Maybe your local climate keeps you indoors for long winter months or a busy schedule makes getting out into the fresh air difficult. Whatever the reason, everybody begins to suffer both physically and mentally if they are not getting a regular shot of nature. Getting out into nature is reinvigorating. It washes away life’s stresses and helps you to cope with the strains of a busy diary. However, if you really can’t get out into the countryside as often as you would like then one solution is to bring nature into your interior design scheme.
Natural elements such as wood, stone, ceramics and textured fabrics revive our senses with their warmth while a palette of natural colours has a calming effect. As decorative elements, they are also timelessly elegant. We’ve put a few suggestions together to help you create a natural look in any room of your home.
Decorating and furnishing with natural materials
When planning new colour schemes for rooms try and create a balance between natural rustic and contemporary. Offset white walls with some wood panelling or a stripped-back oak door or choose warm walnut flooring and skirting boards or wood furniture. Natural stone works particularly well in kitchens and bathrooms. Use it for flooring or for hard-working surfaces with a warm feel.
A perfect way to balance the rustic and modern is to make a feature of a sleek fireplace recessed into a wall. A glass front to the fire showcases the logs being burnt while an adjacent recess holds logs stacked ready to use. This creates both a visual and a practical natural element. For an outdoor look, seek out driftwood-inspired furniture in rustic shapes or pick contemporary pieces with sleek curves that mimic the softness of a hill-contoured landscape.
If space and budget allow, create a feature wall that brings the outside right into your home. Make an abstract mountain-scape using a geometric mosaic of tiles or invest in a large-scale seascape photograph. There is nothing more relaxing than contemplating the colours and movement of the ocean.
Fabrics and accessories
Complement walls and structural features with soft furnishings and accessories in earthy brown shades or foliage greens and textures such as velvet, leather, cork and terracotta. To bring the look together, start with one key feature such as a large textured rug in a natural material such as jute, woven wool or even a funky faux-fur. Add raw linen drapes or natural cotton blinds to your windows to give privacy while letting sunlight in. Then, continue layering colours and textures to build up your natural look
There is nothing more tactile than a smoothly-turned bowl made of olive or acacia wood. Pick various sizes and shades and dot them around your home to hold keys, trinkets and fruit. Complement these with ceramic vases in warm natural shades, making sure they are always kept full of luscious blooms.
When planning natural elements for your home, don’t forget bathroom and bedroom linen. Make your bed the focal point of the room with high-quality cotton bedding sets in palettes and prints that bring foliage and florals into the home. In the bathroom, towels in earthy shades always feel and look invitingly warm.
Entertaining the natural way
Living the natural life means cooking and eating seasonal produce and there is no better way to complement this than by creating a natural look for your dining table. Make guests feel welcome with perfect table settings displayed on a statement wood table. Use woven table mats, wooden serving bowls, crockery in natural shades and then use plenty of green foliage as a centrepiece. Add a wow factor with an eye-popping touch of gold cutlery.
Plants
Set against a background of your natural elements and earthy shades, fresh green plants add a real shot of colour as well as giving a refreshing feel-good touch that brings your decor together. Plants in the bedroom can help you get a good night’s sleep while the humid conditions in the bathroom help succulents thrive.
As we have shown, it is easy to create a nature-inspired interior design. Start with your colours and decorating elements then build up layers of fabric and textures before adding the final touch of fresh flowers and blooming green plants throughout your home.
