost jail-like,” she explained.
The floor, too, with its dark pebbles, exudes nature. And Siason enlarged the horizontal window to give Koenig her ocean view and bring more light in, although the bathroom already had a skylight above. The sandblasted glass partitions leading to the toilet keep that open feel, even as they provide some privacy.
Of course, you can achieve a similar expression of biophilic design throughout your home. Siason offered several tips in a recent newsletter aimed at helping people infuse natural elements into their homes to lift spirits and foster a sense of ease and relaxation:
- Create an inviting entryway by incorporating natural materials like wood or stone for flooring and accent pieces. Add greenery with potted plants or a vertical garden. Maximize natural light with windows or skylights to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living.
- Create a kitchen oasis with organic shapes and textures in cabinetry and countertops, using sustainable materials like bamboo or cork to also reduce environmental impact.
- Create tranquil bathrooms, implementing natural materials like wood or stone in your vanity, bathtub surround, flooring and decor to invoke a spa-like environment. Introduce water elements, like a rainfall showerhead or freestanding tub. Incorporate essential oils or natural fragrances for an immersive experience.
- Create a harmonious dining room with furniture made from sustainable materials, like reclaimed wood or rattan. Illuminate the space with soft, diffused lighting that mimics natural sunlight filtered through leaves. Consider live-edge tables or add handmade pottery for texture and visual interest. Add a feature wall adorned with botanical prints or living plants to bring the outdoors in.
- Create soothing bedrooms, turning them into peaceful retreats by selecting natural, breathable materials for bedding and upholstery — like organic cotton or linen. Incorporate soft, muted colors inspired by nature, such as earthy browns, soothing greens and tranquil blues to promote calm and serenity. Choose soft, ambient lighting and blackout curtains. Introduce natural elements such as live plants or botanical artwork to infuse the space with life and vitality, and foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
“These are all the things that will, if you bring them into your home, allow you to experience loving life in your own sacred space,” Siason said. “Incorporating biophilic design elements is a powerful way to transform every room in your home into a serene sanctuary that nourishes body, mind and soul.”
Golden is a San Diego freelance writer and blogger.