By Jessica Barber Goldblatt
Choose natural elements that incorporate your style and connect you to your home. Examples of natural elements of decor are wood, cotton, stone, clay, brick, wool and seagrass.
Wood as a finish has the ability to transform your mind and soul.
Interior of a modern hand-hewn post-and-beam home. Photo courtesy Wikipedia
For many homeowners wood is one of the few materials that can be finished to look like shiny marble or can be left raw and unstained to reveal its gorgeous imperfections of knots and grains. Wood is one of the easiest and warmest of natural materials to bring into your interiors, and comes in a very wide variety of finishes, species and applications. From flooring to ceiling beams, wood also can be reclaimed and refinished from older buildings to extend its life for years in your home. Wood furniture is one of the most popular because it is durable and beautiful. Look to artisan-crafted furniture or to antique wood, to bring back the nostalgia of turn-of-the-last-century home living.
Bring nature to every room of your home
Bringing natural finishes into your home is not a new concept. The concept of bringing nature to every room of your interiors is a game-changer for many homeowners. Whether you look to organic sheets and bedding in your bedroom or enjoy a bubbling Zen fountain, Nature can find itself into any space of your life.
Sustainability never looked as good in your home
With the reemergence of green living and conserving the Earth’s precious resources there has been a renewed interest by homeowners in finding building products that have been recycled and used in new ways, reclaimed from other building projects or repurposed into new functions. Old doors, sinks, tubs, decorative elements, and reclaimed and locally sourced wood products – think of these ideas when remodeling your home.
Floral inspiration does not have to be artificial
Nature is finding its way into more and more interiors in the real and natural state as flowers, potted plants such as succulents have created easy ways to bring natural appeal. Planting indoor bulbs, or keeping low maintenance plants such as succulents, cactus, or just adorning your home office desk with a fresh bouquet can instantly cheer up any room. And help with indoor air quality, too.
Bring in natural sunlight as a design element
One of the beautiful natural elements that many forget about is sunlight. Natural daylighting can make any room come alive, it makes colors pop, it makes people feel healthy and inspired. Whether you use windows, borrowed light from solar tubes extended from your roof into closets or dark bathrooms, natural light can have an effect like no other throughout your interiors.
Natural elements for every home remodeling budget
Many homeowners complain that natural materials are expensive and tend to ditch the idea of using it in their home remodeling projects. Instead of scrapping the idea, why not use less of it? An accent stone or clay plaster wall can be just as gorgeous as an entire room adorned with the same product.
Jessica Barber Goldblatt is the owner of Interiors Green — the Home and Living Store in Bethlehem, NH. www.interiorsgreen.com.