Biophilic design is about integrating elements of nature to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and improve the healing environment. Trovex’s healthcare-specific colours and finishes provide a versatile palette for creating visually soothing and practical healthcare spaces. By selecting the right finishes, textures, and tones, you can transform sterile environments into spaces that promote comfort, health, and functionality.

Step 1: Understand the role of colour in biophilic design

Calming neutrals for core healthcare spaces Use colours like Diamond White (LRV-90) or Dove (LRV-59) to create a clean, calming foundation for clinical areas such as patient wards and operating theatres. Neutral tones encourage focus and provide a sense of hygiene and clarity while serving as a backdrop for accent colours or woodgrain finishes.
	Energising tones for communal and social areas Bright, refreshing colours like Caribbean Sea (LRV-45) or Meadow (LRV-46) are perfect for uplifting environments such as reception areas or corridors. These tones can be used sparingly as accents against neutral walls to add vibrancy without overwhelming the space. For example, applied to a Hygipod IPS wash hand basin.

Step 2: Use woodgrain finishes for natural warmth and contrast

*Always consider building regulations and the needs of users with visual impairments including contrasting frames and leading edges for navigation. The image above is from a project where the designers made a choice not to include contrasting frame and leading edges.

Essence woodgrain finishes for doors and frames

• Specify Fresh Maple or Warm Beech for Hygidoors to create a natural, wood-like aesthetic that adds warmth to sterile healthcare environments.

  
  

• Pair woodgrain doors with contrasting frames in colours such as White or Hercules to enhance visual accessibility and aid wayfinding.
  
  

Woodgrain accents for focal points

• Integrate woodgrain wall cladding in areas such as nurse stations or consultation rooms to create a sense of comfort while maintaining durability and hygiene.

Step 3: Layer colours and finishes for specific zones

Patient rooms and wards

• Walls: Combine calming neutrals like Stone (LRV-69) with accents of Azure (LRV-74) or Dove for balance.

• Doors: Use woodgrain finishes, such as Majestic Oak, to add natural warmth, paired with contrasting frames in Hercules to ensure visibility for patients and staff.

  
  

• Clinical wash hand basins: Either continue to use woodgrain finishes or use soothing finishes such as Avocado that will contrast with the walls but still appear cohesive and unintrusive.

Operating theatres and scrubs Walls: Use Diamond White or Lilac for a clean, hygienic feel with a subtle calming undertone. Hygipod IPS units: Apply colours like Pistachio to soften the sterile look of scrubs and add a nature-inspired hue to clinical settings.
	Waiting areas and receptions Wall cladding: Incorporate vibrant, uplifting tones like Caribbean Sea alongside woodgrain finishes such as Urban Oak for a welcoming aesthetic. Gallery wall cladding: Use printed nature imagery, such as forests or coastal scenes, to provide a visual escape and reduce patient anxiety.
Corridors and high-traffic areas Wall protection: Apply Resilience finishes, such as Chalk (LRV-85) or Enigma (LRV-76), for impact resistance while maintaining a neutral, biophilic palette. Doors and frames: Specify woodgrain Hygidoors paired with contrasting frames in a Resilience finishes for visual clarity and wayfinding.

Step 4: Enhance light and space with colour and texture

Maximise light flow with lighter colours Use high-LRV (Light Reflectance Value) finishes like Diamond White or Calico (LRV-74) in areas with limited natural light to amplify brightness and create an airy, open feel. Pair with Hygiscreen systems to allow light to travel between spaces, further enhancing the sense of openness. Contrast textures for visual interest Combine Essence woodgrain finishes with Resilience textures, such as Gallant (LRV-39), to add depth and contrast while maintaining a cohesive design. Use smoother finishes in clinical zones and textured finishes in high-traffic areas for practical and aesthetic differentiation.

Step 5: Create a cohesive design with the "One Hygienic Finish" philosophy

Trovex’s "One Product Family, One Hygienic Finish" philosophy ensures seamless integration of colours and finishes across all products. To achieve this:

• Repeat finishes consistently across wall cladding, Hygipod IPS units, and Hygidoors to create visual continuity.

  
  

• Contrast but complement: Use woodgrains on Hygidoors with natural colour tones on walls for a balanced look.

  
  

• Tailor finishes to function: Use textured Resilience finishes in corridors and smooth Ambience finishes in quieter, patient-focused areas to balance durability and design.