Interior designers don’t only consider the interior of a home when creating a livable space that makes sense in its environment.
An interior designer will also take into consideration the outdoor space that surrounds your home. Bringing the outside in is a key element of interior design as it roots your home into the surrounding landscape.
Connecting indoor and outdoor spaces creates continuity and provides context while harnessing some of the mental, physical and emotional health benefits of vibrant design.
Additionally, the nature-inspired interior design is timeless due to the universal appeal of organic materials, earthy color palettes, and other natural elements.
Mature trees and lush landscaping add to this allure that everyone loves to come home to after a long day.
We want to extend that warm welcome from the sidewalk to the entry, thus elevating your daily life while honoring the outside world.
Here’s how to create stunning indoor and outdoor spaces with interior design inspired by nature.
When we start a project, we take into account the space, views, and directional exposure of the main interior spaces in the home.
It may seem insignificant, but natural light affects everything from our color palette to the accessories we choose.
Exposure to natural light
Have you ever bought a paint swatch and brought it home, only to notice that it looked completely different from the store?
A good reason for this is exposure, sunlight bounces off items in a room, leaving a different color.
And in interior design, we can either embrace the light or soften it depending on the room.
Here’s a quick guide to exposure
North exposure- Windows facing north are the luckiest, as they receive a steady amount of natural light throughout the day.
Sky blue predominates, so rooms with a northern exposure will have a blue tinge to them.
Eastern Exposure– With the sun rising in the east, these rooms will find themselves bathed in light in the morning
. For the rest of the day, green reigns supreme. If your bedroom is east facing and you prefer not to wake up with the sun’s rays, it’s important to invest in blackout curtains.
Southern Exposure- Arguably my least favorite of the four,
the Southern color fade can go for bold, deeply pigmented hues complete with a wash of yellow over top.
If you live in a hot climate, like I do, consider solar windows.
Western Exposure – Expect a romantic, golden glow to consume your home as the sun sets,
stay away from anything fuchsia or orange.
This exposure will only amplify it, the cooler hues will subdue the light.
Sun exposure also plays a role in the livelihoods of your houseplants,
and it goes without saying that one of the easiest ways to incorporate the outdoors
into your design is to grow plants and flowers indoors.
Where light certainly plays a role – as does ongoing care.
We let the landscape inspire us
Our design team studies how the architecture and interior of a home can reflect and respond to the surrounding landscape.
Interior design inspired by nature and architecture is timeless because it is rooted in the landscape rather than a specific period or trend.
As years pass and materials age, a home rooted in its landscape becomes more integrated with its environment,
and it is this unity with the natural world that makes interior design inspired by nature timeless.
Never go out of style, monitor and respond to your home’s surroundings –
including exposure to natural light – to ensure both architecture and interiors are classic and timeless.
We create transitional spaces
Connecting indoor and outdoor spaces often involves creating transitional spaces that share indoor and outdoor qualities.
These spaces establish the connection between indoor and outdoor in a smooth and easy way that never feels forced.
At Braeswood Place, for example, all outdoor spaces are intentionally designed as an extension of indoor living space.
The interior features large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open onto a multi-level outdoor oasis.
An expansive outdoor living space connects the main house to the pool house –
with a full kitchen and guest suite.
At Hedwig Village, we designed an outdoor loggia to reflect the house’s original
1920s architecture and optimize the property’s flow for entertaining. Loggias
They are outdoor living spaces that create a perfect connection between indoor and outdoor areas by reflecting the architecture of the house in a new way.
Inside, we added arched windows to the breakfast room and living room.
These huge windows provide a wonderful view of the grounds, but they also line up to match the arch in the new loggia.
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