Interior Landscapes
for Exceptional Spaces

In this Q&A, meet Paige Meliet-Kinane, Amlings' Floral Specialist. After a career shift from Wall Street to landscaping in New York City , Paige joined the Amlings team in January 2026 to create custom weekly arrangements for high-end commercial and residential spaces. Read on to discover her improvisational, "jazz-like" approach to floral design , her pro tips for utilizing bold tropical foliage , and her passionate belief in the mental and physical benefits of surrounding ourselves with living plants.

Q: How did you get your start in this field?
I hail from Southern Louisiana, and I grew up surrounded by my grandparents’ beautiful gardens. It wasn’t until much later that I realized it could be a career path. I actually have a degree in International Trade and went to work on Wall Street—but I hated it.

In college, I was part of the university’s landscaping team—we were known affectionately as the “dirt girls.” I really loved that job and when I looked through job postings in New York City, I came across an opening in container gardening, which meant maintaining terraces and rooftop spaces. Who knew that was a thing! I landed the job and fell in love with transforming small spaces into something beautiful. And I was really good at it.

From there, it evolved naturally. I started designing outdoor spaces for events, then creating floral arrangements to complement them indoors. It grew organically into a full creative practice.

Q: What does your role at Amlings look like?
It’s a blast. I joined the team in January 2026. I focus on weekly floral arrangements for clients—primarily high-end commercial spaces, residential buildings, and hotels. We currently serve about 25 weekly clients. Each arrangement is custom. I source flowers based on what looks best that week, then design specifically for each space and budget. No two weeks are the same.

In addition to weekly florals, we rotate orchid, succulent, and plant arrangements every six weeks to keep spaces feeling fresh and dynamic.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
My 14 year old son and I were just talking about this last week. He said, “you are good at putting together weird colors. It’s like how I approach a jazz ensemble – it’s random.” My son, the drummer and jazz musician, is right. I like to force color combinations that would seem to clash. It usually starts with one element that catches my eye – a color, texture or shape. It’s improvisational. One standout piece leads, and everything else builds around it.

Q: Any “pro tips” when it comes to floral design in commercial spaces?
Start with bold, beautiful tropical foliage and then use florals to accent. Not the other way around. It’s more visually stunning and tropicals tend to hold up better and are more resistant to heat and drought. And they don’t get bugs or wilt as quickly.

Q: If there were no budget constraints, what would you create?
I’d design something inspired by my Southern Louisiana roots—lush, layered, and a little mysterious. Think Spanish moss, deep greens, and a “secret garden” feel.
One of my favorite places is the Fern Room at the Garfield Park Conservatory—it feels alive, immersive, and magical. That’s the kind of experience I’d want to recreate.

Q: Why do plants and florals matter in a space?
I truly believe being around living plants improves how we feel—physically and mentally. The science is there—plants can reduce stress and even improve air quality. But beyond that, they bring life into a space in a way nothing else can.

Q: What drew you to Amlings specifically?
I was looking for a place that truly values creativity and design. That’s not always easy to find. At Amlings, there’s a real appreciation for artistry—whether it’s floral design or large-scale plantscaping. It feels like a place where creativity is supported and celebrated, and where we get to share that with our clients every day.

Q. Do you arrange florals for your home?
Always! My kitchen and dining room table have their own rotations and the rest of my home is a bit of a jungle.

We are incredibly grateful to have Paige on the Amlings team, sharing her unique creative vision and deep passion for artistry with us. Thank you, Paige, for bringing so much life into the spaces we serve in a way nothing else can!

The Biological Imperative of Modern Architecture

In the modern era, we spend approximately 90% of our lives indoors. This shift from sun-drenched savannas to fluorescent-lit cubicles has created a sensory rift that impacts our cognitive function, stress levels, and overall well-being. Biophilic Design is not merely an aesthetic trend; it is an evidence-based architectural framework aimed at re-establishing the vital connection between humans and the natural world.

For design professionals, facility managers, property owners and hospitality professionals, integrating biophilic design principles is an investment in human capital. Whether it is a corporate headquarters, a manufacturing facility, or a hospital or healthcare office, the application of nature-inspired elements has been proven to reduce heart rates, increase productivity, and shorten post-operative recovery times.

To truly master this discipline, one must look toward the foundational scientific framework established by Terrapin Bright Green. Their seminal research identified 14 patterns that categorize how we experience nature in the built environment. These patterns are organized into three distinct pillars.

Pillar 1: Nature in the Space

The first pillar of Biophilic Design involves the direct, physical presence of nature within an environment. This is the most recognizable form of the practice, involving multi-sensory interactions that ground the occupant in the present moment.

1. Visual Connection with Nature

A visual connection refers to a view of elements of nature, living systems, and natural processes. This could be a window looking out onto a landscaped courtyard or an extensive interior living wall.

2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature

Design is not just for the eyes. Auditory, haptic, olfactory, or gustatory stimuli—such as the sound of trickling water, the scent of cedar, or the feeling of a natural breeze—provide a powerful sense of calm.

3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli

Nature is unpredictable. The gentle sway of grasses in the wind or the momentary dappling of light through leaves prevents sensory boredom. Research by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that these subtle movements can significantly lower blood pressure.

4. Thermal & Airflow Variability

Subtle changes in air temperature, humidity, and airflow mimic the natural environment, keeping the occupant refreshed and alert rather than stifled by stagnant, climate-controlled air.

5. Presence of Water

Water is the essence of life. Whether it is the visual sparkle of a fountain or the rhythmic sound of a stream, water features enhance the experience of a place.

6. Diffuse and Dynamic Light

Leveraging natural light cycles (circadian lighting) helps regulate human sleep-wake cycles. This involves using transitions of light and shadow that change throughout the day.

7. Connection with Natural Systems

This involves awareness of seasonal changes or ecological processes, such as the blooming of specific plants or the movement of the sun across a stone floor.

Ready to revitalize your workspace? Contact Amlings services today to consult with experts who specialize in bringing Nature in the Space to life through custom horticultural installations.

Pillar 2: Natural Analogues

Where the first pillar deals with living things, the second pillar of Biophilic Design focuses on non-living evocations of nature. Natural analogues use organic shapes, patterns, and materials to mimic the complexity of the outdoors.

8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns

Humans possess an innate preference for Curvilinear forms over sharp, 90-degree angles. This pattern utilizes structural elements that mimic the shapes found in shells, leaves, or honeycombs.

9. Material Connection with Nature

Using minimally processed materials—such as wood grain, stone, leather, and hemp—creates a tactile and visual connection to the earth. These materials should reflect the local ecology to provide a sense of place.

10. Complexity & Order

Nature is complex but organized. Think of the fractal patterns in a fern or a snowflake. Terrapin Bright Green emphasizes that providing a balance between boring and overwhelming creates an environment that is both stimulating and restorative.

Pillar 3: Nature of the Space

The final pillar addresses the spatial configuration of the room itself. It draws on our evolutionary history as hunters and gatherers who needed to see long distances while remaining protected from predators.

11. Prospect

Prospect is the ability to see over a distance. In an office, this translates to open floor plans or glass partitions that allow the eye to travel, reducing the claustrophobia of modern cubicles.

12. Refuge

A refuge is a place of withdrawal. It is a nook or a cocoon-like space where an individual feels protected from behind and overhead. These spaces are essential for deep focus and stress reduction.

13. Mystery

Mystery is the promise of more information. A winding hallway or a partially obscured view invites exploration and engages the mind’s curiosity.

14. Risk/Peril

A controlled sense of risk—such as a glass floor over a high atrium or a cantilevered walkway—triggers a brief dopamine rush and heightens awareness.

The ROI of Biophilic Design Principles

For high-level decision-makers, the data is clear. According to studies published by Human Spaces, environments that utilize biophilic design can lead to:

• 15% increase in perceived well-being.
• 6% increase in productivity.
• 15% increase in creativity.

By adhering to the frameworks provided by Terrapin Bright Green, architects can move beyond greening a building and start humanizing it.

Implementation Strategy for Design Professionals

Integrating these biophilic design principles requires a tiered approach:

1. Audit the Environment: Identify where natural light is lacking or where Nature in the Space can be introduced.
2. Select Materials Early: Choose wood and stone finishes during the initial schematic design phase.
3. Balance Prospect and Refuge: Ensure the floor plan offers both collaborative prospect areas and private refuge zones.

If you are looking for more technical guidance on plant selection and maintenance, contact us for more information or browse our portfolio to learn more about our previous installations.

Transform Your Space Today

The evidence is undeniable: we are biological beings in a digital world. Embracing Biophilic Design is the key to creating spaces that dont just house people but help them flourish. Whether you are designing a high-rise or a boutique office, the three pillars provide the roadmap to success.

Ready to elevate your environment? Contact Amlings services now to begin your journey toward a healthier, more productive, and nature-inspired space.

As urbanization accelerates at an unprecedented pace, our daily environments are becoming increasingly sterile, paved, and disconnected from the natural world. For designers, architects, and property managers, the challenge is no longer just about creating functional spaces; it is about sustaining human health. High-density urban environments often lack the fundamental biological connection humans need to thrive, leading to a modern, devastating phenomenon: nature deficit disorder.

If you manage a corporate building, design commercial interiors, or oversee property portfolios, you hold the power to change this narrative. By bridging the gap between natural and unnatural environments, we can transform concrete jungles into restorative spaces.

Are you ready to transform your commercial space? Contact Amlings plant installation services today to bring your corporate building to life.

What is Nature Deficit Disorder?

The concept of nature deficit disorder highlights a growing, evidence-based understanding that regular exposure to nature is absolutely essential for healthy, holistic human development.

The symptoms and effects limited exposure to nature are vast. Behavioral changes include increased anxiety, reduced creativity, shorter attention spans and a diminished use of the senses. When we spend our days in heavily air-conditioned, artificially lit, and acoustically harsh environments, our nervous systems remain in a state of low-grade, constant stress.

The causes are all around us: a heavily sedentary lifestyle reliant on indoor, technology-driven activities. We have effectively designed nature out of our daily routines.

Studies suggest that reduced outdoor play in children can impact their cognitive development, physical health, and social skills. However, the impact on adults is just as critical. In high-density urban environments and corporate settings, this disconnection causes immense stress, anxiety, and a diminished sense of well-being, directly leading to employee burnout and decreased productivity.

Richard Louv: The Origin of the Concept

To truly understand how to design against this phenomenon, we must look to the man who gave it a name. Nature deficit disorder is a non-medical term coined by journalist and author Richard Louv in his groundbreaking 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Louv’s work catalyzed a global movement to reconnect humans—especially children—with the natural world. He argued that human beings, by evolutionary design, are wired to interact with nature. When we remove that interaction, we suffer.

The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need. — Richard Louv

This quote perfectly encapsulates the challenge facing modern architects and designers. As our buildings become smarter, our need for organic, grounding elements becomes more desperate. Louv emphasizes that time spent in nature is not an optional luxury.

Time in nature is not leisure time; its an essential investment in our childrens health (and also, by the way, in our own). — Richard Louv

Louvs extensive research points out that societys shift indoors has fundamentally altered the human experience. While his early work focused heavily on children, the implications for adults in the workforce are undeniable. The corporate world is realizing that a workforce suffering from nature deficit disorder is an unwell, uninspired workforce. Designers must heed Louvs warning and actively integrate natural elements into the built environment to counteract the psychological drain of the modern city.

Alarming Nature Deficit Disorder Statistics

To grasp the urgency of integrating nature into urban design, one must look at the statistics surrounding our indoor habits. The data paints a clear picture of why nature deficit disorder is spreading so rapidly in high-density areas.

• The 90% Rule: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends approximately 90% of their life indoors. This means the vast majority of our sensory input comes from artificial environments.
• Screen Time Overload: Research indicates that adults spend an average of 11 hours per day interacting with screens and digital media, leaving virtually no time for outdoor exploration.
• Urbanization: The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that by 2050, almost 70% of the global population will live in urban areas. Without deliberate architectural interventions, billions of people will lack daily access to greenery.
• Workplace Stress: Studies show that employees working in environments with natural elements report a 15% higher level of well-being, are 6% more productive, and are 15% more creative than those working in environments devoid of nature.

For property managers and commercial building owners, these numbers also translate directly to the bottom line. High stress, absenteeism, and low tenant retention are the financial symptoms of nature deficit disorder.

Ecotherapy: Designing for Mental Health

As the awareness of nature deficit disorder grows, so does the popularity of solutions like ecotherapy. Ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy or green therapy, is the applied practice of the emergent field of ecopsychology. It is based on the premise that human psychological well-being is intimately connected to the health of the natural environment.

In the context of architecture and interior design, passive ecotherapy can be achieved by bringing the outdoors inside. You do not need to send employees to a remote forest to reap the benefits of nature; you can design the corporate building itself to function as a restorative environment.

When individuals are surrounded by plants, natural light, and organic textures, their physiological stress markers decrease. Heart rates lower, blood pressure stabilizes, and cortisol levels drop. This makes interior landscaping a profound form of natural anxiety relief.

For designers, this means viewing plants not as afterthoughts or mere decorations, but as essential infrastructure for mental health. The presence of vibrant, living greenery provides natural anxiety relief that harsh architectural lines and synthetic materials simply cannot offer.

Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels up grass stems to a childs ear where it sings& — Richard Louv

We must capture that same vibrant energy and bring it into the spaces where adults spend the majority of their waking hours.

Bridging the Gap: Biophilic Solutions for Urban Spaces

How do we practically combat nature deficit disorder in environments dominated by concrete, glass, and steel? The answer lies in biophilic design. Biophilia is the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings. Biophilic design is the strategic implementation of this concept into the built environment.

For architects, interior designers, and property managers looking to improve dull and sterile urban environments, here are the core strategies for bridging the gap between natural and unnatural environments:

1. Living Plant Walls (Vertical Gardens)

In high-density urban environments, floor space is at a premium. Plant walls are the ultimate architectural solution. By utilizing vertical space, designers can introduce massive amounts of biomass into a room without sacrificing square footage. Plant walls act as living art installations, purifiers of indoor air, and dramatic focal points that instantly alleviate the symptoms of nature deficit disorder. They provide a lush, immersive green experience that transforms the acoustics and atmosphere of a corporate lobby.

2. Strategic Plant Installation

Bringing plants indoors requires more than just placing a potted ficus in a corner. Professional plant installation involves selecting the right species for the specific lighting, temperature, and humidity conditions of a commercial building. It requires an understanding of scale, texture, and color. Groupings of plants can be used to define spaces, create natural pathways, and soften harsh architectural corners.

3. Indoor Architectural Integration

The most successful interventions against nature deficit disorder happen when plant life is integrated directly into the architectural design from the ground up. This includes built-in planters in office dividers, indoor courtyards, water features surrounded by greenery, and green roofs accessible to employees.

4. Maximizing Natural Light and Organic Materials

While living plants are paramount, mimicking nature is also effective. Utilizing natural materials like wood and stone, maximizing daylight through expansive windows, and incorporating natural geometries (fractals) into the design can all contribute to natural anxiety relief and a holistic biophilic experience.

Want to learn more about integrating these solutions into your next project? Contact our design team for more information on commercial plant integrations.

Why Businesses Need Amlings

At Amlings, we understand that combating nature deficit disorder requires professional expertise. We specialize in finding the bridge in the gap between natural and unnatural environments. We bring the healing power of plants indoors through expert plant installation, seamless architectural design integration, and breathtaking plant walls.

We provide our premier services mainly to businesses, corporate buildings, and commercial buildings. We know that property managers and business owners face unique challenges in maintaining these environments. Live plants require care, optimal placement, and ongoing maintenance to thrive indoors.

Our B2B Services Include:

• Custom Plant Walls: We design, install, and maintain vertical gardens tailored to your commercial space, instantly transforming dull walls into vibrant ecosystems.
• Corporate Plant Installation: From large atrium trees to desktop greenery, we curate the perfect selection of plants to provide natural anxiety relief for your workforce.
• Ongoing Maintenance: Our horticultural experts ensure your investment remains lush, healthy, and beautiful year-round, removing the burden of care from your staff.
• Design Consultation: We work alongside architects and interior designers during the planning phases to ensure biophilic elements are seamlessly integrated into the blueprint.

By investing in Amlings interior landscaping services, businesses can directly combat nature deficit disorder within their walls. The result is a more attractive property, happier tenants, reduced employee turnover, and a corporate environment that actively supports human well-being. Do not let your building become a symptom of a sedentary, disconnected lifestyle.

Ready to revolutionize your corporate environment and boost your teams well-being? Contact Amlings services today and let us bring the outdoors into your commercial space.

Designing a Greener Future

Through the strategic use of ecotherapy principles, biophilic design, and robust indoor plant installations, we can provide essential natural anxiety relief to the millions of people living and working in high-density areas. We can transform sterile commercial buildings into vibrant, living spaces that honor our innate connection to the natural world..