4 Fun Ways To Bring A Little Nature Into Your Home
Window treatments frame the way we see the outside world through our windows and they play a key role in adding style and décor to our interiors.
We take our cues from what we see in the world around us and when it comes to interior design, Mother Nature is a wonderful source of inspiration. While we all enjoy the comforts of home, interior design takes many of its elements from nature.
Everything from lighting and texture to the organic swirls of line and splashes of color all show the incredible influence that the natural world has on design.
In this article, we are going to look at 4 fun ways we can bring a little bit of the outdoors inside.
1. Take Advantage Of Natural Lighting
There is nothing quite like natural lighting in a room and windows are a wonderful way to let the sunlight in.
Natural light is a great way to make an indoor environment feel like an extension of the great outdoors. Skylights are a fantastic way to bring in more natural, ambient light. Rooms that offer large windows not only let in a lot of light but also provide picturesque views that can transform the entire space.
There are times when it might be necessary to moderate the amount of light entering a room and window treatments are the best way to add a level of light control to your windows.
Light control gives you the ability to decide how bright or dark you want the room to be, regardless of the time of day or the season. This also gives you options to use less electricity and incandescent lights.
Harsh, direct sunlight can create an uncomfortable environment and glare can make it difficult to perform certain tasks.
The right window treatments are easily operable so that they can be moved into a position that can quickly create a more comfortable atmosphere.
While blocking harsh light may be a critical function, maintaining views that are unobstructed might be another important consideration.
Operable window treatments are fantastic additions because they can be positioned throughout the day to provide just the right amount of light control.
Another consideration is the opacity of the material of the window treatment.
Opacity is a term used to give a rating to the amount of light that is able to pass through a material. The lower the opacity rating, the more light will be able to shine through.
Light filtering window treatments have a lower opacity meaning that the material has an openness to it and can be seen through to a certain degree. These can be beautiful additions to any room because they will still help to block harsh glare without obstructing the entire window. They will still add illumination to the room but filter the light to give it a soft glow.
Light filtering window treatments, like sheer shades or draperies, are wonderful options for any room that could benefit from soft, natural light such as kitchens, living rooms, or entryways.
Windows that need to have the option to block the light completely will need treatments made from a material with 100% opacity.
These are called room darkening window treatments and they are specifically designed to block out as much outside light as possible when in a closed position. Consider these types of treatments for rooms where people may need to sleep during daylight hours. Nurseries will benefit from these as well as bedrooms for first responders, health care workers, or other individuals who work night time shifts and need to sleep during the day.
Keep in mind that just because the material doesn’t allow light through does not mean that there will not be any light that can creep in. Light is like water and will find a way to seep through any nook or cranny that it finds. Pinholes within the treatment or any opening between the treatment and the edge of the window could potentially allow light to shine through.
If a completely blacked out space is needed, then special blackout window treatments must be installed. These are typically used for home theater or media rooms where it is imperative that all exterior light is kept out.
Love the look of a window treatment that doesn’t keep out the amount of light needed? Liners can be added to almost any window treatment in order to increase the level of light control.
2. Incorporate Plants Wherever Possible
When bringing nature inside, the most obvious answer might be to bring in plants. While this is certainly a great way to add a touch of the outdoors to your interior décor, there are many other benefits that come with having indoor plants.
Living indoor plants add color and texture to the space. Different plants will bring a variety of colors. Greens are typically soothing colors so incorporating them into the color palette of a room is a natural way to make a space feel calm.
Plants that blossom and flower can bring splashes of almost any color in the rainbow. This is a great way to play with accent colors.
Texture is another important design element and plants come with a wide variety of textures from smooth and silky to rough and spiny.
Living indoor plants also have the added benefit of helping to purify the air by taking in carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen. Having indoor plants helps to keep the air fresh and circulating.
Some of the best house plants are philodendrons, begonias, ficus plants, succulents and many more. Some houseplants will require a lot of water, sun, and care. Others may be fairly hardy and not require much upkeep at all. Determine the best types of plants for your lifestyle and start there.
For those of us who may not have the best green thumb, even artificial plants can improve the atmosphere and mood of a room. Use greenery, boughs, pinecones, fruit, and silk flowers to bring color texture and ambiance to your décor. Nobody wants to be stressed out trying to keep a plant alive, so find the right solution to make your life easier.
A popular trend right now is growing indoor gardens. This can be done as simply as adding little potted plants on a window sill or in a garden window. Or this can be done with a more elaborate set up such as an herb garden kit or planter box.
There are even now indoor herb garden starter packs that come with interchangeable seed pods and display cases with lights. The options are endless and some of these setups are beautifully designed to be on display as a statement piece to your décor.
3. Play With Scent
Appeal to all your senses by bringing natural scents into your home. Using diffusers, candles, and other fresh smelling accessories is a great way to bring a touch of nature inside.
Opt for fruit scents like oranges, lemons, or tangerines. Or perhaps you prefer a more woody smell like pine, fir, and eucalyptus. Consider herbs and spices such as oregano, rosemary, and cinnamon. And of course there are the floral scents like lavender, gardenia, and rose. There are even other nature inspired scents such as fresh cut grass, ocean breeze, and rainstorm.
Focus on natural scents that are subtle and not too overwhelming and be sure to pick genres of scents that appeal to you.
If you have your own herb garden or fresh potted plants these can add a natural fresh scent to your home as well.
Be mindful of allergens since not all scents will be appealing to everyone. If you are an allergy sufferer, certain smells could definitely be a trigger, so start off with a light, clean scent and see what works best for you.
We know that keeping a home allergy friendly can be hard! Here are some of the best window treatment options for allergy sufferers - Beat The Dust With These Hypoallergenic Window Treatment Options.
4. Find Ways To Incorporate Natural Fabrics and Materials Into Your Space
Bringing in natural and organic materials is a great way to add a touch of nature to your style and décor.
Choose from natural woods, woven reeds, bamboo, hemp, wicker, jute, woven grasses or a plethora of other natural fibers for your furniture, floor coverings, window treatments, and other accessories or statement pieces.
Upcycled or repurposed furniture or accessories can bring new life to a piece and create an eco-friendly addition to the room.
Feel free to mix and match different types of natural materials, keeping in mind how the colors and textures complement each other. The goal is to create a space that looks put together not thrown together.
Use color palettes that enhance and play with organic earth tones. If your room has a lot of natural wood, accent it with a deep green or a burnt orange color to bring out the natural warm tones.
Remember that every color can be found in nature, so don’t be afraid to go bold! Play around with adding splashes of color, especially if the majority of the space is neutral toned.
Also keep in mind that colors can oftentimes be easily adjusted. Keep the primary colors of the room the same, but have fun adding different accent colors based on the season.
Play around with patterns as well. Keeping an organic and natural theme in mind, opt for patterns that favor curved lines and asymmetry over more structured geometric prints. Some of the more nature-inspired patterns will be florals, chinoiserie, damask, paisley, and toile.
By adding elements of the outdoors, it can help to lessen the divide that separates our inside lives from the outside. The idea of bringing nature into your interior design can also resonate with making your home more eco-friendly. If you are interested in learning more about adding eco-friendly window treatments to your home, be sure to check out - Upgrading Your Window Treatments Can Help Create An Eco-Friendly Home.
Conclusion
Window treatments frame the way we see the outside world and can allow elements of the natural environment to be added to our interior design. They are also important in adding much needed light control, privacy, energy efficiency and aesthetics to any windows in the home.
With so many wonderful window treatment options available, it can be a little overwhelming to know exactly where to get started. Working with a Gotcha Covered Design Team Expert is the best way to take the first step.
Their expertise will help get you started on the right path to finding the perfect window treatments to fit your needs, style, and budget. They can also show you some of the exciting new options for motorization and connected home systems.
Be sure to call us at (888) 650-6187 or schedule a free design consultation today!
