Our Story
Designing with Nature, Not Against It.
My creative journey didn’t begin with a blueprint; it began with instinct. I started in 1998 in graphic art, designing logos and books, before my passion pulled me into fashion. Growing up in Kenya, I learned to work with local natural fabrics, cotton, jersey, and other earth‑honouring materials, crafting safari collections that celebrated the land.
The Evolution: My career took a pivotal turn when a luxury hotel commissioned me to design fabric. Using a specialized screen-printing method, I landed a major contract that allowed me to shift my focus from what we wear to where we live.
The Epiphany: In 2014, while working in sunny Florida, an encounter forever changed my path. A client paused while looking at my portfolio and said, “You are a Biophilic designer.”
I was intrigued. As I delved into the science of Biophilia, I unearthed a profound truth: I had been designing with nature all along. My creations were teeming with plant and animal motifs, influenced by the rich cultural tapestries of my African and Indian heritage.
The Biophilic design Philosophy
Today, I realize that my intuitive approach, shaped by my work as an Energy Intuitive and Equine Healer, was actually Design Intelligence.
I founded Harleen McLean Studio and the CALL programme to teach others this unique approach: creating habitats that seamlessly marry the natural world with human creativity.
Before this, I worked on designing branding and coffee table books. Then, one day, a fancy hotel asked me to design fabric. I used a specialised technique called screen printing, and it worked like magic. I secured a significant project, and it’s been a meaningful step for my studio.
With my success in fashion and fabric design, I then expanded to take things to the next level. I shifted my focus to designing experiential interior spaces. I began in the hospitality sector, improving interiors through thoughtful updates and custom designs that elevated their existing decor.
Designing with Nature: The Evolution of Our Studio
Recognized as a leading Biophilic Designer and Energy Intuitive,
a creator of spaces that are biologically attuned and deeply restorative.
Her work moves fluidly between science and intuition. Whether she’s drawing on her background in equine healing to sense stagnant energy or applying psychoacoustics to elevate a corporate boardroom, her approach is guided by a single philosophy:
My design identity has evolved to honour the harmony between humans and nature.
“I create spaces where nature guides and human creativity responds.”
What Inspires Us
We craft interiors, fabrics, murals, tiles, and wallpapers using biophilic accents that come alive with nature, culture, and creativity, enriching the well‑being of those who inhabit them.
Biophilic Design Advocate
Our brand exists to bring people closer to nature. We use biophilic design to create interiors that support well‑being, spark creativity, and make everyday life feel better.
Cultural Fusion
Bringing together African and Indian influences to create designs with depth, story, and soul. By blending these cultural traditions, we celebrate diversity, spark cross‑cultural connections, and introduce a rich, distinctive aesthetic into our interiors and textiles.
Creative Innovation
We’re always exploring new ways to design. The brand loves stretching beyond the usual rules and bringing fresh, imaginative ideas to life, ideas shaped by nature, culture, and the stories that make us who we are. Everything we create is original, meaningful, and deeply connected to the world around us.
Nature‑Led Responsibility
Sustainability sits at the heart of our brand. We choose materials and methods that are kinder to the planet, reduce waste, and support ethical craftsmanship. Every decision we make is guided by a commitment to creating beautiful spaces that honour both people and the environment.
Designed with Intention
You know when a space feels right? That’s what I help you create. Environments that spark positive emotion and make your everyday life feel better. It’s about giving you a place that restores you the moment you walk in.
Connection
You’re creating interiors and fabrics that feel cohesive and deeply connected, not just to the room itself, but to the wider world of the richness of human experience. It’s about designing in a way that helps you experience being rooted, inspired, and part of something bigger.
- Biophilic Design Advocate: The brand’s purpose is to advocate for and apply biophilic design principles, emphasizing the connection between humans and nature in interior spaces. This approach aims to improve people’s well-being, creativity, and overall quality of life..
- Thermal comfort levels.
- Air quality, toxin levels and ventilation.
- Acoustic comfort.
- Improved natural and artificial lighting.
- Internal and external views onto nature.
- The use of natural materials textures, patterns and colours.
- The incorporation of recuperative spaces.
- Aesthetic environment with brand recognition.
- Psychological and physiological effects of the space.
- Biophilic Design Advocate: The brand’s purpose is to advocate for and apply biophilic design principles, emphasizing the connection between humans and nature in interior spaces. This approach aims to improve people’s well-being, creativity, and overall quality of life..
- Thermal comfort levels.
- Air quality, toxin levels and ventilation.
- Acoustic comfort.
- Improved natural and artificial lighting.
- Internal and external views onto nature.
- The use of natural materials textures, patterns and colours.
- The incorporation of recuperative spaces.
- Aesthetic environment with brand recognition.
- Psychological and physiological effects of the space.
- Biophilic Design Advocate: The brand’s purpose is to advocate for and apply biophilic design principles, emphasizing the connection between humans and nature in interior spaces. This approach aims to improve people’s well-being, creativity, and overall quality of life..
- Thermal comfort levels.
- Air quality, toxin levels and ventilation.
- Acoustic comfort.
- Improved natural and artificial lighting.
- Internal and external views onto nature.
- The use of natural materials textures, patterns and colours.
- The incorporation of recuperative spaces.
- Aesthetic environment with brand recognition.
- Psychological and physiological effects of the space.
CONCEPT Design Board & Color Consultations
Do you have ideas and projects that need to come to life? Creating mood boards and colour consultations are in my blood. During a MB&C Consultation I’ll take your ideas, colours, and choices and create a Biophilic mood board using patterns and elements to bring your vision alive.
“Working with your internal state to transform your Biophilic space - thus facilitating the improvement of your wellbeing.”
Harleen Mclean
The Pulse of Our Practice
We are the bridge between ancient wisdom and future design.
At Harleen McLean Studio, we do not just design interiors; we engineer Regenerative Habitats. Our brand is defined by a unique convergence of Innovation, Compassion, and Cultural Heritage, creating spaces that are as scientifically rigorous as they are soulfully restorative.
Our Personality Traits:
Innovative & Professional (The Mind). We are driven by Design Intelligence. We push the boundaries of traditional interior design by integrating Neuroscience, Psychoacoustics, and Permaculture principles into the built environment. We do not guess; we calculate. Whether applying Fractal Fluency to reduce stress or engineering soundscapes to protect focus, we maintain the highest level of professional excellence to deliver measurable impact and ROI for our clients.
Compassionate & Connected to Nature (The Body). We believe design is an act of empathy. We understand that in a world where people spend 90% of their time indoors, the environment is the primary determinant of well-being. We show deep care for our clients by crafting “Refuge” spaces that actively lower cortisol and restore the nervous system. We are deeply rooted in Biophilia. not just as a style, but as a biological necessity. We bring the outdoors in, not just to decorate, but to heal.
Ethnically Influenced & Luxurious (The Spirit). Our aesthetic is a global tapestry. Inspired by Harleen’s roots in India and Kenya, and her education in the UK and Italy, our designs carry a distinct, worldly elegance. We interpret luxury not as excess, but as sensory richness – the touch of natural materials, the warmth of dynamic light, and the exclusivity of custom, nature-inspired textiles. We make our clients feel pampered, valued, and deeply connected to a story larger than themselves
- Optimization and organisation of spaces with a human focus.
- Thermal comfort levels.
- Air quality, toxin levels and ventilation.
- Acoustic comfort.
- Improved natural and artificial lighting.
- Internal and external views onto nature.
- The use of natural materials textures, patterns and colours.
- The incorporation of recuperative spaces.
- Aesthetic environment with brand recognition.
- Psychological and physiological effects of the space.
Smell – Fragant Flowers and trees, smells associated with childhood.
Sound – Plants moving in the breeze, water features, birds chirping music.
Touch – Warmth from a fire place, natural ventilation, textured materials, cool surfaces and solar heat gain.
Sight – Aquariums, green walls, cloud movement, fracture patterns found in nature, circadian light, view to outside nature.
Taste – Gardening with edible plants, honey bee farm, fresh fruit and vegetable patches, freshly grown home planters.
Follow your senses; they always know how to bring nature home.