Indoor outdoor living is a home design concept that creates an organic flow and blurs the lines between ‘inside’ and ‘outside’. Made popular by resort-style architecture and villa life, it has been embraced by many Aussie homeowners. But apart from looking ridiculously beautiful, did you know there are also proven health and wellbeing benefits?
Check out how an organic indoor outdoor flow can support a healthier, happier home!
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1. Natural light
Natural light is essential to our health, especially our emotional and mental wellbeing. Sunlight is a direct source of vitamin D, a nutrient offering many benefits, including the prevention or reduced risk of:
- Bone loss
- Heart disease
- Weight gain
- Various cancers
- Seasonal depression, or ‘winter blues’
It can also reduce the health risks of an alternative light source that usually replaces natural light in offices and public spaces; fluorescent lights. This light substitute is considered generally safe; however, prolonged exposure has been linked to elevated stress responses, migraines and eye strain.
The more natural light you welcome into your home, the better.
2. Fresh air
We can all agree that it just feels better. But did you know there are actual health benefits of getting fresh air?
Our access to oxygen is directly related to digestive health, cardiac and respiratory functions and a strong immune system. It can also improve your emotional wellbeing by boosting energy levels, clearing your mind and even regulating serotonin levels (the happy hormone!).
Indoor-outdoor living makes use of gradual, organic transitions between ‘inside’ and ‘outside’, which effortlessly supports the flow of fresh air through your home.
Watch Three Birds Renovations Case Study
3. Greenery
Borrowing from our more primal days, the mere sight of greenery can make us feel more at ease with our surroundings; studies have shown that we experience less stress when there are plants around.
By utilising interior landscaping, such as pot plants, internal courtyards or green walls, you welcome these benefits into your home. In fact, having indoor plants improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide, increasing humidity, reducing airborne dust levels, filtering out certain pollutants and even keeping air temperatures down.
4. Reduce screen time
According to a report by Ernst and Young, Australians with a digital device spend an average of 10 hours and 24 minutes engaging with their devices every day.
We’ve become so accustomed to our screens for entertainment that going ‘unplugged’ can sound like a nightmare. But screen time can actually have drastic health impacts; from vision impairment and strained sleep cycles, to weight gain and higher risks of obesity and diabetes, a lifestyle heavy in screen time is simply not good for us.
Being connected to the outdoors can remind us to entertain ourselves away from a screen. Pick up a book, potter around the garden, jump in the pool, play with the pooch or finally begin that meditation or yoga routine you’ve been saying you’d love to get into. While we might not be able to get away from the screens at work, our homes should offer some time away from them.
Watch Alisa & Lysandra Case Study
5. Holistic home design
Holistic home design is a concept that your home should nurture every part of you; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When your home is designed as a whole, where each space flows into one another and nourishes your body, mind and spirit, the energy of your home truly becomes an oasis.
In terms of physical elements, it prioritises natural materials, comfort (similar to Hygge style) and a foundational connection to nature. Indoor outdoor living supports holistic home design by bringing the outside world into your home, blurring the lines between man-made and organic; we are reminded that we are not simply a surveyor of nature, but a part of it.
This concept is one of the biggest blockers of a healthy lifestyle; the further away from nature we get, the less we take care of ourselves as an organic being. However, if we embrace the power of nature, we actually start to prioritise natural sustenance; suddenly, our diets get cleaner, our activities get more physical. We are suddenly a part of a greater ecosystem, boosting our sense of belonging and purpose; and, thus, improving our mental and emotional wellbeing and supporting our choice to live a healthier, happier life.
Create a tranquil outdoor oasis by investing in your acoustic privacy; it’s time for some peace and quiet. Specifically designed for modern homes, with acoustically rated panels and heights up to 3m, our acoustic fences have transformed backyards all across Australia.
