<p>Nature, which has been fueled by evolutionary innovation over millions of years, offers an inexhaustible source of inspiration for advanced materials with its infinite complexity and exquisite organization. In recent years, biological solutions have been widely used based on the understanding of multi-functional biological systems. At the same time, the concept of “Learning from Nature” allows material design to flourish further from the diversity of human life and living habitats. This is the key to addressing the challenges of sustainable development between humans and nature, and it is also the inevitability of humanity’s continuous exploration and discovery of the mysteries of nature. In this work, we review recent innovative achievements in advanced material design inspired by living organisms, human life, and living habitats, and summarize representative approaches of nature-inspired simulation. Finally, the challenges and perspectives on functional materials based on natural inspirations are proposed and discussed in detail. We hope to spur continuous efforts and sustainable innovations on nature-inspired functional materials to enable a harmonious and efficient ecosystem.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>