Back to: A Natural Oasis
There are four essential things to consider when creating a nature-inspired home. Below are the key pieces and how to optimize the space to create the perfect nature oasis.
Walls
A room’s walls significantly impact the home’s overall aesthetic. Selecting neutral colors can create a more natural environment and switch up the décor further down the line when trends change.
Paint
When selecting a neutral paint color, consider shades of white. Shades of white are timeless, classic wall colors that allow the furniture and accessories to stand out as the critical elements of the room. Soft whites can create a calming atmosphere and facilitate a natural, garden-like feel to a room. If painting a white wall feels too traditional, earth-tone colors or soft grays will have beautiful undertones that allow various accent colors to pop nicely against the room’s walls. These neutrals will adequately reflect natural light, and green plants and colorful flowers will stand out against the clean backdrop!
Non-Paint Options
Repainting is not currently an option. Consider garden-inspired artwork, textiles, or prints to hang on the walls and offset the present wall color. Floral wallpaper is a bolder way to establish a nature-inspired space, and textured wallpaper, like grasscloth, creates a striking and memorable garden room.
Layering
The perfect room for a natural oasis at home doesn’t have sufficient natural light to maintain live plants. To create a stunning and authentic nature-inspired space, look for outdoor accessories to bring the garden inside. Many of these can be thrifted or bought at low prices, as maintaining a more natural look is difficult when purchasing from big box stores.
Some tips on layering natural elements are:
- Flora & Fauna Décor: find items with plant or animal motifs that reflect the colors and mood of the space.
- Natural Stone: Using authentic stone as part of bookends, coffee tables, or other accessories makes creating a striking and natural feeling in a room easy.
- Metals: Mixing cool or warm-toned metals can instantly create an outdoor garden feel. As metal is often found in outdoor furniture, bringing it inside creates a natural look.
- Wood: Raw materials can add warmth and drama to a nature-inspired space. Unique pieces like tree stumps or wooden coasters can add a natural flair to any indoor oasis.
Texture
The texture is an essential element of creating an outdoor-inspired indoor room. If live plants are challenging to maintain, nature-inspired texture can feel alive and add a warm, raw feeling to the room. Consider using blankets in non-synthetic materials, woven pieces for wall art, or straw baskets to add texture to the space. Any textured fabric, such as cotton or acrylic, can add a natural depth to the room.
Artificial plants are also a great option! Many faux plants look realistic today and are a low-hassle way to keep an evergreen look. Local greenery will provide a more natural and unique room if live plants are preferred.
Personalize No matter what, the best pieces are the ones that best suit the homeowner. Personalize the space with pieces that speak to the desired outcome and resonate. That means skipping a few trips to the store, using seashells from a previous beach trip, collecting leaves from a nearby park, or even plants from the neighborhood garden. A space works best when the items reflect the owner meaningfully and authentically.