Embracing the Organic Modern Interior Design Style in Your Home

“Organic modern” is a hybrid style that fuses the textured, earthy, and even biophilic influences of the organic style with the clean, contemporary lines, minimalism, and sleekness of the modern style. 

Above all, achieving an organic modern look is about balance: finding just the right combination of two styles that might clash to bring out the best in both. Natural fiber rugs can serve as the perfect foundation for pulling this balance off.

In this article, we’ll break down how you can achieve a harmonious organic modern look in different rooms of your home with surprisingly few alterations. It all starts with the right rug.

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Natural fiber rugs as the foundation of organic modern design

Natural fiber rugs are a perfect fit for organic modern interiors because they represent the best of both sides of the design approach. Placing one in the space you’re putting together can set the tone for every decision to follow. 

Almost all natural fiber rugs will have the natural look, style, and texture you’ll want to represent the organic side of the equation off the bat. From there, it’s about picking the right material, color, shape, and pattern to ensure your rug looks sleek and contemporary enough to represent the modern aspect you’re looking for. 

Selecting modern-friendly natural rugs

As you’re considering natural fiber rugs, keep these tips in mind to help you split the difference between organic and modern.

• Try simple patterns and flat weaves: Natural fiber rugs tend to look highly textured and naturalistic. Consider playing against this attribute by selecting a rug with a minimalist pattern or simple weave. For instance, the Paradise Extra Wide Sisal in Blissful Beige looks naturally textured, but it also captures the simple modern look you might be aiming for.
   
• Look for modern color selections in natural materials: The iconic color palette for modern designs is black, white, and gray. Selecting a natural fiber rug in one of these colors can help you strike the right tone. Something like the Florence Wool Rug in Midnight is a great example. 
   
• Opt for a geometric design: Complex, angular patterns and designs are practically synonymous with the modern aesthetic, and plenty of natural rugs feature them, such as the Wave Wool Sisal or Key Wool Sisal Rugs. 

Strategic placement for modern spaces

Remember, where you place something is often just as important as what it is. As you consider a location for your rug, pay attention to how it alters the space around it. Look for clever contrasts and complementary elements to create the playful exchange between organic and modern that you’re looking for.

For example, one easy and effective way to use a natural fiber rug is to soften spaces that otherwise feel overly angular and cold. Try placing your natural fiber rug under a glass coffee table, or arrange modern furniture like black leather armchairs around your rug to create a cozy conversation nook. 

Alternatively, you could place your natural fiber rug in an otherwise open-concept area. Placing a rug down in the middle of an empty stretch of hardwood or carpet accentuates the negative space, making it feel like a thoughtful and stylish decision. 

Balancing organic and modern elements

In the case of organic modern, “balance” doesn’t necessarily have to mean “total equality.” 

Instead, often the most impactful way to achieve the distinctive organic modern look is to create interesting tension between the interplay of the two styles. You can pull this off a couple of ways.

The modern-organic material mix

Try creating small subspaces where modern and organic materials intermingle and interact in surprising ways. You can do this by offsetting textured organic shapes with smooth or angular modern pieces.

Mix and match modern materials like glass or polished concrete with organic materials like your natural fiber rug, woven blankets, or earthenware. Look for places where you can accent the qualities of organic fixtures with stylized modern decor.

Contemporary color palettes with natural elements

Try finding both organic and modern elements in natural, neutral color palettes that can create a unified sense of harmony in the space.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities for striking contrasts here, too. By incorporating organic accent colors into otherwise neutral areas, you can create an eye-catching pop of natural brightness that will bring out both the modern and organic elements of a space. 

Furniture selection for organic modern rooms

After rug placement, selecting and placing the right furniture is probably the most critical aspect of nailing the organic modern style. You want to create an interior design that flows naturally from one area to the next.

Clean lines with natural materials

Organic modern decor excels at creating this “flow” state because the natural qualities of the two aesthetics offset each other so nicely. When you want to create clean, distinct lines to signal the main areas of a room, modern decor’s angularity and sharpness are the perfect fit. 

Meanwhile, when you want to create a natural flow between major areas of a room or space, natural decor’s gentle lines and curvature can help.

Thoughtful arrangement and space planning

When it comes to organic and modern aesthetics, less is often more. You want to leave negative space to embrace minimalism and add distinction. 

This is another reason creating subspaces can work so well for the organic modern style. Place collections of furniture and decor in small “hubs” around a room to create “themed” areas, then leave space between these areas to emphasize them.

Lighting and accessories in organic modern design

Unsurprisingly, the right lighting and accessory setup can make or break your whole organic modern design approach. Follow these best practices to enhance what you’ve already accomplished and bring the whole room together. 

Contemporary lighting with organic influence

Modern lighting fixtures tend to be strikingly minimalist and often boldly designed. This can make them the perfect way to add a modern flair that complements a natural fiber rug or textured furniture. 

Try using a halogen bulb in these to approximate natural daylight and bring out the best features of warm wood or other nearby organic materials.

Minimalist styling with natural accents

The key to organic modern accessorizing is simplicity. Place small plants and natural objects around the room while being careful not to overwhelm the space or make it feel overly busy. 

As always, this doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Often, just placing an organic piece of decor on a modern piece of furniture will do the trick. For example, you could place a house plant in a distinctly modern vase, or accent a modern coffee table with organic earthenware.

Incorporating the organic modern interior design style room by room

Looking to add the organic modern style to a specific room? Get started with these tips.

Living room

• Start with a natural fiber area rug that’s suited for high-traffic areas. Sisal is an ideal choice for living rooms.
• Offset your area rug with modern accessories. A dark leather sofa or glass coffee table are both classic options. You could also try industrial lighting or abstract art to create a beautiful contrast.
• Plants and earthenware are great choices for a living room, especially if you can let in some natural light to nurture them. Wooden or wicker decor can also breathe some organic life into your room.

Bedroom

• Placing an organic wool rug under your bed or in the center of your bedroom is a great way to balance the organic and cozy. You could even pick a neutral color like grey or white to highlight the modern decor you’ll place around it.
• Your bedspread will be one of the primary design features of your bedroom; opt for blankets and pillowcases with angular, geometric, or abstract designs in black or white for a modern look, or go with something warmer and softer to express an organic vibe.
• Invest in wooden or wicker cabinets and furniture if you’d like your bedroom to feel more organic, or try dark, simple furniture in black if you’d rather incorporate a modern feeling.

Kitchen or dining room

• If you want to place a rug in your kitchen, we recommend going with a synthetic choice like polypropylene. These rugs are designed to look like sisal, which means they’ll still help you bring out a nice organic aesthetic, but they’re also waterproof and stain-resistant.
• Stainless steel appliances are classic modern home decor. You could even offset them with textured wooden cabinets or natural stone countertops to balance the organic and modern. If you don’t have stainless steel appliances, you could always add modern-feeling accessories like dark granite countertops or glass instead.
• Your dish towels, cabinet knobs, and even your dishes can be a great way to inject some color and texture into an otherwise modern-feeling kitchen. Alternatively, you could hang wall art or even choose a modern wallpaper to balance out an excess of the organic aesthetic.

Bathroom

• Rugs look great in bathrooms, especially against tiling. If you’re decorating a half-bath, a wool rug could be a natural fit that would help you capture the organic vibe you’re going for. If you need to decorate a full bath, we recommend polypropylene or polysilk, since these synthetic fibers are waterproof.
• Glass and stainless steel are natural ways to make a bathroom feel modern. You could also install a toilet with dark porcelain. If you’re looking for a splash of organic, try adding a glass basin of smooth stones on the toilet back or even create a space for burning incense on the countertop.
• The color of your bathroom will make a big difference in how it feels. If you’d like to enhance the organic feeling of the bathroom, try painting the walls a dark, warm color. If you'd like to rebalance it more toward a modern feeling, go with clean, light colors like white and beige.

Hallway

• Hallways are a great place for durable, organic runner rugs. Sisal, jute, or hemp are all perfect for bringing out an organic feeling in a hallway.
• Leave your hallway relatively open to highlight negative space and make the room feel more modern. Add small effects like wall hangings, art, vases, or plants to help it feel a little more organic.
• Layering natural fiber rugs in a hallway is a great way to make the space feel cozy, inviting, and organic. If you want to skew more modern, try adding lighting fixtures with an industrial or striped-down aesthetic. 

Your organic modern sanctuary

If you’re inspired to create your organic modern sanctuary, get started by customizing a rug that can serve as the foundation of your upcoming design. Good luck, and have fun!