A biophilic modern living room with large windows that let in a lot of natural light by Superdwell
Is she writing about natural home decor again? Why yes she is!!! That’s because biophilic design is my passion when it comes to interiors. Nature-inspired homeware can add beauty, warmth, and texture while providing a special sense of connection to the environment. Humans spend approximately 90% of their lives indoors, so creating a space with soothing natural elements is extremely beneficial to our mental health and physical well-being. There are several ways to achieve this, and the good news is that it can work no matter what your personal design style. Here are 11 inspiring ways to bring natural home decor into your living space.
1. Work with Flowers and Plants
Indoor living wall kit from Chalk & Moss
Plants are essential for bringing the sense of nature indoors and play a major role in biophilic architecture. They contribute to the visual appeal of homes, improving air quality and providing a calming ambience. Plants in interior spaces have long been a popular approach that seamlessly combines nature and the built environment.
Bringing plants indoors allows us to mimic the feel and attractiveness of gardens indoors, dissolving the boundaries between the interior and the outdoor world. Consider incorporating bigger potted plants, hanging plants, and tiny succulents into all areas of your home. Incorporate rich greenery, enticing cascading water elements, and living walls to bring your natural home decor vision to life.
2. Invest in Stone and Wood
The lobby area of 1 Hotel Toronto
Use wood and stone materials to include natural features in your home design projects. They bring warmth, texture, and character to your interiors while creating a pleasant and welcoming ambience. They may be used for a variety of functions, including furniture, flooring, walls, countertops, and accessories. Hardwood flooring, stone fireplaces, wooden tables, and stone sculptures are great ideas you can consider. To suit your taste and theme, you may also select from various wood and stone finishes, colours, and patterns, such as recycled, polished, or natural.
3. Make the Most of Views and Natural Light
North London terraced house by Cairn Architects | Photography by Peter Landers and Anna Stathaki
Natural light is a great design element that accentuates homes’ architectural elements while promoting a seamless connection with the outdoors. It is an important part of biophilic interior design, which tries to incorporate the advantages of nature into living environments.
Natural light favours the body’s circadian rhythm, fostering feelings of vitality and happiness and also lets you get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun. It also enhances the visual aesthetics of the area and the mood and energy levels of the occupants.
Natural light reduces your need for artificial lighting during the day, which is good news if you want to save the planet and reduce your utility bills. Focus on the doorways and windows in your home to increase natural light inside. This may be achieved by removing heavy drapes or blinds and replacing them with transparent or light-coloured window coverings that let enough sunshine in while maintaining privacy.
4. Experiment with Fabrics and Textiles
Fabrics and textiles from Textured Lives
Textiles and fabrics are a fourth approach to including natural elements in home design projects. They provide your environment with softness, individuality, and comfort while promoting harmony and balance. Textiles and fabrics may be used for various purposes, including covering, layering, and accentuating. For example, a cowhide rug, cushions, blankets, and throws are great options for covering your floors, sofas, beds, and chairs.
You could also layer your windows, walls, and doors with curtains, wall hangings, or tapestries. Use napkins, cushions, or tablecloths to decorate your coffee table and dining table. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool, linen, or silk are great options.
5. Play with Patterns and Shapes
Biophilic patterns and shapes are a fifth approach to using natural home decor in your design projects. They can make your room lively, intriguing, and spontaneous when used correctly while creating continuity and consistency. Shapes and patterns can be used for various objectives, such as generating contrast, complementing, or blending.
Shapes, and patterns found in nature can be turned into artwork, ornaments, furniture, décor or textiles in our homes and public spaces. Those comparable to natural components, such as stone veins, floral designs, and wood grains, can make a nice addition to your natural home decor.
6. Incorporate Sounds and Fragrances
Scents and sounds are a sixth approach to creating natural home decor elements in interior design projects. They can provide the right fragrance and ambience while generating a sense of immersion and stimulation.
Scents and sounds can be used for various purposes, such as setting the mood, accentuating the theme, or creating a focal point. To establish the tone for your living space, you may use diffusers, candles, or potpourri to add aromas such as lavender, citrus, or pine.
You may also utilise music, fountains, or wind chimes to create natural sounds like birdsong, water, or breeze to complement the theme or create a focal point for your areas.
7. Take Colour Inspiration from Nature
Hand-made natural wool Atlas rug in navy blue from Cosy Coco
The colours of nature are a great choice for natural home decor and it goes much deeper than just aesthetics. Natural hues, such as greens, blues, earthy browns, and soothing yellows, evoke a sense of tranquility, balance, and harmony. These colours are known to have a calming effect on the mind and can help reduce stress and anxiety, creating a peaceful atmosphere within your living space.
Moreover, nature-inspired colours can establish a strong connection to the outdoors, fostering a sense of unity with the environment and promoting overall well-being. By infusing these earthy tones into your decor, you’re not only creating a visually appealing interior but also embracing the restorative power of the natural world, ultimately enhancing the comfort and serenity of your home.
8. Create a Sanctuary in your Bathroom
Create a feeling of well-being in the bathroom by adding plants. Image by Dobbies
Is there any space in the house where you like to unwind and recharge more than your bathroom? Connecting our body to water and heat provides tranquillity and allows us to quiet our minds and spirit, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Natural materials in the bathroom bring colour as well as texture into the space and prevent it from feeling cold, stark and sterile.
9. Invest in Furniture Made from Natural Materials
Solaire 2018 by Maisons du Monde (affiliate)
Jute, coir, straw, cane, wicker, rattan, and bamboo are excellent natural materials you can use in your indoor decor. For instance, you can invest in wicker or cane furniture. Instead of a regular daybed, have a charpoy. Accessorise lavishly with baskets, handmade mats, and wall hangings. Try coir decor, straw lights, cane ottomans, rope swings or hammocks for an earthly vibe. You could even make your own unique rope creeper frame, so feel free to consider this.
10. Use Nature’s Bounty from Morning Walks and Travels
Photo by Dagmara Dombrovska on Unsplash
Put shells you have collected from beach visits in attractive dishes or bottles. Fallen leaves and branches gathered on a morning stroll can also be displayed creatively. Press the flowers you collected and frame them to create a gorgeous artwork. This idea is a great way to add natural home decor to your living space without straining your finances, so keep this in mind.
11. Decorate Your Space with Photography and Artwork
Nature-inspired artwork from desenio.com
Nature-inspired artwork and photographs may help bring the outdoors into your home. You can select artwork depicting landscapes, animals or plants. You may also show off images during your holiday trips in nature. These works of art may develop a connection to nature while also serving as fantastic features in home design.
You should also note that you can choose what canvas size suits your preferences. For instance, you can fill your walls with several smaller frames to create a gallery wall, especially if you have many images to display. Or, you can get one large frame that serves as a visual focal point in the room.
Incorporating natural home decor into your interior design is an effective way to create a harmonious and relaxing living atmosphere. You can convert your space into a refuge that nurtures well-being, connection, and profound respect for nature. Do this by adopting biophilic concepts, using natural materials, and pulling inspiration from the outdoors.
The options for bringing the beauty of the natural world within are boundless, whether via colours, textures, patterns, fragrances and more. You can read more about applying the principles of biophilic design to your home interior in the post below.