THE HEALTHY HOME Wellbeing

BACK TO NATURE

Health, wellbeing and eco-consciousness are impacting the interior design of our homes, discovers Alexandra Goss

CITY SANCTUARY

Left and right: With its antique oak beams, reclaimed furniture and moss, khaki and cream colour scheme, this Leinster Square penthouse designed by Banda connects with the natural world bandaproperty.co.uk

THE GREAT INDOORS Right:

Wool mattresses, such as this by Naturalmat, aid healthier sleep naturalmat.co.uk. Below: The natural tones of the Classic English kitchen, from £25,000 devolkitchens. co.uk created for the House of Hackney owners at Castle Trematon in Cornwall F orging a connection with nature has never been more important for our physical and mental wellbeing. And this year we are all keen to ensure that our homes are as natural and healthy as possible.

“There was already a movement towards wellbeing and environmental awareness in interiors, but the pandemic and all the time we have spent in our homes these past couple of years has really brought these themes to the fore,” says Louise Wicksteed, design director at the interiors firm Sims Hilditch. “It’s all about how your house makes you feel.”

Interiors are, quite literally, going green, with the trend for emerald upholstery, moss-coloured walls and avocado kitchens showing no sign of withering. In summer 2020 AGA brought back its British Racing Green models and the following year introduced a lighter shade, Olivine, while the kitchen created by deVOL for the House of Hackney founders, Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle, at their Cornish castle is a verdant

jungle with mossy woodland scenes on the wallpaper and green striped curtains and lampshade. “In an urban setting it’s especially important to create a warm, natural environment that reflects the great outdoors – rich stone colours, comforting sandy hues and deep or midtone greens help to achieve this,” says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at the paint firm Little Greene.

Indeed, there is increasing awareness of biophilic design, which seeks to integrate the natural world and natural materials into rooms and buildings. In doing so, it makes the environment healthier and makes us feel better – there is extensive research to suggest that it supports cognitive function, physical health and psychological well-being.

The interior designer Emma Green integrates biophilia into the homes she decorates by choosing wallpapers that feature plants, flowers and foliage and by the extensive use of plants, which absorb carbon dioxide and help to regulate humidity. The architectural design studio Echlin has gone further and installed a six-metre living wall running down the entire side of a mews

house in Knightsbridge. Moss can also be an evocative, low-maintenance way of channelling nature, as seen in homes designed by Angel O’Donnell, which uses framed picture-sized mosses all the way to a four-metre by three-metre moss wall created in conjunction with Innerspace Cheshire. “It looks like a fairy-tale forest floor,” says co-founder Ed O’Donnell.

The greenery of Holland Park was the inspiration for the calming colour scheme at Albion Nord’s 80 Holland Park, while Banda’s new penthouse, which overlooks the gardens of Leinster Square, has been designed around a connection with the natural world, from the antique oak ceiling beams and reclaimed furniture to the palette of moss greens, khaki and creamy and neutral shades. “In our busy city, people look to their homes as a sanctuary and this penthouse feels truly at one with nature despite the urban location,” says Edo Mapelli Mozzi, founder and creative director of Banda. The walls are finished in a natural, highly sustainable clay, the moisture and temperature regulating properties of which contribute to the health and comfort of the environment.

NEUTRAL PALETTE

Above: Portland on the walls by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint (£51, 2.5L) and reclaimed furniture feature in this collaboration styled by Lorfords Antiques edwardbulmer.co.uk. Left: A calming colour scheme in the study at 80 Holland Park by Albion Nord

In a post-pandemic era, the focus on indoor air quality has never been more important. OKTOair has seen rising demand for its AI-led air quality management systems, which are designed to eradicate indoor air contamination, viruses, natural allergens and pollens, and consumers are increasingly opting for natural paints such as those from Edward Bulmer, which are made from plants and contain less than 0.2 per cent harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

There are also plenty of ways to shop sustainably. Wicksteed at Sims Hilditch often sources antiques for clients, buys local where possible and uses natural materials and products that are made using sustainable processes – fabric brands she believes are environmentally responsible include Fermoie, de Le Cuona and Libeco.

Naturamat is a company proud of its sustainble credentials. “When we started two decades ago we set out to make a mattress that provided better sleep quality without chemical additives or synthetic materials whilst respecting

INVESTMENT for LIFE

The Buy To Let Hunter team seeks out properties for clients with money to invest in real estate, but without the time or experience to make the big decisions

Buy to Let Hunter offers a fresh approach to property purchase. The team recently sat down with one of their early investors to find out how the process was for him. Raffi is a local business owner doing a great thing for the world. He arrived in Richmond with enough money for eight months. He set up Bantam Materials, providing Prevented Ocean Plastic, recycling and collecting from at-risk coastal communities and creating a research centre in Richmond, winning “Sustainable Initiative of The Year”. Raffi realised that he wanted to invest in property, but preferred a professionally managed structure run by trustworthy people to allow him the freedom to focus on his own world. Raffi approached Buy to Let Hunter and asked the team to help. Through Buy to Let Hunter, Raffi has purchased a pure investment property and a holiday home in the Cotswolds which his family uses in conjunction with renting it out to paying guests.

Raffi says: “For me there wasn’t a second choice when I met the Buy to Let Hunter team. It was about working with someone trustworthy and when speaking to Adrian, one of the directors, it was clear he was someone I could trust. I didn’t need to look any further. And my expectation has been more than met.”

Obviously, investing in anything is risky, but understanding that, Raffi feels he has enhanced his lifestyle greatly. His money is safe, he has a lovely spot for a free holiday that pays for itself, and in fact it pays Raffi just to own it.

“My kids have a pool, access to nature, the cottage overlooks a lake. And it’s just an hour and a half from London,” says Raffi. “It’s absolutely no hassle. The team at Buy to Let Hunter do absolutely everything to help, including checking in the guests, all the housekeeping, managing the monthly calendar, making sure everything is perfect for my family and for my visitors. I just turn up and cash the cheques.

“I had no doubt I could trust Adrian from Buy to Let Hunter after I met him in person. The single biggest thing is that my interests were ahead of our co-profit. I feel I can really trust any advice and I know that my money is safe.” Call to fi nd the perfect property on 020 7550 9396 or email the team at hello@buytolethunter.com

BUYTOLETHUNTER.COM

the environment. Now there is a lot more awareness of the link between materials, health and wellbeing,” says Mark Tremlett, Naturalmat founder. Wool Room managing director Chris Tattersall agrees on the benefits. “Natural wool bedding and mattresses deliver massive health benefits such as deeper more regenerative sleep, control of allergies and the ability to purify the air of VOCs.”

Haines Collection is a pioneering company that sells unwanted textiles, wallpaper, lights and accessories that would otherwise end up in landfill, while Bert & May sells reclaimed tiles. Some of the most popular brands at Heal’s include the ethical furniture maker Mater and the Ocean furniture collection, which is crafted from salvaged ocean waste; Ribbon has become the retailer’s best-selling lighting collection, thanks to its use of LEDs, which use much less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

For some, creating a healthy home means going back to a simpler, more natural age. Rosie Ward, creative director of Ward & Co Interiors, is increasingly working with clients who are actively anti-technology and shun smart home integration systems. “The health side effects associated with being surrounded by technology mean we predict many people will shift from high energy-consuming set-ups and adopt a more traditional way of living.” Perhaps a digital detox is something we all need for a healthier, happier 2022. L

GREEN APPEAL

Top: Beech Nut wallpaper in Florence, £97 per roll, with door in Tea with Florence 310, in intelligent eggshell £68, 2.5L, littlegreene.com. Right: Reclaimed tiles from Bert and May, bertandmay.com

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