Over the years, our home design trends have been venturing back to harmonizing natural elements with our urban developments, capturing the best of both worlds with the calming tranquility of nature brought into the bustling scene of the city life.
We take a peek at how nature brings a touch of serenity in our living spaces, and how we can blend natural decor into our interior designs for that certain je ne sais quoi.
Bringing us Closer to Nature
The trend of cottagecore decoration aims to bring us back to nature by bringing nature into our homes. As we co-exist with a blend of urban and the living world, we take a look at what the earth provides for us, and how we can integrate sustainable practices into our lives.
Keep the distance between rustic and messy with regular home maintenance. Particularly with live plants, natural decor is often susceptible to overgrowth, dirt, rot, and mold. Keeping an earthy home is not to keep a filthy home, and as with the environment, your home requires tender care.
A Clean, Green Home
Cleaning natural elements is a tricky subject, as many unadulterated decor are often unprotected by varnish or sealed with wax. The concept of bringing in nature often entails complete purity of natural elements, unsullied by synthetic chemicals.
Natural elements are known to be difficult to clean, as the lack of protective coating can pose a challenge in removing deep-seated dust, and keeping these elements dry to prevent mold and rot. Bacteria also feed off of natural materials; and you’re going for the natural aesthetic, not the dirt that comes with it!
When you’re too busy to squeeze cleaning into your schedule, hiring a part time maid isn’t a bad idea for home upkeep. You have a smorgasbord of reputable companies around your area who train maids in the proper cleaning of different materials, including natural decor.
Decorating with Natural Elements: Ideas and Tips
Choosing Neutral Tones
The rockin’, bold colours of the ‘80s may be retro chic, but they represent energy more than they do serenity. For a calm, natural environment, go for neutral tones like beige, browns, greens, and other colours found in nature.
Nature is a colourful tapestry in itself, but the calm, neutral tones are what compiles into a relaxing space that separates our mindset from the stress of urban life. These neutral colours provide a sense of calm, without making your space look dull or sleepy.
Apply accent colours to your space that distract from the monotony of neutral tones. By adding vibrant accents, you get the perfect blend of comfort and brightness that keeps you productive, while still providing that touch of serenity.
Natural and Eco-friendly Materials
We believe that integrating nature means to make use of sustainable materials that create a positive impact on the environment. We can’t confidently say that we support nature and its forces while we end up contributing further to the increasing climate change.
Using eco-friendly and sustainable materials, like bamboo, cork, and organic cotton, in our furniture and decor brings us a step closer to combating climate change, and increasing our awareness for naturally-derived, sustainable materials.
Growing with a Green Thumb
Plants and foliage turn your home into a greenscape with vibrant colours, and a feeling of vitality. Artificial plants are often made from plastic-derived materials, processed fibres, and non-biodegradable adhesives. With live plants, you get clean air, cool temperatures, and a lively setting that no synthetic decor can provide.
Growing plants indoors improves your air quality and makes your home look alive. There are multiple bright-green plants that will bring your home to life, and some plants have purple, pink, or orange hues that provide a pleasing contrast to your surroundings.
Even without a green thumb, there are plants that you can find that need little to almost no maintenance. Air plants need no soil, and are great for hanging pots, while water plants need almost no care or upkeep as long as they stay in clean water. You can even keep plants with fish for an underwater landscape in your own home.
Putting the Zen in Zen Garden
A popular home addition in parts of Japan and Korea, zen gardens are incorporated into homes to minimize stress by allowing homeowners to recalibrate their thoughts through slow, but constant motion.
A zen garden provides a tranquil activity for that work-related stress, and can be constructed from naturally-derived pebbles, live plants, and clean sand. If your active life tends to be stressful for you, invest in a zen garden and meditate while you comb through the sand for the ultimate regeneration of your
Flow like the Ocean
When we talk about nature, we often think about earthy elements: plants, soil, stones, and more. We tend to forget that the ocean and its features are also part of the living world, and brings a unique sense of calm with its waves.
If you find yourself drawn to the water, lean into the marine landscape and immerse yourself in oceanic decor that will make everyday feel like an underwater paradise. Sustainably harvested seashells make perfect accents, and the calming colours of water blue, sunshine yellow, and seafoam green also bring a sense of energy into your home.
Strengthen with Wood
Wooden accents are perfect for adding a natural feel to your space, and wood can come in multiple colours – from natural browns to colourful dyes. Wood complements with any material, natural or synthetic, and makes any room look bright.
Wooden structures are sturdy, and can last for generations when cared for properly. Wood also brings a balance to the space, providing a middleground for the natural and urban elements in your home. Wood is a must-have element in your design, and you can get more sustainability with cork and bamboo material.
Terrariums set in the Wild Life
Have a knack for animal care? Look into well-researched terrariums that feature foliage and critters that go well together. Fish tanks and aquarium landscapes are the most common forms of decorative wildlife, but they require constant care and attention.
Some homeowners prefer large settings for their birds, while others prefer reptilian terrariums. Terrariums not only bring a sense of serenity, they provide that harmony in nature that we don’t get to see in the city. With any pet, do your research first: consult experts on proper animal care, and adopt your pets from responsible organizations.
The Serenity in Natural Design
The serenity we feel in a natural setting is unreal. Going back to our roots in nature gives us a sense of home, and dissociates us from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Just like how we’re supposed to care for our environment, we also need to maintain our homes.
Maintaining the cleanliness of our natural elements is key in keeping the serenity in our homes, and continuing the sustainability practices of using natural resources as part of our decor.