TerraLiving Brings Nature To Your Home And Workplace

A terrarium is as fascinating as an aquarium, only less happening due to the absence of ever-moving fishes. However, here’s is a group of scientists and designers who’ve established TerraLiving, a bio-architecture inspired design lab in Malaysia, that creates beautiful customizable terrariums of such exquisite beauty that their creations have already notched up a viewership over 135,000 on Instagram alone.

Each portable terrarium is a work of art that showcases moss in its pristine form and breathtaking arrangements. From the ultra-portable Mosser series to the highly sophisticated series, like Wardian Pod, a delightful amalgamation of terrariums and ecosystems.

Of course, these beautiful TerraLiving tiny gardens are aimed at providing nature on everybody’s desktop. And that too in the form of an assortment of mosses, such as Bun Moss, Feather Moss, Foxtail Moss, Hair Moss, Pillow Moss, Sphagnum Baby, Sphagnum Moss, Sporophyte of Pillow Moss, Star Moss and Thyme Moss.

TerraLiving offers two series of terrariums – the ZERO series and the Live series. The ZERO series makes use of the highest quality moss that’s selected at its healthiest state. It’s then put through rapid cooling and moisture removal. Afterward, it’s preserved by safe cosmetic and food-grade material and rehydrated to replace the removed moisture. This makes the moss regain its original softness, texture, shape, and smell.

Although ZERO moss is totally real and natural, it’s no longer alive and in a sort of suspended animation, where it doesn’t grow. Since it requires zero maintenance, hence the name. If kept properly sealed, it can last for five to 10 years!

The Live series, on the other hand, constitutes live moss cultivation, which itself is considered an art. If you think moss cultivation in the greenhouse is easy, think again. It requires discipline and great attention to detail. As compared to wild moss or freshly imported moss, the three-month-old cultivated moss is not only vibrant, fluffy, and tough, but also disease resistant.

The key to the longevity of such miniature indoor gardens is their upkeep. The moss should never be overwatered but should be sprayed with clean water. It should be kept indoors with good air circulation and under indoor light, and never under direct sunlight.


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Forms and functions are what we love to explore in the creation process of our work. "The Seed" is the latest addition into our geometrical design series and we are experimenting on how it will feel like to be displayed in different corner of living space. Here, we transplanted 6 different live moss colonies to observe the way they interact in closed environment with micro-climate. We gave them some light spraying with our "moss potion" and the moisture should be trapped within the air-tight environment of "The Seed" for months. Different moss species respond in different ways to environmental factors such as light intensity, light spectrum, relative humidity, temperature, air circulation, atmospheric pressure, and many more. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #theseed #moss #livemoss #mossart #mossterrarium #terrarium #geometricterrarium #geometry #geometricalart #segmentedglass #modernart #modernliving #urbanliving #livemossterrarium #glassart #indoorplants #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia #thisweekoninstagram

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We enjoy collecting and cultivating live moss as a way we appreciate life as an on-going and ever-changing event. Maintaining live mosses provide an anticipation about how things will appear in near future and the acceptance about how every decision we today may change our lives significantly. For live moss, there is a phenomenon known as "phase change", a term widely used within our team. By tinkering with environmental factors such as light, air pressure, temperature, humidity and more, moss can "phase change" into something which look entirely different from their initial form, ranging from leaf structures to colour. In this overview of "Terragon – Y" which has not been watered for 3 months with the presence of air circulation, some moss start phasing into their red form to absorb different light wavelength, colonizing the black bog wood and some part appear thin and long due to lack of exposure to light (more on these in future posts). . . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #terragon #theterragon #terragony #mossterrarium #terrarium #livemoss #mossterrarium #geometricterrarium #glassart #geometry #plantsculpture #livingsculpture #llivingart #botany #botanicalcollection #botanicalart #botanicalgift #botanicalaesthetics #aesthetics #indoorplants #mosslife #mossyforest #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia

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In any live moss designs, mimicking the way and environment they grow in their natural habitat ensure long term successful colonization. For instance, in a desktop sized living moss wall, the choice of moss should be more focused towards those which can naturally grow on vertical surfaces such as pillow moss (octoblepharum sp.), feather moss (hypnum sp.) and fern moss (thuidium sp.). Bun moss (leucobryum sp.) are less likely to colonize vertical surfaces for extended period. It is challenging to notice the variation in micro-climate but this will greatly affect the way different moss species grow in a glass vessel too (more on this in future posts). This is an in-depth overview of the "Pillar of Moss" custom made for our client using 6 cultivated moss variant at different growth stage to deliver an immersive slice of mossy forest for his work desk. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #pillarofmoss #mosswall #livingmosswall #livemoss #terrarium #mossterrarium #plantart #mossart #plantsculpture #geometricterrarium #geometric #geometry #glassart #mossbox #plantbox #indoorplants #desktopplant #glassbox #botany #botanicalart #bryophyte #bryology #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia

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With all our existing ZERO Series which require no maintenance, we never stop in studying, cultivating and working with live moss. For us, ZERO Series is the preservation of time and imagination whereas live moss designs are our appreciation towards life as an ever-changing and on-going process. In this custom designed mini Vertex which is half the volume their large counterpart, a living moss wall delivers a breathtaking and mysterious feelings about a slice of mossy forest. That being said, beautiful things come at great cost. It takes great discipline and patience to maintain a living moss wall in such a small vessel. A well controlled micro-climate and lighting ensure longer lifespan. It is crucial to maintain the total internal humidity by spraying more water on the top and medium moss wall area to prevent flooding. Excessive water water will naturally be carried by gravity to the lower ground. Only selected live moss species can colonize vertical surface in long term (more on this in future). . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #livemossseries #livemoss #thevertex #mossfantasy #mosswall #livingmosswall #livingart #pillowmoss #verticalmoss #verticalgarden #moss #terrarium #mossterrarium #botanicalart #botany #plantart #geometricterrarium #geometric #geometry #glassart #mossart #plantsculpture #mosslife #indoorplants #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #thisweekoninstagram

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No matter how far we go and how sophisticated are the design language we use, nothing can beat a full moss design. Deep in our heart, we would like to just appreciate a colony of different moss species, arranged in the most harmonious way possible, especially during the end of a tiring day. This piece of work is known as "The Vertex – A Moss Fantasy", made with 10 ZERO Moss variants preserved at different growth stage and age. Everything is well preserved from the leaf structures, texture, colour, moisture, "moss flower" (sporophyte), all the way to the stems of twin Tree Moss. These are the dedication and promise we made to ourselves during the preservation process. This moss wall variant of "The Vertex" captures your imagination by delivering the most immersive moss experience which also serve as a great conversational piece for you and your friends. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #zeroseries #zeromoss #thevertex #mossfantasy #mosswall #preservedmoss #preservedmosswall #verticalmoss #verticalgarden #moss #terrarium #mossterrarium #botanicalart #botany #plantart #geometricterrarium #geometric #glassart #mossart #plantsculpture #mosslife #indoorplants #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia

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While it is challenging and takes great discipline, keeping a collection of life moss designs in their healthiest state can be a very rewarding experience. Compared to ZERO Series preserved moss design in which the moss arrangement is frozen in time, live moss are ever changing and their lifespan is entirely reflected by the love and care given to them. In the creation process, we focused more on pure aesthetics for ZERO Series whereas we express our knowledge about life sciences for live moss series. In this video, we shed light on the seamless hinge mechanism for "The Vertex" which allow easy access to watering. Watering frequency on live moss is entirely dependent on observation and intuition. Optimum moss health in air-tight closed system should usually look fluffy and during high dew point, tiny water droplets may form on their tips. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #thevertex #mossterrarium #terrarium #livemossterrarium #geometricterrarium #geometry #mossart #lifescience #botany #botanicalart #plantart #platsculpture #glassart #mosslife #mossyforest #indoorforest #indoorplants #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia

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In TerraLiving, we never stop exploring different possibilities with our moss, their interaction with materials and their overall aesthetic. If possible, we wish to share our experiment and moss cultivation process to virtually any corner of your living space. Here comes "The Cultivator" vessel. This vessel was designed with accessibility, functionality and minimalism in mind. Our seamless glass door allow you to casually set up your very own moss biome to experiment how they will grow or respond to different environmental factors. "The Cultivator" allows you to touch, smell or observe your moss at any moment. You can then explore how different moss species grow or colonize a closed environment or you can leave the glass door slightly open for air circulation. With "The Cultivator", you can easily water your moss, replace or trim any overgrown / unhealthy moss patches. Of course, "The Cultivator" set comes with a custom TerraLight made to blend into your living space in a calm and subtle way. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #cultivator #thecultivator #mosscultivator #mosslab #mossexperiment #terrarium #mossterrarium #glasswork #glassart #livemoss #geometric #geometricglass #geometricterrarium #indoorplants #biome #biophilicdesign #biophilic #livingart #botanicalart #botany #broyphyte #desktopcompanion #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia

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It is possible to enjoy the beauty of preserved moss in a form of art and enjoy experimenting with live moss ecosystem at the same time. In TerraLiving, we have an entire greenhouse dedicated to the cultivation of live moss and we have a lab + workstation for ZERO Moss. Both types make our work interesting and it is quite hard to get bored. Now, let's talk about light. Light source is very important although live moss is not very selective towards light spectrum. However, a good light source enables moss to make more food and generate strong immune system against potential infection such as fungus. There is no deny to the fact that they enjoy natural light the most. If you plan to maintain and watch them flourish indoor, make sure that there is sufficient indoor lighting. 6 – 8 hours of light exposure is sufficient for live moss. How bright is good for moss? Well that depends. The moss should look vibrant and their leaves should look translucent. Do take note that over exposure to light may cause the moss to "burn" and look dry and yellow. Moss consume water, air and light to make food. With lots of light, they may be "thirsty" faster and you should spray more water on their leaves to moisten them up. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #tranquilmoss #moss #livemoss #mossterrarium #terrarium #mossart #mossecosystem #mosslife #botany #botanicalart #botanics #desktopplant #botanical #mossyforest #mosslight #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia

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In TerraLiving, we care about our designs and our well-being. Our working environment is located at a vale, surrounded by nature such as moss, plants, ever-flowing spring water and fishes. For us, a balanced lifestyle and inner calmness are very important to materialize all our thoughts into beautiful creations. For us, the Terra-Shard X is one of the most beautiful terrariums in TerraLiving. This particular piece is custom made for our important client. A state-of-the-art craftsmanship in glasswork by our glass architect materialized the Terra-Shard X with 30 beveled glass facets. While housing our moss sculpture, the difference in refractive index in each glass facet gives off euphoric light dance, serving as an epic display in the owner’s living space. Of course, the seamless glass door allow access into the inner chamber of Terra-Shard X for detailed appreciation of the fine moss art. . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #terrashard #zeroseries #preservedmoss #mossterrarium #terrarium #preservedmossterrarium #glasswork #glassart #geometric #geometricterrarium #geometricglass #segmentedglass #beveledglass #beveled #indoorplant #plantsculpture #mossart #botanicalart #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia #terrariummelaka #terrariummalaysia

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In TerraLiving, our design philosophy revolves around our belief in unparalleled quality and natural aesthetics to deliver the best experience for our clients. This is a close-up video walkthrough of our signature maintenance free biophilic design, "The Tree". . 在Terraliving,我们的设计理念萦绕着我们对于追求创新品质与自然美感的信念,以传递最佳的观景体验予我们的客户。 这段影片特写的是我们独家打造的免维护亲自然作品,"The Tree"。 . . . . . . . . . . . #terraliving #thetree #moss #cork #zeroseries #preservedmoss #zeromoss #bunmoss #feathermoss #mosswall #mosslife #mossframezero #mossframe #biophilic #biophilicdesign #biophilicinterior #mossmelaka #mossmalaysia

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