Going green has never been so popular. More of us than ever are ditching plastics in our daily lives and choosing to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors. And when it comes to interior designs, the trend to bring the outside into your home is also on the rise. Bringing botanical elements and natural materials into a scheme blurs the lines between garden and home, delivering bursts of colour, texture and vibrancy. When it comes to an easy way to instantly refresh your interior, bringing the outside in is definitely the way to go. Greenery not only breathes new life and energy into a scheme but also complements both muted tones as well as darker, moodier palettes.
The natural touch
We all know that a walk in the countryside is the ultimate stress buster, but it’s a somewhat tricky thing to achieve if you live in the middle of a busy city! So, what’s the solution? Instead of taking yourself into nature; bring nature to you. Being around nature can help us feel refreshed and reinvigorated, so bringing natural elements into your home such as plants, flowers, and even indoor trees and ferns, can work wonders to improve your mood and reduce stress levels. Greenery is thought to bring balance and harmony to a space, creating a calm and relaxed mood. When we surround ourselves with the beauty and tranquillity of nature, stresses disappear as we find comfort and reassurance in our natural environment.
Fake it ’til you make it
House plants are all well and good, but what if you’re somewhat lacking in the green-fingered department?! It’s all too easy to forget to water plants, which is one of the reasons why sales of faux versions are booming. There has also been great improvements in the quality of faux plants, meaning that the best ones are now completely lifelike. They’re also maintenance-free and safer for pets and people with allergies. It’s easy to see why they’re the ultimate way to add instant greenery!
In our Eaton Mews North project we created an incredible faux living wall in the basement kitchen. Troughs of fake foliage were attached to the wall to create a sea of green, which was then covered with a large glass screen. The result is a dynamic and vibrant backdrop to the dining area which will never go out of style. The faux green wall alludes to the idea of outside space, but also creates a sense that the room extends beyond its own boundaries.
Another way to effectively add faux greenery is to follow the ‘Rule of three’ principle as illustrated in our Holland Park project. Three bright green faux bushes have been placed at regular intervals along the dining table, creating a pleasing symmetry and a link to the hedges in the window boxes outside the property.
The ‘rule of three’ is a design principle that uses groupings of three, or layerings in odd numbers, to create an effect which is pleasing to the eye. This approach can be applied to all kinds of elements such as accessories, artwork and furniture. The owners of the period property from our Holland Park project wanted a simple, pared-down design scheme. We left the dining room white to maximise the light and space, with fresh bursts of greenery to reflect the hedging outside.
Brilliant botanicals
Botanical prints are a great way to bring the outside into your home, and they also add a softening effect to interior schemes. For the girl’s bedroom in our Richmond project, we wanted to create a bedroom fit for a princess with a soft palette of duck egg blues and lavenders. For the blind we chose a floral fabric with an intricate pattern and rich tones which provides a striking contrast to the geometric rug.
The guest bedroom of this same house also features botanical patterns, this time a dark red floral pattern for the blind which acts as an accent within the calm, understated scheme. Here, we wanted to create some rustic charm by using different floral fabrics paired with bold stripes and rich textures for a comfortable yet elegant style. We kept the design and furniture simple to prevent the scheme from looking dated, and instead created a modern-rustic feel using pattern, layering and texture.
Our top tips to bring the outside into your home
Add greenery
One of the easiest ways to bring the outside in is to add greenery however, make sure you take the proportions of the space into account. If you have small rooms, consider hanging plants. And if you’re using a large plant, only include one; whereas for smaller plants, group them together in odd numbers to create a stylish look.
Choose floral patterns
Another great way to inject a burst of nature into your home is to incorporate floral patterns, whether for wall coverings, window treatments or upholstery. Keep in mind that contrasting patterns and sizes will keep things fresh, while too many matching florals will look busy and outdated. Offsetting floral patterns with layers of texture and colour will provide balance and prevent your room from looking overcrowded.
Use natural materials
Add rustic charm by incorporating natural textures such as wicker, rattan and jute into your scheme. Also consider using eco-friendly materials. Whether it’s bedding or paint, there is always an eco-friendly option that will have long-term benefits for the planet. For example, linen is more ecologically sound than cotton because it requires significantly less water during processing.