Nearing the end of 2021, we’ve experienced another year of stress and constant worry due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. This situation has had a tremendous effect on our health, well-being, and overall quality of life. The necessary changes like social distancing and work from home have fundamentally changed our daily routines and habits, but there is a silver lining.
Never before have we focused on our self-care and mental health as much as we have in the past two years. The continuing conversations we’re having about these important topics give us hope and we believe we will come out to the other end of this trial as more self-aware, healthier, and nature-conscious individuals.
But considering we are still in the eye of the storm, we’ve decided to share some ways we can improve our quality of life in the meantime. Since we are impassioned followers of biophilic design, one thing that gave us comfort through the quarantine and pandemic was our love for nature and our work. We are thrilled to be able to help our clients let nature inside and enjoy the many positive benefits that it brings.
So if you’ve been feeling stressed and under the weather like most of us, keep reading and find out how moss walls can enhance our health and quality of life.
What Are Moss Walls?
Moss walls are incredible decorations made out of real, sustainably sourced moss plants placed in a wooden frame. They can be living moss walls and preserved moss walls, depending on your needs and wishes. Both come with incredible benefits and showstopping designs. Moss is extremely versatile and moldable, so it can be turned into majestic pieces of art in the hands of an attentive and skilled designer. The size, shape, and design of the moss wall are limited only by the creativity and imagination of the client and the team hired to create it. Preserved moss can be even more interesting due to the fact that it can be colored, so the entire rainbow palette is available for your design. You can read all about moss walls and get acquainted with them through our previous article.
What Are The Benefits Of Moss Walls?
Moss walls, both living and preserved, have many fantastic benefits for our health, productivity, and overall wellbeing. It’s been scientifically proven that plants have a beneficial effect on our psychology as well as physiology. More than just decorations, moss walls can help us feel better by being more focused, positive, and efficient, and here is how.
1. They Are Beautiful
Starting from the obvious, moss walls are incredibly beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. They’ve been growing in popularity among designers, homeowners, and business owners as a must-have decoration that can help elevate the style of any space. Moss and plants are probably the easiest way to introduce some decorative accents into a room. The versatility and incredible designs of moss walls are great when we want to let our personality shine through our decor. Whether we want a flamboyant, colorful wall to make a statement or a modest and simple design to brighten up an empty wall, there is a solution with moss applications. And it’s an added benefit that they make the place seem more cozy, welcoming, and put-together.
Though it might seem like a superficial advantage, we must remember that our surroundings deeply affect the way we feel, so the decorative benefits of moss walls are more than welcome. Having a well-designed, clean and tidy environment brings us enormous comfort so it’s a worthwhile investment to take the time and ensure we are living and working in a place that looks and thus feels appealing, relaxing, and refreshing.
2. They Enhance Air Quality
Moss, just like all the other plants is known for releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, which leads to purifying and filtering the air we breathe. Air pollution has become a growing problem and a serious concern that results in many terrible illnesses and fatalities throughout the world. Becoming more conscious of our environment and nature and how we can improve our own microenvironments, even if it is just our home, workplace, or backyard, is a crucial step in battling this crisis. An easy and aesthetically stunning way to add more greenery into our space is by getting a moss wall. If you’re struggling with asthma, you might want to consider this solution because moss is also great at absorbing dust particles and smoke that are the usual irritants with this condition.
It’s important to note that this benefit concerns living moss walls and not the preserved, though they each have incredible benefits.
3. They Reduce Noise And Insulate
Research has shown that prolonged exposure to noise can increase our stress levels and cause significant health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. It affects our mental health, sleep, and heart rate. If you live or work in a loud environment and you’re in need of some peace and quiet, installing a moss wall might solve your problem. Whether you’re struggling with the hustle and bustle of the office or your noisy neighbors, it’s good to know that a simple and beautiful solution in the form of a moss wall can ameliorate this issue. Loud, high-frequency sounds are diminished by the thick moss and you’re left with a peaceful and calm environment.
Aside from lessening noise, the moss wall has another incredible property and that’s insulation. Adding a moss wall to your room is like adding another layer of insulation that helps regulate the temperature, keeping it slightly cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, and so potentially reducing your power expenses and helping conserve energy.
4. They Keep Us Healthy And Glowing
You might be perplexed by this statement, but it’s true! We’ve mentioned before that they are excellent at purifying the air by reducing carbon dioxide and dust and with that minimizing symptoms of respiratory diseases, but there is more. The bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the soil of the moss walls can help absorb toxins and harmful particles from the air that often contribute to headaches.
They also help balance out the humidity, since moss will absorb any excess and release it back when there is a drop in moisture. This is excellent news for our skin because dry air can lead to dryer skin which is harmful to our elasticity and aids in the creation of wrinkles.
Research has also shown that the presence of plants is beneficial for quicker healing. Whether it’s just the sight of beautiful plants and gardens or participation in horticulture therapy, scientists have seen positive and soothing effects of plants on the healing process, according to a study done by Texas A&M.
5. They Improve Productivity And Focus
Adding plants into our home and work environments brings us innumerable benefits, as we’ve mentioned before in our article about biophilic design. Some of those benefits include increased productivity and focus. The Texas A&M study has also shown that spending time in nature or performing tasks in the presence of the soothing influence of plants and the natural environment is favorable and it helps us perform better, with higher quality and accuracy. So if you’d like to stimulate your senses at home or at work and exercise much better memory retention, maybe you should think about adding a moss wall into that space.
6. They Keep Our Spirits Up
Our connection to nature is primal and undeniable so it’s no wonder that research shows that being around plants can result in a more positive outlook on life and an overall better mental health.
Taking the time to reconnect with nature, even through house plants and other elements of biophilic design, can help us sleep better, feel destressed and refreshed so we’re less burdened by anxiety and depression at these trying times during the global pandemic.
Though we don’t always have the opportunity to run out into the forest or enjoy some precious moments by the river, we can invite nature into our homes and workplaces. Adding a moss wall will have similar effects and help us reap the benefits of nature without leaving the comfort of our own environment.
Moss Wall Ideas And Inspiration
If you’re sold on the idea of moss walls and need some inspiration, we’ve got you. Following are some of our favorite moss wall designs and projects we’ve had the pleasure to work on. From private residences to commercial buildings and workspaces, we can all benefit from letting nature into our environments.
Moss Wall For PSE&G in Newark, NJ
Moss walls come in many shapes and sizes, limited only by our imagination. This particular moss wall was made for a commercial space, using a vibrant Reindeer moss. The luxurious texture and refreshing color of this moss wall really transformed this space and made it more welcoming for all its visitors. We worked closely with the clients to ensure we can bring their vision to life and achieve a look that they desired.
Syneos Moss Wall
This moss wall is an excellent representation of the versatility and range this plant can accomplish in the hands of an artist. One of the advantages of preserved moss walls is definitely the fact that they can be painted, and as you can see, for this project we choose the vibrant colors of red and orange that match the logo of this incredible company. We chose Flat moss and Raindeer moss for this client and love how the textures and colors beautifully contrast each other and bring vibrancy to this place of work. We know that it will bring positivity and healthy energy into this space, just like our Syneos try to do in their important work.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ Bun Moss Wall
Moss walls are not only for commercial spaces, they look incredible in private residences as well. Check out how this installation looks. Built with a lot of love and attention to detail, this application features Pittosporum, Hedera, Flat Moss, Bun Moss and we are thrilled how it came out. The lively green color is a breath of fresh air and makes this home feel more alive and joyful. The bright mossy texture of this piece is simply enchanting and we know it greets the visitors of this home with radiant but soothing energy.
Moss Wall For Gensler Washington DC
Naturalist team of designers, horticulturists, and installers were thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this project. We were tasked with creating moss applications for their office spaces and using Reindeer moss, Flat moss, and Bun moss for a textured and colorful look, we came up with a stunning design. This moss wall features deep, bright, and vibrant green colors that come together beautifully in this piece. It was exciting to have to opportunity to create a refreshing work environment once again, following the principles of biophilic design.
LG North America Englewood NJ Moss Wall
This moss application was one of our favorite to this day. It was challenging and fascinating to have a project that allows us to explore our creativity in order to bring about such a piece of art. Recreating the sights of nature using moss and combining the colors and textures to achieve our vision was a joy and we’re happy that this moss wall is now ready to invigorate the LG headquarters and give their employees and visitors a dash of new positive energy every time they look at it.
Enrich Your Life With A Moss Wall. Contact Naturalist Today
We hope you’re entertained and inspired after getting to know the benefits of moss walls. You can further explore our gallery for more incredible photos that will convince you that moss walls are a magnificent way to improve your living space and invite nature inside. It’s important to note that they are completely maintenance-free and don’t require any soil, irrigation, or direct sunlight. Naturalist team is happy to have the opportunity to enhance your life and add to its quality with our incredible installations. If you are ready to get started or have any additional questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll get back to you with our ideas.
