On The Cover of Design + Decor Magazine | Top 25 Design Firms
Featured as a Top 25 Design Firm in Southwest Florida in the 2019 fall edition of Design + Decor Magazine.
For designer Karen Larson, merging the idea of wellness and biophilic design into a home is a no-brainer. In an era of constantly evolving technology and illness, creatives like Karen are becoming more educated and involved in the ways our living spaces affect us, both negatively and positively.
Like many of those dedicated to the craft of interior design, she is learning how to bring the healing properties of our natural world into our modern built spaces.
Karen and her team take great care and pride in creating spaces that are not only beautiful but healthy. “The use of biophilic design elements creates a sense of happiness and an uplifting mood,” she says. “Design professionals and the building industry are focused on new standards to improve human health and well-being. Recently, Broad Avenue Studios has specialized in wellness and biophilic design in private residenc-es. It’s important to us, and that’s why we try to incorporate these different aspects into our designs. In an age in which we spend so much time inside and away from nature, it’s essential to bring nature in with us.”
As a Naples-based designer, Karen has one of the world’s best natural views at her disposal: the Gulf of Mexico. “We try to make the view of the water a focal point as much as possible,” she says. Karen and her team bring in biophilic design with natural elements like green walls, and by using large windows and deconstructed walls to help open up a space. “Whether it’s the morning sun or a beautiful sunset, natural light is so important, and we try to make as much use of it as possible,” she says. They also use water features and both outdoor and indoor plantings to help bring the outside in and display something live and natural in the home.
While interior designers often employ space and art to imitate nature, Karen says she prefers to use organic materials whenever possible. “They provide
a more authentic look than man-made materials,” she explains. “We use natural stone and wood as much as possible, and even use green walls and details like a live-edge wood bench to add beauty to a home.”
Although they haven’t had a project that is entirely focused on a biophilic design, her team is always mindful of incorporating wellness into their designs, such as by using proper lighting control to accommodate healthier living. An example of this is a home in which the lights begin to dim around the same time every day as reminder that it is time for bed. The dimming lights throughout the home guide the homeowners into the bedroom, freeing them from the common distractions that often prevent people from getting the rest their bodies need.
Indeed, though we might not be aware of it, a detail as simple as lighting can greatly affect our health. In Karen’s understanding of wellness, “it is important to understand proper lighting and how it assists with our natural circadian rhythms,” she says. “Scientific studies have found that circadian disruption can act as a human carcinogen. The proper artificial light can influence mood and wellness for example, soft, diffused light can promote relaxation, while blue light can help to improve productivity, which makes it a great choice for workspaces.”
“In adding all these biophilic elements, however, space planning becomes key,” she continues. “Lighting, art, patterns, colors, water features, green walls and plantings-when used, all have to be properly spaced in areas where something specific is trying to be achieved. Is it where you want to feel calm? Or is it a place of high energy? Proper planning is important.”
For Karen and her team, the goal is creating a space where clients not only feel happy, but a space that adds value to their lives in so many ways.
