Nature connection in our gardens
When people think about gardens and nature connection, they often think first about gardening: planting, pruning, growing food, being outside. All of that matters, but it is not the whole story. A person can garden in a highly functional way without ever feeling particularly connected to the natural world, just as someone can have very little outdoor space and still develop a deep relationship with nature through attention, care, beauty and everyday contact. If nature connection is about relationship, then the question is not only whether we garden, but how our gardens and green spaces are designed to help us notice, feel, care and belong.
A journey from frivolity - the critical importance of interior design for people and planet
I grew up in the 90s, and my introduction to interior design was via the 48 hour makeover show ‘Changing Rooms’.
Changing Rooms inspired me (aged 11) to redecorate my own bedroom twice; but also framed interior design in my eyes as something creative, expressive, accessible - but ultimately frivolous.
Although I continued to renovate my own homes, it wasn’t until I was in my early 30s that I revisited interiors as a profession via a Netflix profile of Ilse Crawford; an interior designer known for creating interiors that prioritize human experience, comfort, and wellbeing.
Suddenly I saw: as well as being creative, interior design has huge power to influence how we live and feel.
Why nature connection belongs in more community programmes and services
If nature connection supports wellbeing, belonging and care for the living world, the question is not whether we should design for it, but why we still so often leave it out. Many programmes and services already work on outcomes that nature can help strengthen: mental wellbeing, confidence, emotional regulation, skills development, employability, social connection and recovery from trauma. Yet nature connection is frequently absent. That feels like a missed opportunity for the people we serve and the ecological world we all depend on.
A beginner’s guide to choosing sustainable materials for nature-first interiors
A couple of years ago we extended our house. We'd had a fire, the kitchen was full of damp, and what started as necessary repair work became something bigger — knocked down walls, new space, an open plan living environment we're genuinely grateful for. But I hadn't anticipated the sheer volume of materials involved – and the waste. The amount of stuff the builders put straight into the skip without a second thought. Watching that unfold — standing in my own home, watching potentially usable, often non-biogradable, sometimes toxic materials disappear into landfill — made me start to see the built environment differently. Not as a finished ‘after photo’ but as an accumulation of material decisions. I realised that most of us, myself included, make those decisions without nearly enough information.
Nature connected interior design: why it matters - and a practical framework
When you walk into a room that instantly feels calm, it’s often not the furniture or paint alone that creates that feeling — it’s the subtle presence of nature. Research shows our connectedness to nature profoundly shapes our wellbeing, mental functioning, behaviour, and even sustainability choices.
Yet as daily contact with nature has declined, particularly within urban and domestic life, opportunities to build and sustain this connection have become increasingly limited. In this context, our interiors take on renewed importance, having the potential to support not just comfort or function, but an ongoing relationship with the living world.
The benefits of nature connection for people, communities and the planet
Many of us spend our lives slightly apart from nature. We move between buildings, screens, roads and routines focused on productivity, speed and consumption, while the natural world becomes background scenery rather than something we feel part of. For many people, this disconnection has become normal. But when nature is reduced to a backdrop, resource or occasional escape, we lose sight of something fundamental: that human wellbeing is inseparable from the health of the living systems around us. Research increasingly suggests that connecting with nature creates better mental wellbeing, stronger pro-environmental behaviour, and a greater sense of meaning and belonging