8 Ways to Bring a Natural Feel to Your Home
Guest Post
Adding natural elements to your space can make your home feel that much sweeter. Our guest writer shares 8 tips on how to do just that.
Have you ever walked into a room and just felt rejuvenated? Did you feel like there was some continuity from the sunshine and fresh air from outside and the room that you walked in? If so, you probably walked into a home that had a “natural feel” to it. If you decide to go for the “natural feel” in your house I’ve got some tips for you. These tips are outlined in this post from the easiest things you can do right now to get a natural feel in your house, to more cumbersome tasks that will really spice up your décor. Here are the “8 Ways to Bring a Natural Feel to Your Home”.
1.Get Rid of Anything Unnatural
If you want to have a more natural feel to your home, then logically, you should take out things that are unnatural. Try getting rid of plastic, synthetic materials with more natural ones. You could have hand towels on deck instead of paper towels. Don’t have any processed food sitting out on the counter. Get dining-ware that looks somewhat “natural” and throw out the plastic stuff. You could put custom covers on metal appliances. These are just a few of many ideas that can take your environment from synthetic to natural.
2. Fresh Scents and Fresh Air are a Must
This is one of the easiest tips. In today’s world, heating and air-conditioning are a must. However, most people forget that they can complement this with fresh air. Never underestimate the power of opening windows. This brings in fresh air and continuity with the outside world. Whether you know it or not, you are always adding chemicals to the air in your house with cooking sprays, etc. Although these chemicals are tested, and aren’t harmful to you, they certainly don’t give your house a natural feel. Opening your windows can help flush out these chemicals.
3. Strategically Place Your Furniture
A natural feel is one where open space, outside light, and natural materials dominate. Furniture can easily get in the way of this. If you have furniture that is all facing a different directions and is kind of helter-skelter, then you should organize it in a manner that doesn’t distract from the fluidity you are trying to create in the room. Your décor should flow from one room to the next and if furniture is all over the place, it will put the attention on the furniture instead of on the focal point of your room which should be in harmony with the outside world through lighting, spacing, and natural materials.
4. Add Living Plants
This tip might seem obvious but people often forget to have live plants on hand. I say live plants, because although fake plants will give a bit of a natural feel to your house, they won’t bring in the freshness of something that is living. Alternative to plants, you could bring in pine cones, dried flowers, stones, seashells, and many more things. Put these objects in places that don’t normally have a natural feel (think home office, bathroom, gaming room, or individual rooms). Having something from the outside is necessary if you want a natural feel in your house.
5. Adjust Your Lighting with Sunlight
Perhaps the most important tip on here has to do with lighting. If you have curtains, or thick blinds that block out light, this is a huge no-no. You need something that maximizes the light that comes in. Translucent draperies (white or beige) will let in a ton of light. The fact that they are translucent will also make your windows look wider.
Alternatively, if you aren’t getting enough light from your windows, then you should think about mirrors. Mirrors placed where sunshine comes through will give a ton of interest, and dimension to the room.
Lastly, if you aren’t getting enough lights, do the logical thing and add more lights. Just make sure that your lights are warm and kind of match the lighting that comes into your house. Additionally, if you can afford multi-headed lamps then you can personally customize where the light hits and how much light is in your house.
6. Implement Non-Flashy and Natural Feeling Colors
This tip completely depends on where you live, and what type of environment you want your home to display. If you are going for a rustic mountain look then you should shop for furniture, linens, and decorative objects that are dark maroon, rich green, silky brown, and add some white for balance with the sunshine. If you want to go for an ocean look then you should go with whites and blues and beiges. Desert look? No problem. Go with accessories that are warm, with oranges and yellows and a nice cacti green.
7. Reassess Your Paint Situation
Chipping paint is evidence of only one thing. A room that is unnatural. Make sure that your paint stays fresh. Also, I would recommend going with a neutral color (to enhance the lighting). A neutral color for painting purposes will let you get some interior décor in that won’t color clash.
8. Clean Your Windows
This tip might be able to be fit in with the lighting section but I gave it its own place because it is so important and so undervalued. The homes with the most natural feel have flawless windows. Home-cleaners like Windex are great but they can only do so much. They actually leave a thin film behind that can add some opaqueness to your windows. There is a reason that professional places like the White House or the glass museum in Seattle have professional window cleaners. Whether you like it or not, it makes a huge difference.
About the Author
Tyler Dahl is a freelance writer and interior designer who has been writing for various design websites including interior design and graphic design for the last couple of years. In his free time, he loves spending time with his family and going camping.
Thanks for stopping by friends. We partner with busy homeowners to create spaces that feel authentic to their lifestyle and we blog about subjects that educate and inspire.
Contact us to learn more about our products and services. You can email us at rjackson@yourdesignpartner.com or
call 513-409-3759
Inspiring creativity,
Ricci
Shop Cool Finds
