Pandemic or not, many of us are spending more time indoors, apart from others and from nature. We report on user perceptions of "pheB," a non-anthropomorphic, bio-inspired, pneumatic-actuated robot surface aiming to help regulate our emotional states when inhabiting confined spaces, such as our homes. A survey (N = 50) tested perceived stress levels before and after performing guided breathing exercises under two conditions: led by the pheB prototype and a 2D vector graphic. We learned that perceived stress levels were significantly lower after performing the pheB led exercises. Comments from respondents who did not prefer pheB suggested a possible "Uncanny Valley" effect. The same survey elicited feedback on possible design features for pheB related to color, scale, orientation, and edge complexity. Beyond reporting on a soft robotic artifact of our own design, the research reported here offers an exemplar for conducting user studies online of novel robot designs, highlights user perceptions of bio-inspired robots in HRI research and considers biophilia and the uncanny valley for non-anthropomorphic robots supporting human-centered design applications.