There’s a reason they call it the great outdoors! The natural world has a natural appeal to humans – giving us a feeling of freedom and relaxation.
Read our tips below to help you bring the outside into your home.
Natural Light
Increasing natural light in your home is beneficial to your health – by boosting vitamin D and B in the body, keeps low moods at bay, and improves sleep quality. It’s also the most sustainable and economical way of lighting your home, so it makes sense to make the most of the natural light you have in your home.
Light or opaque curtains can help make the most of the natural light you get in your home. Our Allusion blinds allow in the natural light without compromising on your privacy, or our Luxaflex Duette blinds help soften the light entering your home, creating a chilled atmosphere that’s both bright and calm. If opaque window coverings aren’t for you, consider shutters in a light or white finish, allowing you to keep out the eyes of passers-by while letting in the sunlight. Cafe-style shutters can be the ideal solution for larger windows, offering total coverage on the lower sections of your windows, where passers-by might spot you relaxing, but allowing the light to flood in at the top.
Go Green
We’ve written before on the importance of colour in your home – and a green colour scheme can go a long way to creating a natural feel in any room. Green tones are generally associated with nature and so giving a room a green theme will help create that feeling of bringing the outside in. Green tones also give a feeling of relaxation and freshness – thanks to their associated with nature and new life. When decorating with green it’s often best to stick to a lighter green palate – especially if your rooms are small – as darker shades have connotations of greed and ambition – so try light shades like apple white or mint to keep a feeling of space in a green room. Olive green is an excellent choice for a bolder take on this shade – and has traditional associations with peace and harmony.
You can also get green-fingered in your home – and try growing your own little slice of nature indoors! Adding plants to a room is a great way to bring the great outdoors inside. Try a growing little herb garden in the kitchen so your plants can do double duty brightening your home and seasoning your cooking! In order to get the best out of your indoor garden choose hardy varieties of herb – basil, parsley, and rosemary are both tough plants and commonly used in cooking – and ensure you give them as much sunlight as possible.
Embrace Natural Style
If going green isn’t your thing you can still bring nature into your home through interior design, creating a sense of the natural world blending with your home comforts. Try experimenting with more natural textures within the home, stone, reclaimed wood or branches, and corals can provide wonderful decorate touches to rooms without overwhelming your chosen theme or colour scheme.
If you like things neat and minimalist at home, take cues from the Nordic School of style- that combines minimalism and functionalism with natural materials to create practical and styling interiors with a sense of the outdoors inside. Choose soft natural materials where possible for your soft furnishings, and bring in a sense of coziness with chunky woven textures for blankets cushions and practical baskets.
If you want to make a slightly bolder style statement opt for a floral or tropical print. Our roller blind range includes nature-themed prints from striking palm leaves to classic English garden floral. Tie the theme together with printed cushions or floral prints, or for the brave opt for a feature wall in funky floral or tropical paper to create a striking statement in any room.
Get a Sense for Nature
The easiest way to bring the natural world into your home is with a plant or bouquet of flowers. Whether it’s a hardy cactus or a fancy orchid – a plant in the home is a visible, tangible link to nature. Treat yourself to a wild-flower bouquet if plant care isn’t your thing, or invest in some fake foliage that can be with you forever – just don’t forget to dust them once or twice to keep the illusion of a real plant alive!
When bringing the natural world into your home – don’t forget to treat all your senses! Wood-scented candles or floral rooms sprays can bring the feeling of nature into your home just as much as house plants and wild-flowers. A rain-sounds or forest play-list can help to create a soothing outdoors experience – which has the bonus of helping lull busy minds into a more peaceful night’s sleep!
While you might not feel like it in winter – just opening a few windows can help bring a little of the outside in. Hear the birdsong, feel the breeze, smell the air and take a mindful moment to appreciate the outdoors.
Whether you’re seeking tropical prints or natural light enhancing fabrics – our blinds range has everything you need to bring the outside in! Shop our styles today!