Hermit Thrush: Echoing Nature
While searching far and wide for creative inspiration can yield interesting results in interior design, sometimes the most meaningful inspiration is closer to home, right in the garden. When it comes to nature-inspired design, the backbone principle of biophilic design, where interiors strive to replicate the calm found outdoors, it can be helpful to be patient when observing nature, allowing the beauty to reveal itself organically.
The Hermit Thrush, a small bird with powerful musicality, can offer such inspiration, both in its physical appearance and how its lilting, lovely song is often heard before the bird is seen, dialing into multi-sensory awareness, another principle of biophilic design.
“The Hermit Thrush is one of the most beautiful birds to ever visit my garden,” says WELL and LEED-accredited interior designer Sarah Barnard, “It has long, graceful legs and a round chest with the most elegant patterning,” similar to a California Quail or scaly-breasted munia, also among her favorite birds.
It is a migrating bird, so chance encounters are elevated by the rarity. “The Hermit Thrush is a migrating visitor (to California), and so it's a wonderfully special time when they appear for the first time each year,” says Barnard.
It’s a small bird, generally about six to seven inches high, with a rich brown body and wings that flutter in flight. It likes forested areas primarily, and often lingers in dense underbrush or on the forest floor to forage for food. During feeding, it sometimes uses ‘foot quivering’ where its foot hovers over the ground and shakes grass and plant matter out for insects and other food.
The Hermit Thrush often broadcasts its flute-like song from concealed perches, demonstrating how nature encourages the viewer to be present and to open the senses to experience. It also underscores how subtlety can be more attention-getting than making a commotion.
Symbolically, the hermit thrush represents stillness. Some find the bird spiritual.
Its song is described by experts as haunting, lyrical, and melancholy, tinged with longing, which makes sense in the context of the legend associated with the small bird.
The Legend of The Hermit Thrush
The bird’s backstory, The Sacred Song of the Hermit Thrush, is a Native American legend describing how birds got their songs, with hidden lessons about honesty, often passed from parents and elders to children, during teachable moments.
The story goes that long ago, birds had no songs. The Great Spirit had decided to bestow birds with song and staged a competition among birds to see who would win the gift of song by flying the highest. The Hermit Thrush, tiny compared to many of the other birds, was worried it would not be able to compete. It hid in the feathers of a large eagle, ultimately winning the contest dishonestly. Winning came at an emotional cost, though.
The Hermit Thrush was ashamed and flew deep into the forest to remain hidden in a self-imposed exile, although its song can be heard from a distance: beautiful, introspective, and slightly melancholy, expressing regret.
The legend says that the Hermit Thrush remains there in hiding, but when it sings, the power and beauty of the song is so strong that all other creatures stop to listen.
How the Hermit Thrush and Its Behaviors Influence Biophilic Design
The Hermit Thrush can serve as biophilic-influenced inspiration on a couple of levels. First, its rich coloring, elegant details, and textured feathers can be striking when physically replicated or reproduced on patterns, textiles, and other housing goods.
Second, turning inwards and considering some of the behaviors and patient perspectives of the tiny, often hidden, bird, and its nuanced interactions with its natural surroundings can serve as a foundation to try to bring calm.
The Hermit Thrush listens first, before echoing in song into nature. And in today’s digital-first, frenetic world, having the restraint to listen first, speak later is a skill not to be underestimated. Incorporating biophilic design elements, like those inspired by the Hermit Thrush’s habits, can help create a setting in which to be present and intentional.
Here are some examples:
Follow the Cues of Nature
The Hermit Thrush is known for its patience and symbiotic awareness of its surroundings, which ultimately makes its song so powerful and calming. It uses its surroundings to be prominent, rather than competing with them.
In design, an option to replicate this is to follow the cues of nature organically. Instead of creating large focal points, let nature guide the eye and the design, using the path of light throughout the day for visual variety. Make transitions between spaces subtle, and use colors and material selections that mirror those seen in the local landscape, so the inside feels immersed in the outdoors.
Use the Refuge/Prospect Dynamic
Another principle of biophilic design is the refuge/prospect dynamic. The idea is to strike a balance between safety (shelter) and opportunity (in nature, this may include foraging for food, or similar). The Hermit Thrush is known for singing from concealed spaces, so an option to create that sense of safety is to leverage design elements in interior design, such as with a cozy reading nook, nestled in a corner, with a view to the outside, varying ceiling heights, to promote awareness of space, but with concept of shelter overhead, a window seat, or a covered porch.
Create Space for Stillness
The Hermit Thrush is known for stillness. Create space at home that can promote stillness, presence, and calm. Use calming color palettes, and embrace a digital-free space, where there are no screens, or screens and other tech are concealed. Consider textiles and other decor that absorb sound to allow for quiet. Comfortable furniture can encourage lingering, while having cues for intention, such as having painting, or journaling materials at hand, can encourage calm.
What all of these design elements, and the habits of the Hermit Thrush demonstrate is that there is inspiration readily available all around; it is often a question of being still, aware, and open to the possibility.
The Hermit Thrush textile in Belgian Linen and organic cotton sateen will be available on the Kale Tree site soon in four colorways! Hermit Thrush is also soon to be available in unpasted wallpaper. For urgent orders, or custom colorways, please contact the studio directly.
Sources:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/overview
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/hermit-thrush
https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/the-legend-of-the-hermit-thrush/
Kale Tree Holiday Gift Guide
Give the gift of Biophilic design this holiday season with some of our favorite nature-inspired goods from Kale Tree.
Matilija Poppy Textile - Natural
The Matilija Poppy, a beautiful and unique California native wildflower, inspires this hand-drawn textile design from Kale Tree. This textile is printed on luxurious Belgian linen, ready to be transformed into an array of customized home goods like pillows, drapery, and bedding that will bring the joy of a Californian super bloom into the home of our gardening enthusiast friends and family.
The hand-drawn pattern of the Kale Tree Tree Moth rug is inspired by moths fluttering at dusk. This pattern seeks to add a quiet beauty to any room, a perfect gift for those who appreciate the subtle beauty of nature's pollinators. Each rug is handmade to order in either Vegan Bamboo Silk or 100% New Zealand Wool for a luxuriously soft feel underfoot. Available in 5 x 8, 8 x 10, or 9 x 12 to suit any home size.
Ginko Indoor Outdoor Light Fixture
The Ginko leaf is a symbol of peace, healing, and longevity that often appeared in the designs of the Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement. This beautiful Ginkgo indoor/outdoor light fixture made of cast bronze Ginko leaves cradling a milk glass globe is sure to be a treasured gift for those who appreciate the beauty of art and nature.
Give the gift of nature-inspired healing spaces with this eco-friendly wallcovering from Kale Tree, featuring a hand-drawn pattern inspired by Mallow blossoms. Commonly called Abutilon or Flowering Maple, this woody shrub is best loved for its delicate drooping blossoms. Available in 3 colorways (Midnight Forest, Evening Mauve, and Dusty Dawn), we love the soothing color of Dusty Dawn as it evokes the calm of dusk. This wallcovering is also PVC and VOC free, contributing to a healthy home environment.
The Cholla Tote is an excellent option for those looking for something special to include in this year's holiday stocking. This design is based on a pen and ink illustration of a Cholla cactus, native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Hand-printed on 100% certified organic cotton, this tote makes a beautiful yet practical gift.
This selection of bespoke nature-inspired goods helps connect our home interiors with the beauty and peace of the natural world. Give the gift of a mindful home this holiday season, exclusively available through the Kale Tree online store.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was honored as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
California Native Gardening: Rewilding Los Angeles Landscaping
California Buckwheat (eriogonum fasciculatum)
With such an array of beautiful and unique plant life, it’s no wonder more and more people are opting to replace their lawns with California native gardens. The state of California is a biodiversity hotspot, with 61% of its plant life found nowhere else in the world. (1) There are many benefits to rewilding our gardens with California native plants. They can reduce our environmental footprint by using less water and creating habitats for local insects and animals, enriching the biodiversity of our local neighborhoods. We also have the pleasure of experiencing the emotional and mental health benefits that result from nurturing this environment and joyfully watching wildlife thrive amongst the beautiful wildflower blooms.
Coulter's Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri)
As a Certified California Naturalist, Sarah enjoys expanding her knowledge of Californian native flora and fauna. She recently completed the California Native Plant Landscaper Certificate Program offered by the Theodore Payne Foundation. Developed in partnership with The California Native Plant Society, LADWP, and The US Green Building Council, Los Angeles, this course covers the steps involved in planting and maintaining a California native landscape, such as identifying soil type, choosing plant communities, irrigation, and pruning.
Palmer's Indian Mallow (Abutilon palmeri)
The Theodore Payne Foundation's best practices suggest developing a California native garden as a 4-year process. Although at first, a California native garden will likely require the same amount of water (or possibly more) than a lawn, a California native garden is a long-term investment towards drought tolerance and increasing local biodiversity.
Yerba Santa (Genus Eriodictyon)
Year one involves the initial steps of creating a plant list, mulching, evaluating the runoff potential of a site, sowing wildflowers, and staking young plants. Year two is more about maintaining the garden by raking, pruning, watering, re-mulching, sowing wildflower seeds, weeding, and removing struggling plants. Year three involves seasonal maintenance such as watering, pruning overgrown plants, weeding, and replanting. And year four involves pruning with long-term shaping in mind, weeding, replanting, and watering.
An important course component involves identifying what plants best suit the site based on soil qualities and plant communities. There are generally three soil types, sandy, loamy, and clay which vary in their infiltration rate, water-holding capacity, nutrient-holding capacity, and aeration. Plant communities are groups of plants that typically grow together in natural environments.
California Native gardens usually derive from the following plant communities:
Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)
Coastal Sage Scrub are plants that tend to grow low to the ground; they include many aromatic plants such as Artemisia, Buckwheat, Salvias, and Matilija Poppy as well as Deerweed.
Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Chaparral is thick, dense growth that contains a lot of diversity and tends to burn easily. This group includes Chamise, Scrub Oak, Buckwheat, Matilija Poppy, and Toyon.
Desert is a very diverse community of plants that exist at various elevations, such as Cacti, Joshua trees, Agave, Abutilon-Palmeri (Mallow), and Saltbush.
Cholla Cactus (Genus Clindropuntia)
Riparian is a diverse community of plant species that usually exist streamside, creating vital habitat for California wildlife; this group includes plants such as Jancus, Carex, and Ferns.
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
Pruning is commonplace in any garden to shape and control the size of plants, stimulate growth, and improve overall plant health. Folks have very different opinions about pruning a California native garden; some believe the landscape should grow wild and natural, while others regularly prune to control shape and growth.
Tip pinching is often performed in California native gardens; this involves pinching new growth off the tips of certain plants or right after flowering to stimulate fuller growth. For example, Ceanothus is a plant that benefits from tip pinching after flowering.
Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea)
Deadheading is the practice of removing dead flowers from plants before they go to seed, this can improve the appearance of plants and prolong the flowering season for some. Deadheading is sometimes discouraged in California native gardens as birds like to feed on seeds. Allowing plants to go to seed creates a natural food source, plus we get the pleasure of watching wildlife interact with the native plants in our yard. Toyon is an excellent example of this; its flowers bring berries which become food for Robins, Waxwings, Thrushes, and other visiting birds.
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Embracing a California native garden is a rewarding transformation with many benefits, including eventual drought tolerance, reduced maintenance, and the generation of natural habitat that increases the biodiversity in our neighborhoods. There is also the added benefit of joy we experience through the mindful activity of watching birds, insects, and animals live and thrive in the ecosystem that we have created within our yards.
Works Cited
(1) “Explore the Biodiversity Hotspots.” CEPF, https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots.
(2) Theodore Payne Foundation. “California Native Plant Landscaper Certification.”
Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a "Ones to Watch" Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Nature at Home: Botanical Textiles from Tradescant & Son Now Available at Kale Tree Shop
Sarah Barnard is now the exclusive California representative for Tradescant & Son through Kale Tree Shop's online marketplace. The line features a wide range of nature-inspired luxury eco fabrics and wallpapers made with a sustainability-minded production process.
Sarah Barnard is now the exclusive California representative for Tradescant & Son through Kale Tree Shop's online marketplace. The line features a wide range of nature-inspired luxury eco fabrics and wallpapers made with a sustainability-minded production process.
The foundation of Sarah Barnard's practice is a belief that interior environments should contribute to wellbeing, both emotionally and globally. Barnard's work focuses on sustainability, emphasizing the importance of nature, both through conscious sourcing and as the inspiration for many of her designs.
The designer's use of natural themes and environmentally conscious materials spoke to the sensibilities and priorities of Tradescant & Son, who recognized Barnard as an ideal representative for their line. Tradescant & Son director Amy Hardman says, "Our 100% linens and the relaxed yet stylish look to our designs promote a holistic and contemporary feel. This, together with the fact that we share a commitment to ensuring sustainability wherever possible by using locally woven fabrics and printers, is a fantastic and exciting foundation for our relationship with Sarah Barnard Design."
The fabrics and wallpapers feature a wide variety of natural themes, from a graphic striped wallpaper composed of vibrant hummingbirds to linen textiles inspired by historic entomology archives from the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History, softly patterned with moths or beetles. With a range of bird fabrics, butterfly patterns, and botanical prints, the timeless patterns nod to historical, scientific illustrations, while their colors and design have a contemporary feel suitable for a diverse array of settings.
On the collaboration, Barnard noted that "As a birder, naturalist, and avid gardener, I was drawn to Tradescant & Son's collection of biophilic prints. Particularly when designing for metropolitan areas, I like to turn to natural motifs to stand in for nature that may not be as readily available for someone with a city view. The entire Tradescant & Son collection offers an impressive array of options when looking to bring the experience of wildlife into an interior."
These products are available for purchase through the website www.kaletree.com. Additional support is available for design and trade professionals by contacting shop@kaletree.com.
Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah's work has been recognized by Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Real Simple, HGTV and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a "Ones to Watch" Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).