Decorating Guides
Decorating Styles
Natural Environments
Interior design that takes inspiration from nature is everywhere. Everything from seashell collections to botanical textiles give a nod to what many designers call their greatest muse. But these rooms do something a little different; when I look at them I feel as though I'm actually inhabiting a specific natural environment. It's subtle, and I can't be sure that in every case it was the intention of the designer. But I like it.
A prairie. The green with just enough brown in it to feel very "real"; the smooth, flat lines of the bed, the rug and the artwork of wild mustangs by Cindy Bennett—it all has my hair blowing gently in the breeze.
The beach. Either this home is next to the sea, or its owner wishes it were. That blue perfectly captures the color of the sky after rain or wind has scrubbed it clean. A dab of contrasting color comes from prints of sea-corals, whose delicate anatomy is reflected by the headboards.
A garden. An interior space can feel like a sunny backyard with the addition of lavishly healthy hanging plants. Shabby chic furnishings bring a lounge-in-the-sun attitude indoors.
A bamboo forest. I get no points for originality on this one: the bamboo ceiling and the abundant bamboo growth outside the glass slider give it away. Still, I love how the accent pillows, the coffee table, and the grand indoor tree form a continuum with what's on the other side of the glass.
A lake shore. I seriously doubt this is what the designer had in mind, but I'm from the Midwest and here is what I see: one of those days when fall is over, yet winter hasn't begun. This room captures the dramatic gray that I've seen the water reflect back to the sky in November. It feels fresh—far from dreary.
A cave. This looks like a place I would choose to go to have a religious experience. See more of this house.
A mountainside. This one evokes a very specific memory for me: a spring hike I took in the mountains of western North Carolina. One of the trees that grew like crazy there had tall, skinny trunks that formed patterns like the table base in the foreground. The wet green of those glass panels reminds me of new leaves sprouting up near streams and waterfalls.
Has nature inspired your home decorating?
Has nature inspired your home decorating?