Nature-Inspired Home Decor: Transform Your Space Into a Serene Sanctuary
The use of natural elements in interior design is on the rise, and for good reason. A 2024 study shows that using natural elements in design, also known as biophilic design, increases creativity, productivity, and air quality. It also reduces stress by 15 percent. Along with creating a calming environment, incorporating natural elements into a design allows home decorators to select sustainable materials for projects.
The natural decor aesthetic is not going anywhere, so now is a good time to learn about the materials, styling practices, and rugs that contribute to biophilic design. This design style has the power to transform a home, regardless of budget or space constraints.
Why nature-inspired decor is more than just a trend
Incorporating natural elements into a design is nothing new. The Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all had a recorded practice of incorporating plants and gardens into their indoor and outdoor decor. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s that biophilic design as a concept began to be defined and refined.
In recent years, biophilic design has proven to be not only aesthetically pleasing but a style that reduces stress and improves mental health, focus, and creativity. This could be due to the fact that nature-inspired home decor ideas help us engage with our innate connection to nature.
While biophilic design has become more popular over the past few decades, don’t mistake it for a passing fad. Natural decor has a timeless quality and is easy to experiment with in your home. Incorporating biophilic design is as easy as growing herbs indoors, utilizing skylights, using an earth-toned color scheme, or displaying shells you’ve collected over the years in a thoughtful way. This design style is accessible to everyone!
Essential elements of nature-inspired home decor
Biophilic design can be explored in direct and indirect ways. A direct implementation focuses on natural materials, such as wood, water, sunlight, and plants. Indirect elements are meant to evoke the natural world. Through color palettes, textures, photography, even scents and sound, these elements mimic or call to mind what can be found in the natural world.
You can be playful with nature-inspired home decor, mixing and matching direct and indirect natural elements to suit your design style. When put together, they create spaces that feel authentically connected to nature, while allowing you to maintain the comfort and function of modern living.
Incorporate natural elements into a design with a natural fiber rug. This is Seagrass in the color Seabasket.
Natural materials: The foundation of biophilic design
On the most basic level, nature-inspired design is fueled by the use of natural elements. Organic materials like wood, stone, and rattan are a good place to start. You can also do a lot with natural fiber sisal, hemp, and jute rugs. All these materials add both visual and tactile texture to a space.
Stone can be used in countertops or sinks. Even a marble side table makes an excellent statement piece, both with its finish and texture. The same goes for all styles of wood. You can play with wooden accents on tables, chairs, frames, and so much more!
For a soft, natural surface on your floors, you can use hemp, jute, or sisal. Even just feeling the texture of these natural fibers under foot will bring a sense of the natural world indoors. And the best part is, all of the natural fiber rug options are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Botanical influences: Plants and floral elements
Plants and flowers are among the easiest ways to use nature-inspired decor ideas in your home. For all the plant lovers out there, this is your sign to create an indoor jungle or garden atmosphere with potted or hanging plants and flowers.
If you don’t have a green thumb, never fear. Start with snake plants, ZZ plants, and spider plants — all of which need minimal tending and low to medium light. If you’re still averse to taking care of plants, then look into preserved plants, like pressed framed flowers, or explore botanical prints and floral patterns in fabric, wallpaper, and art.
You don’t have to cover your entire space with floral and plant inspo. Instead, use botanical elements as a focal point in the room. Achieve this visual effect by picking one large eye-catching plant or decorating with a cluster of plants all together.
Organic colors and patterns: Nature's palette
When all else fails, lean on a natural color scheme to bring a biophilic design to life. Earthtones, blues, and greens are all on the table. The best way to pick a nature-inspired color palette for your space is to consider what kind of natural landscape you want to evoke.
If you are inspired by the sea, think about light blues, browns, and greys — all colors reminiscent of the beach. For a mountain theme, stick to sage, browns, grays, and even splashes of color to mimic wild flowers. And don’t forget, you can also incorporate these color schemes through rugs and wall art.
Natural fiber rugs: The foundation of nature-inspired spaces
If you are ever unsure where to begin on your biophilic design journey, start with a foundational design element: a natural fiber rug. By starting with a sisal, jute, seagrass, or hemp rug, you can build the rest of the room from the bottom up.
Using natural fiber rugs grounds the space visually and tactically, creating a seamless connection between your indoor living space and the nature that is inspiring the design. It’s no wonder that so many designers consistently turn to natural fiber rugs to lay out a harmonious biophilic design scheme.
Why natural fiber rugs are essential to biophilic design
Rugs aren’t just a visual experience. When you walk or sit on them, you can literally feel the unique texture of every thread and knot. That grounding experience brings you closer to nature just by engaging with the flooring.
Just like the magical variants in the natural world, no two jute, hemp, or sisal rugs are exactly the same. Each fiber is unique with subtle changes in color and texture, making every rug as one-of-a-kind as the tree or flower you see outside.
Perhaps one of the most impactful things a natural fiber rug can do to a space is apply definition. If you are creating a biophilic design in an open floor plan, rug placement will help you effortlessly create zones while still complementing the natural elements used in different areas.
Selecting the perfect natural fiber rug for your space
To help you pick the perfect fiber rug for your nature-inspired home decor, here is a breakdown of the different materials.
Sisal
Made from the leaves of an agave plant, sisal rugs are incredibly durable. For that reason, it is the best option for high-traffic areas in your home. It can also be dyed and comes in a variety of earth tones to complement your design style.
Jute
Jute rugs are made from vegetable fibers that, when woven together, create a soft, shiny texture, reminiscent of blades of wheat swaying in the wind. It’s perfect for spaces where people will walk barefoot or sit on the floor, like a bedroom or living room.
Hemp
Hemp is a mountain grass that is both durable and nonporous. As a rug, it is soft to the touch with varying textures. Due to its soft feel underfoot, it's an excellent option for bedrooms and living areas.
Seagrass
Seagrass is harvested from seawater-flooded patties in the Asia-Pacific region. It has a smooth finish and the distinct quality of being stain-resistant. For that reason, you can feel confident using seagrass in playrooms, under dining room tables, or in the kitchen.
Soft hemp brings biophilic design into the bedroom. This is Hemp Grass in Winter Walk.
Styling with natural fiber rugs
Once you’ve picked a rug that works, it’s time to start styling! If you want to amplify the interesting textures and colors that natural fiber rugs have to offer, consider laying them on top of each other. Just like in nature, the contrasting tones put together elevate the experience.
Rugs can also be used to anchor furniture and accessories in a room. Placing all the furniture on top of the natural fiber rug will create definition between areas in the home, especially in an open floor plan. Think of the rug as the island you’re building your oasis on. To evoke a cozier feel, only place the first two legs of the furniture onto the rug.
As the seasons change, you can swap out rugs to reflect the foliage outside. Play around with lighter rugs for spring and summer and then softer, heat-retaining materials for the colder months of fall and winter.
Start your nature-inspired home transformation today
When it comes to nature-inspired home decor ideas, the world is your oyster. No matter what direction you go, a biophilic design will enhance calm and creativity in your living spaces. Start small with potted plants or stones and shells that you have foraged. From there, you can build a foundation for your dream design with sustainable natural fiber rugs.
Ready to experience natural elements in your home? Get free samples and swatches of our natural fiber rug selection to find the perfect textures for your vision.
