WORDS Chris Reid PHOTOS Ennevi Foto (Marmomac); Supplied

As human, we’re intrinsically wired to enjoy being in nature. Studies show that exposure to greenery, fresh air and daylight has a meaningful effect on both increasing positive feelings and decreasing negative emotions. At a time when life seems continually disconnected from the world around us, the recent rise of biophilia in design was inevitable. Loosely defined as the incorporation of natural elements into the built environment, it’s been seen by many as the go-to solution for our ecological alienation. Except, in so many applications, it isn’t.

Although well intentioned, biophilia has to be one of the most fundamentally misinterpreted design trends of the last decade. Rather than sparking discussions around how to integrate natural materials and systems into design, it has simply become shorthand for putting a potted plant or two in interiors and calling it a day. Which is why it’s heartening to see the rise of its more essential evolution gaining prominence in design – less biophilic and more geophilic.

Common grounding

Rather than focusing on greenery, geophilia is about incorporating the more elemental building blocks of our world: minerals, aggregates, stone. The early signs of this were seen in the trending status of earth-toned colours throughout 2024 and 2025 – terracotta, ochre and all kinds of brown imaginable. The slow arc away from saturated polish and pigment has been a long time coming – but importantly, it’s not a step back to Scandi beige or millennial grey. The impulse behind geophilia is not about being minimal, but about being essential. From this initial, superficial shift in colour, the next step is a focus on minerality and geology in materials themselves.

Emotionally, it’s partially a response to our need to stabilise ourselves in an uncertain world. It’s also a sign of the pendulum swinging away from digitally smoothed aesthetics back to something more solid and real. It’s no coincidence that natural, earthy textures oft en show up in the popular “material drenching” trend, which sees entire rooms – walls, floors and ceilings – covered in the same finish. When life feels frantic, we crave spaces that help us exhale. And nothing is more grounding than earth beneath us.

Material difference

Biophilic design may have started with good intentions, but its explosion into the mainstream oft en prioritised aesthetics over impact. A few plants and botanical prints don’t off set synthetic fabrication, fast furniture or excessive consumption. Geophilia, on the other hand, is rooted in realism. In moving from looking natural to being natural, it speaks to materiality rather than superficiality. It requires us to ask what things are made of and where they’re from. Importantly, geophilia isn’t an anti-technology trend in the slightest.

Quite the opposite: it’s driven by material innovation. From carbon-sequestering concrete to aggregates made of reclaimed waste and stone that’s grown rather than quarried, the building blocks of design are being fundamentally rethought to be as responsible as they are elemental. And even when they’re not hi-tech, materials are being treated with a welcome, uncompromising honesty.

Evolving tastes

Like any ecosystem, design thrives on variety, with trends cross- pollinating and evolving in unexpected ways. Geophilia might share space with maximalist flash or Y2K nostalgia, but it speaks a different language – one of permanence, substance and honesty.

It’s less about chasing a moment than shaping a future that feels grounded, stable and real. In a world hooked on the next big thing, it’s about choosing what endures – materials that ground us, forms that steady us, and decisions that will still matter in decades to come.

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Sisley has been pushing the boundaries of beauty and skincare for over 40 years. Today, we lift the veil on this family-run brand and discover exactly why it is the crème de la crème of French cosmetics.

When Hubert and Isabelle d’Ornano launched Sisley in 1976, they wanted to create something that would be markedly different from any other luxury skincare brand that had come before. Backed by a talented research team, they firmly believed that natural ingredients were the most promising area in cosmetics research.

Sisley made Phyto-cosmetology, the power of plants combined with the science of cosmetics, its specialty long before the cosmetics industry jumped on the band wagon. As pioneers in this field, the d’Ornano’s visionary approach to the luxury cosmetics sector has helped create a legacy that spans more than 40 years and a brand that continues to innovate to this very day.

Its continued evolution and creative direction is spearheaded by the d’Ornano family themselves as Sisley is still very much a family-run business. “Family plays a very big role – it’s hugely important for our identity,” says Christine d’Ornano, the brand’s Global Vice President.

“I think you can really feel the family within our products, especially in the fragrances and the makeup. You can feel the personality. I work in Paris on the product development side and I work with my mother who has worked on this since the very beginning. My brother heads up the business and we very much do what we want instead of looking to what other brands are doing.”

Balancing research & design

Research and product development are one of the major cornerstones of the Sisley universe. The brand’s Research Laboratories’ unique know-how brings together expert knowledge of skin – the skin’s mechanisms and its environment – and an unparalleled expertise and mastery of Phyto-cosmetology.

Products are never ‘rushed’ through research and development in order to latch onto flash-in-the-pan trends. The Sisley research teams take their time to develop formulas so that each product meets the highest safety standards while delivering exceptional results. “We take great pride in the development of our products, some of which have taken over 10 years to develop,” says Christine.

One such product is Sisleÿa, the brand’s iconic treatment range. It took more than a decade to develop the award-winning skincare collection which contains a complex formula of over fifty different natural key ingredients that simultaneously target the different mechanisms of skin ageing.

“Skincare is very much about working with our lab and the scientists and trying to develop the most efficient products we can. When it comes to the fragrance and the makeup it’s very much about being an artist, and drawing on our family taste,” explains Christine.

When art is a family affair

Art is a very personal and important aspect of the Sisley brand. As lifelong art lovers and collectors, Isabelle and Hubert d’Ornano collaborated with many of their favourite artists. “It has perhaps been the most important passion of of my parents,” says Christine. As soon as Sisley started to find its success, art was the first thing they started buying. They always had their heads in the sales catalogs. They trained our eye. And they introduced us to the artists they liked.”

Notably, Polish sculptor Bronislaw Krzysztof created the sculptural caps for Eau du Soir and Soir de Lune, two of brand’s signature fragrances.

“Originally,  Eau du Soir  was created by my father for my mother – it was created privately for her and she wore it for 10 years before they decided to launch it to the public.  Most famous classic fragrances have been developed like that – it was a very personal approach and we are able to do that because we are a family business,” explains Christine.

In 2017 the brand collaborated with English illustrator Quentin Jones to bring the wonderful world of Izia, a new perfume, to life. More recently, Isabelle d’Ornano’s niece, Polish painter Elzbieta Radziwill, brought her colourful and whimsical touch to the various Maison Sisley locations.

Maison Sisley: an elegant oasis

Maison Sisley, the brand’s exclusive signature boutiques with treatment rooms, are luxurious self-care destinations like no other. These calming spaces have been designed to make customers feel at one with the surroundings – a haven of well-being where they can reconnect and rejuvenate away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city.

Originally opened in 2017 in Paris, the interior design of the flagship boutique was closely supervised by Isabelle and Christine d’Ornano and closely mirrors the family’s personal style and passion for art.

The lounge, undoubtedly the most personal part of the boutique, resembles a private living room. The mirrored sideboard decorated with stylised leaves, along with the lamps, is complemented perfectly by the “Jetlag” sofa by India Mahdavi and other works of art specially chosen for the space.

The Sisley Café is a relaxing space, reserved exclusively for clients. The tables are adorned with the chequers featured on the makeup cases and the famous black-and-white zebra motif from the Phyto-Lip Twist line.

The treatment rooms have were intentionally designed to be pure and understated, echoing the brand’s ethos.

It’s this nuanced attention to detail and artistic richness of the Maison Sisley space which allows customers to fully immerse themselves in the brand and indulge in the tailor-made treatments.

The brand has since expanded its Maison Sisley offering. Currently, there are Maison Sisley locations in France (Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon), Germany (Munich), the Czech Republic (Prague), Vienna (Austria) which opened in September, the United States (New York and Las Vegas) and Asia (Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong).

Sisley in South Africa

Exclusive to VISI customers: Visit the site and receive – 20% on the Sisley Online shop with the code VISI20 (offer available online only and ends 6 November, T&Cs apply). 

Discover Sisley Paris South Africa Official Site Here. 

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Among the triptych of the ocean, dunes and rice fields in Comporta, Portugal is a home of luxury and simplicity, Inspired by the huts of local fishermen and farmers.

Almost everywhere at the seaside, regulars have their unmissable spots – places to which they return year after year, never tiring or ceasing to be amazed. With its golden sand with golden reflections, trails of foam and broken seashells, and iodised perfumes intermingled with the woody scent of pines, this corner of Praia do Pego is a refuge for those lucky enough to be able to acquire land here.

The owners of this particular property – French by way of a lengthy sojourn in Mexico – fell in love with this corner of Portugal, which reminded them of the Mexican coast and its palm-thatched palapa huts. And there’s a certain purity in the way their home respects the spirit of the place – of its origins, essence and authenticity.

Lisbon interior architect Rita Andringa of Andringa Studio worked on this project with architect Nuno Lopes, the creator of many of the beautiful houses of Comporta. “We share a great love for the vernacular architecture of the Alentejo coastline,” she says. “The proportions here certainly have little to do with traditional fishermen’s huts – but as to the rest, we are connected by the materials and ancient techniques of local architecture.”

READ MORE: The Nest in Namibia

Under the thatched roofs are wooden and reed walls. The ceilings are also a combination of wood, cane and thatch. And there is no distinction between the architecture and the decor – they are two parts of a whole. Function and beauty go hand in hand, and the furniture is often integrated into the masonry – as is the case with the walls that extend into sofas, and the headboards that become bookcases.

The surface area – 300m2 – allows for different scenarios and views to emerge from different parts of the home. A larger hut, perched near the top of the site, contains the kitchen, dining room and living space, as well as the master bedroom. From here, forest views unfold through large windows and sliders in every direction. On the lower level, the guest-bedroom and children’s area wrap around an orchard and an aromatic herb garden, the brainchild of the founder of luxury garden brand Le Prince Jardinier, Louis-Albert de Broglie. The swimming pool is more secluded, with the surrounding dunes ensuring privacy.

READ MORE: Mallorcan Villa

Connected to each other by a set of wooden terraces, the smaller “houses” are autonomous spaces that still allow for soft mobility. Highlighting the contribution of the owners in the success of the project, Rita says they were very hands-on. “I’d even say that we carried out collaborative work with the landscaper and the craftsmen,” she adds. “It’s essential to harness the power of teamwork in a project of this kind – because the human aspect is crucial in anything that’s ‘made in Comporta’.”

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Using nature not only as a source of inspiration, but as a source of materials too, artist Kazuhito Takadoi creates sculptural works of art from natural elements found in his garden or allotment.

Kazuhito’s natural portraits are created using a combination of grasses, twigs and leaves that are sewn, woven or tied to paper. “There are no added colours, everything is natural,” says Kazuhito on his website.

Over time, the colours of the natural materials start to change, adding a transformative element to each piece. Shadows, which form an integral part of Kazuhito’s work, also help to create new perspectives depending on how the light moves.

To see more of Kazuhito’s work, visit kazuhitotakadoi.com.

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An eco-lovers island fantasy, Thailand’s Z9 Resort is where serenity, sustainability and comfortable luxury meet to provide a conscious retreat like no other.

Created by architectural design firm Dersyn Studio, this dreamlike resort was purposefully created to be as harmonious as possible with the land on which it lies. Chalets curve alongside the meandering lake-shore while the lobby is designed with the moon in mind. This means that guests are treated not only to spectacular sunsets, but to dazzling sunrises as well.

Floating on the Srinakarin Dam in Kanchanaburi, the raft rooms are set amidst a gentle body of water. Each building makes use of natural ventilation, form and structural material. Z9 Resort embodies the concept of the “Three Rs”- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. By using light-weight steel structures, Dersyn Studio was able to construct the resort much faster and with far fewer materials than traditional concrete methods.

The revamp of the resort saw no piece of wood thrown away. Instead, each was repurposed into OSB board – the compression of layers of wooden chips. What didn’t need to be shredded and repurposed was simply recycled. Large pieces of wood were converted into indoor furniture items.

Sustainable from start to finish, even contaminated water was put through closed circuit water treatment for purifying before it was returned to the lake. It is a rare and wonderful place where both the guests and the habitat in which they enjoy their stay are cared for.

For more information, visit z9resorts.com.

(h/t) archdaily.com

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