Bringing Nature Indoors is Key for your Home Sanctuary
How to Bring Nature Indoors
Science shows that being out in nature is wonderful for us – it helps lower blood pressure, reduce stress, increase concentration and clear our minds. Not to mention some of the most beautiful things – trees, waterfalls, flowers – come straight from the great outdoors. It’s no wonder interior design often has a big focus on bringing natural elements inside. If you want to create a perfect home sanctuary, natural elements are sure to put you at peace. But everyone’s style can still play a big part in this, so read on to see ways to bring nature into your home, no matter what your personal tastes.
Indoor Plants
The obvious first, indoor plants are a perfect way to add a natural touch to your home. Large houseplants and even small indoor trees can be beautiful accent items, and small hanging plants can look amazing when you select pots and hangers that complement your existing decor. Of course there’s the added benefit as well of being able to select plants that help clean the air of your home too.
If you aren’t blessed with a green thumb, you can give succulents a shot, but even fake plants have come a long way towards looking realistic. If you have pets, just make sure to check that your plants are safe, or put them in places your pet can never reach them or fallen leaves.
Natural Color Palettes
Get your color inspiration from nature itself. Fortunately, this gives you MANY options outside greens and browns. If you’re a fan of brick or the color red, for example, include the burnt-red or terracotta colors into your design. Copper can be a beautiful addition to your design as well.
Blues occur everywhere in nature, and can be quiet calming and serene. Think waterfalls, a clear sky, rivers, peaceful bubbling streams… the right blues can still bring warmth and relaxation to any space.
Mocha, beige and sage green is always a winning combo though, and blends beautifully with things like wooden shades, hardwood floors, and even grey stone fireplaces or accent pieces.
Lots of Natural Light (Or Make the Most of Your Dark Room)
Not all home design automatically grants you this, but you can make the most out of even the smallest or light-starved windows with conscious window covering selections. Wooden shutters and shades obviously look beautiful with natural themes, and can even be part of a minimalist look with hidden rods and a perfect fit.
Sheer, light-colored draperies and curtains allow plenty of sun to shine through, while still giving you valuable privacy. Light linen or delicate prints like the popular Bohemian styles add a beautiful look along with functionality. Best yet, certain window coverings even give you protection from harmful UV rays and even can lower your heating/cooling costs and extend the life and color of your home’s furniture and artwork. Curtain rods and finials (the decorative end caps) can be made of wood, shaped like flowers, or add any detail to tie your design together.
Light plays an enormous factor in your design. If you are blessed with plenty of natural light in a space, don’t be afraid to paint those walls darker colors. Contrary to popular belief, a dark ceiling actually makes it seem to recede, faking the appearance of a taller ceiling. A dark blue ceiling could be a beautiful mimic of the night sky. If you’re lacking light or space, mirrors are a great way to reflect light around a room and make it look larger, and with driftwood or even a cement frame around the mirror, it’ll fit in perfectly.
Natural Texture Elements
Texture is often overlooked when people are coming up with their design for a room, but it couldn’t matter more to a complete and finished look. Sand-textured wallpaper, wicker baskets, burlap accents, natural wood paneling, even a shelf made from wood with preserved and sealed bark on the edges look beautiful. Even pillows, rugs, and window coverings can bring in beautiful natural textures, colors and designs. Press some dried flowers into a frame and you have instant natural artwork! Leather and cotton can be worked in beautifully.
Wood is amazingly versatile as well, aside from the aforementioned ideas, keep in mind it can be white or black or any shade or color you desire. You can leave it looking raw to show off knots and grains, or make it so smooth and shiny it looks almost like marble. Reclaimed wood from railroad ties, old boats, demolished homes, etc. can give you cost reduction and a lot of character in your decor, as well as being wonderful for the environment. If you have wooden ceiling beams, find ways to tie their color and finish into accents around the room for a more comprehensive design.
It’s obvious – we love natural interior design.
We hope you feel inspired to add more natural elements into your own home! We’re happy to help you add natural texture to your windows if you’d like to take advantage of our beautiful natural shades or drapes, or find other patterns and styles to bring nature to life.