How to get closer to nature in your interior design

Last year I was lucky enough to go on holiday to India and, in Khem Villas – a beautiful little eco-lodge in Ranthambore, I fell in love with outside bathrooms.  I’m not talking about outside loos here but the luxury and complete sense of freedom of showering in your own private outdoor shower surrounded by flora and fauna! So, maybe outdoor bathrooms are never really going to catch on in the UK (unless you favour the Swedish approach of a roll in the snow after your hot shower!) but I really recommend, if you get the opportunity, of hunting down a holiday hotel or villa with an outdoor shower and I’m sure you’ll be a convert just like me!

Fustic House Barbados - outdoor shower

But, in all seriousness, what are the benefits of introducing more nature in to our home environments? Barbara Stewart, a San Francisco-based architect and trained Feng Shui practitioner, says we share 98 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees. If zoologists, who design habitat for chimps, were to design habitat for us, what would it look like?  Stewart says “A zoologist would design a place that reinforces our natural patterns and reduces stressors.” In nature, humans are used to short bursts of stress — say, running from a lion — but not the “low-level constant stress we find in modern life.” The modern world sets off stressers more frequently, which wear down our immune systems. “Stress is directly linked to all the diseases we face” so all buildings and landscapes must work to reduce this for everyone’s well-being. Pointing to well-known studies by Ulrich in the mid-80s, she said views of landscapes out of hospital windows significantly reduced the amount of pain medication needed and sped up recovery times. Then, studies conducted in the late 90s showed that even images of real or simulated nature can improve recovery times, although photos of real nature scenes work better. Also, patients with access to videos of nature — forests, flowers, oceans, waterwalls — used pain medicine less.

I don’t need convincing, I know that plants and landscape affect my well-being and calm me and, indeed, don’t most of us seek beautiful scenery when booking a holiday?

So here are 10 tips on introducing nature to your  home and office environments -

1. Wallpaper a feature wall with a stunning mural wallpaper – particularly wonderful for a bathroom or maybe a study?

Green Oak Forest Mural Wallpaper

2. Herbs for your window ledge and get healthy to boot

3. A mirror positioned to reflect plants or trees from outside – that way you see them whether you are walking towards or away from them

4. A landscape scene piece of art that makes your heart sing – I have a beautiful image on canvas of crashing waves which reminds me of wet and wild walks with the dogs

5. Collected pebbles, driftwood, coral and shells from the beach, together with some framed photos of your favourite beach holidays

6. Natural wood accessories or furniture in their raw form

Coffee Table

7. A water feature placed outside a patio door – it doesn’t need to be huge and can be free-standing, re-circulating into a trough, but the sound of running water is very calming

8. Get a digital photo-frame and load your favourite shots of nature to play

9. A bit radical I know – but how about some background music with birdsong and running water – well it works in spas doesn’t it?

10. And lets not forget the olfactory perception – scented candles with your favourite smells of flowers, ocean spray or herbs!

I hope that’s inspire you, but if not, take a look at these wonderful rooms at one with nature…

Indoor Garden - courtesy JinSpiration

Room with a view - courtesy JinSpiration

Totally amazing! - courtesy JinSpiration

A Study in Serenity - courtesy JinSpiration

Let me know how you get your nature kick at home?

Bye for now,