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Incorporating natural design elements into your home can connect your living space to the beauty of the outdoors. You can create a calming, refreshing environment indoors using materials, colours, and shapes inspired by nature. From wood floors to stone surfaces, and organic textiles to living plants, there are many ways to bring the outdoors in. Read on for ideas to embrace natural elements in your interior design.
Use Natural Materials
One of the best ways to evoke nature inside is through the use of reclaimed or sustainably sourced natural materials. Wood is a classic choice that infuses rustic warmth. Dinesen wood floors made from planks of solid Douglas fir or pine are a fine example, with their gently varied grains and knots that resemble tree rings. The soft patina and rich hues of natural wood flooring add organic beauty. However, you’ll want to ensure you get them fitted by a certified Dinesen flooring installer.
Stone is another ideal natural material, as seen in tiles and accent walls showcasing granite, marble, travertine, or slate. Tiles, bricks, and pavers crafted from natural terracotta clay also connect to the earthy outdoors. Use stone and clay materials in rustic, Mediterranean, or Farmhouse style interiors.
Incorporate Natural Textures
Experiment with a variety of natural textures that reflect the outdoors. Layer in nubby linens, rattan, seagrass, jute, and sisal for organic contrast on furnishings and window treatments. Use raw-edge wood rather than polished surfaces. Display wall hangings with organic motifs like carved birds or branching trees.
Rough-hewn beams, exposed brickwork, unfinished wooden pillars, and distressed or whitewashed finishes also impart natural texture. Collected items like sea glass, stones, shells, and driftwood bring in weathered natural relics. Handcrafted ceramics, vases, bowls, and mugs reinforce earthy, organic style as well.
Reflect Nature’s Palette
Draw from nature’s colour palette to further reinforce your interior’s connection to the outside environment. Serene greens, sky blue, and earthy brown or terra cotta tones bring the colours of nature indoors. You can incorporate these hues through paint, furniture, pillows, rugs, and accessories.
Neutrals like cream, beige, and tan evoke sand, wheat fields, and natural fibre textiles. Mossy greens, deep forest hues, or sage shades can be accent colours or used extensively for a bold, organic look. Aquas and blues from robin’s egg to navy reflect skies, oceans, and waterways. Don’t overlook dynamic accent colours like sunflower yellow, popping orange, or coral pink for additional organic punch.
Welcome Living Greenery
Nothing connects your home to the outdoors quite like living plants, trees, and fresh greenery. Potted plants are an easy way to bring vitality and freshness indoors. Strategically place them in corners, on surfaces, or mounted on the wall for pops of living colour. Include leafy greens, succulents, orchids, or flowering plants suited to your interior environment.
For a bold statement, add large houseplants like fiddle leaf fig trees or Kentia palms. Hang trailing ivy or tillandsia from macrame hangers, display air plants in glass terrariums, or mount vertical living walls. Herb gardens and indoor citrus trees also allow you to cultivate plants inside your home.
The outdoors can be a profound source of beauty and serenity. Inviting natural influences into your interior design helps create a peaceful, organic environment inside your home. Get creative with different ways to bring the outdoors in through your home decor and design choices.
