How to use outdoor elements inside the home
Ever wondered why and how current interior design trends are incorporating more outdoor elements?
Allow us to clear that up in this article for you. Many of us are wanting to make our interiors feel a bit more organic and natural. For a long time now, we’ve seen this ultra-conetmporary style dominate the market with a few outliers like mid-century and farmhouse but in general, we were lacking more natural elements.
An easy way to incorporate an “outdoor” element is, of course, plants! Plants are not only a great addition to any space but there are many benefits to having plants inside the home. Plants in the home absorb EMF radiation and they have been proven to relieve stress. Apart from the health benefits, they can be absolutely gorgeous! I would go so far as to argue that every room should include at least one plant. No look is complete unless you have a little bit of greenery!
As for furniture and decor, we are seeing many big-box stores such as CB2 and West Elm include more natural elements in their product. This is a big indicator of where design is headed and what most people are appreciating right now. It seems most of us are done with the over-embelishment and sterile feeling a contemporary space could evoke.
Textures like cain and rattan (traditionally outdoor) are being used more and more in regards to interior design. Many people now are attracted to incorporating these elements because it gives a certain sense of comfort that just isn’t found in your traditional leather or cotton fabric furniture pieces. While these “outdoor” elements are very trendy and have the ability to transform a space, one must know how to properly incorporate these pieces to avoid any misplacement or awkwardness.
Obviously, we don’t want to add a rattan chair in a room full of leather and industrial textures -it won’t fit right. However, that doesn’t mean that the entire space should be made up of “outdoor” materials. It’s all about balance! Make sure that when you include something like a cain side chair or a rattan bench, that there are other elements in the room to carry that story through.
A good way to incorporate some outdoor elements inside is to make sure you have a healthy balance between what is organic and what is stylized. Also, have a consistent color palette in a space will definitely help in this situation. Say you have a wicker side chair you want to add in a living area. Make sure to add some decorative objects somewhere else in the space to match that.