The ability to bring nature into your home has been an ambition that homeowners have strived for over the centuries. For generations humans love the natural and organic appeal of elements that make them feel calm, at peace and above all welcomed into a space. In recent years the growing awareness of the dwindling of the Earth’s resources have made it even more apparent that bringing nature into our homes is essential as it is a design aesthetic we can’t duplicate. If you have been trying to think of inspiring ways to bring the outdoors into your home, take a look at these 10 ideas for bringing nature & organically inspired elements into your interiors.

1. Choosing natural elements that make you feel at peace 

One of the reasons we love nature so much is our inherent connection to the outdoors and to natural elements that are living or decor that was living such as wood, cotton, leather and seagrass to name a few. Choosing materials that resonate with your personal style is the first step for bringing them into your home. One homeowner may enjoy the rugged nature of natural rock walls in their kitchen – while another may prefer the more sophisticated flair of dark mahogany flooring in their living room. Choose natural elements that incorporate your style and connect you to your interiors.

2.  Brick as a backdrop or as a focal point

In the early years of brick making the natural process of using mud, clay and water and firing it at high temperatures to produce a solid and sturdy building component material were born. Today in modern design the appeal of brick is untouched by many materials. Its uniformity in pattern makes a gorgeous backdrop for urban lofts as well as adds texture and color to any room. Choose to leave brick in its natural state as a focal point or paint over brick to use it as a subtle backdrop to showcase its reveals.

3.  Wood as a finish has the ability to transform your mind and soul

For many homeowners wood is one of the only materials that can be finished to look like shiny marble or can be left raw and unstained to reveal its gorgeous imperfections of knots and grains. Bringing wood into your interiors is one of the easiest and warmest of natural materials and comes in a variety of finishes, species and applications. From flooring to ceiling beams wood also can be reclaimed and refinished from older buildings to keep its life sustainability ongoing for years in your home.

4. Natural wood furniture reveals craftsmanship at its finest

Wood furniture is one of the most popular as it is durable, beautiful and wood can be finished in any way imaginable. Look to artisan crafted furniture if you prefer a rustic and country appeal to your interiors, or look to antique wood bedroom and living furniture to bring back the nostalgia of early turn of the century home living. If your interiors prefer a contemporary appeal, wood furniture with minimal lines that is free from ornamentation can create show-stopping appeal in your kitchen bar stools or in your sleek headboard in your bedroom.

5. The new trend of bringing nature to every room of your home 

While bringing natural finishes into your home isn’t a new concept. The concept of bringing nature to every room of your interiors is a game changer for many homeowners. Whether you look to organic sheets and bedding in your bedroom adorned with birds and rustic leaves or you enjoy a bubbling Zen fountain in your home office, nature can find itself into any space of your life. Design your room around what makes you emotionally charged, excited, calmed or soothed and feel how nature plays a role in your interiors. 

6. Natural materials in your bathroom sanctuary

Is there any room in the house that you love to relax & get rejuvenated for the new day than your bathroom? Connecting your body to water and heat can transport your mind and soul to serenity and calmness. There is no better way to complete your bathroom sanctuary than with natural materials. Wood walls like this bathroom are inspired by a dry heat sauna, while the minimal lines of the fixtures and natural daylighting are ideal for creating that one-of-a-kind bathing experience with nature.

7. Sustainability never looked as good in your home

With the reemergence of green living and conserving the Earth’s precious resources there has been a renewed interest in homeowners finding building products that have been recycled and used in new ways, reclaimed from other building projects or repurposed into new functions. From old wood railroad ties being used in ceiling support beams to give a rustic appeal to your room to lumber yards supplying contractors and builders with reclaimed and locally sourced wood products – think of these ideas when remodeling your home.

8. Floral inspiration doesn’t have to be artificial

Do you remember when the only greenery you used to see in people’s homes were artificial and usually covered with a thin layer of dust! These days nature is finding its way into more and more interiors in the real and natural state as flowers, potted plants such as succulents have created easy ways to bring natural appeal to your dining room table, coffee side table or front foyer table. In the past the upkeep of tending to houseplants was looked at as a chore. Today, planting indoor bulbs, or keeping low maintenance plants such as succulents, cactus, or just adorning your home office desk with a fresh bouquet can instantly cheer up any room.

9. Bring in natural sunlight as a design element

One of the easiest, cheapest and most beautiful natural elements that many forget about is sunlight. Natural daylighting can make any room come alive, it makes colors pop in your furnishings and wall decor and it makes humans feel healthy and inspired. Whether you use windows, borrowed light from solar tubes extended from your roof into closets or dark bathrooms, natural light can have an effect like no other throughout your living interiors.

10. Natural elements for every home remodeling budget

Many homeowners complain that natural materials are expensive and tend to ditch the idea of using it in their home remodeling projects. Instead of scrapping the idea why not use less of it? An accent stone wall can be just as gorgeous as an entire room adorned with the same product. If natural materials are still out of your remodeling budget why not try veneer products? Pre-engineered, laminates and veneer stone applications offer the look of nature without the high cost. While these may not work in every application, look to a home design specialist to help you price out materials that will make a natural design statement!

architectday readers tell us what are your favorite natural elements to use in your home?

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BACKYARD GARDEN IN JAPAN

In this photo by Wi Bing Tan, we see a gorgeous Japanese garden at the back of a shop in Miyajima Island, Japan. From the cherry blossoms to the Koi fish and bonsai tree, it’s like a microcosm of Japanese tradition and culture.
According to comments on Reddit, the garden is located behind a small cookie factory. For those who may be in the area, check out this Google Maps link for an approximate location.
Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan’s three best views.
While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for “shrine island”. This is because the island is so closely related to its key shrine, Itsukushima Shrine. Like the torii gate, the shrine’s main buildings are built over water.

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I can’t fault you for thinking that. Especially if you just glanced. But a closer inspection reveals that this is indeed a meticulously crafted photograph (singular) by Austrian photographer Bela Borsodi.

The conceptual image was taken for the album cover, Terrain by VLP, a supergroup of Pia Palme (sub-bass recorder, electronics), Electric Indigo (synthesizer, computer) and JSX (turntables).

Below you can see a different angle of the setup.

If you’re still having a tough time believing, check out the timelapse video below that shows the tedious process involved in the arrangement of various objects and getting the perfect sharp edges and angles to bring this idea to life.

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FIFE CABIN, ZION NATIONAL PARK

In another fantastic capture by John Fowler, we see Fife Cabin at Taylor Creek in the Kolob Canyon Section of Zion National Park in Utah.

According to the Washington County Historical Society and zionnational-park.com: Arthur R. Fife, a Professor of Geology at Branch Agricultural College (now Southern Utah University), built this cabin in 1930. When not teaching at the college he lived in the cabin and raised goats. Fife cabin rests in a grove of maple, oak and fir trees. The trail (Taylor Creek) bends to the right after the Fife cabin.

The Middle Fork Taylor Creek route is a 5.4 mile (8.7 km) hike with a 450′ ascent that leads to a double arch alcove. Rattlesnakes are a known problem so be careful. Along the way you will come across two cabins; Fife Cabin shown above and Larson Cabin also built in 1930 by Gustav Larson.

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It’s a question that begs to be answered and worth delving into. In order to best answer this question we need to take a look at today’s modern families and their lifestyles. We are busier than ever before. Our days are longer than in the past. Today’s school children have longer days  with more activities and more homework, perhaps, than those of previous generations. The greatest difference may be that today’s homes consist of, primarily, two working parents/partners.
Gone are the days where the mother stayed home and tended to the house and greeted her husband and children when they came home at the end of the day. Gone are the days when the workday ended at 5:00pm. Today’s family members come and go at various times and into the late evening hours. Because of this it is not uncommon to have a staggered family meal, depending on what time everyone gets home. For those who do sit down and plan a family meal, this can take a great amount of coordination and effort and, does not often happen 7 days a week. What does this have to do with the dining room? A great deal!

How often is the dining room used?
Our lifestyles tend to be more casual today, and our homes are a direct reflection of this shift. Older homes, those built between 1920 and 1970s, with the smaller kitchen were outfitted with dining rooms just off the kitchen. Food was prepared in the kitchen and then transported into the dining room. Once a meal was finished, people would then relocate to another room… to the kitchen, perhaps, to clean and do the dishes, or to the common living area or to a bedroom.


Dining rooms, once used daily are not seeing much use at all these days. Some use them from time to time while others not at all. Whether a dining room is used or not really comes down to lifestyle. Very few of these rooms are used on a daily basis. Many are used for entertaining or for family gatherings and holiday meals. Some use this room but just once or twice a year.

Where are people dining?

Our kitchens see more traffic and more use, perhaps, than any other room in the house. This is especially the case with busy families. The kitchen has become central not only in our homes, but in our home life. We are spending more and more time in the kitchen. It is where we cook, congregate, work, entertain, discuss the day’s events, plan future engagements and pay bills. We also happen to eat in here. Our kitchens are outfitted with music and television sets and this space has become a true living room. Today’s kitchens are larger than those of years past and often have more than one seating area.  It is not uncommon to see both an island surrounded with chairs and a separate space large enough to fit a table and several chairs. With two eating areas is there really a need for another?

What’s happening to existing dining rooms?

Many  formal dining rooms are sitting vacant, empty – gathering dust and cobwebs. Others, however, aware of this grand wasted space and have decided to turn these unused rooms into something that better fits their lifestyle. These unused dining rooms are being converted to accommodate today’s lifestyle. We are seeing them become dens, playrooms, offices, libraries,. craft rooms, art studios, exercise rooms…

The walls are coming down!

Expanded spaces and open floor plans are very much in demand these days. Newer homes are built with this thought in mind, and older homes are being reconfigured and redeveloped so that they too can have this open feel. Even small Colonial and Cape style houses can have an open floor plan. As long as weight is redistributed properly, load-bearing walls can easily be removed. For many this is ideal. Not only does this open up the home, making it feel larger, but for those with young families, some feel it’s easier to keep tabs on everyone without having to be in the same room. Homes with open floor plans are hot commodities in the real estate market, in fact, Realtors often promote their listings as having an “open floor plan” to create interest among buyers. This isn’t, however, the case for every home.

Open floor plan vs separate, traditional dining room

Which is more desirable, the newer, open floor plan or the more traditional, dining room? There is no right or wrong answer here and people seem to be equally divided here. Some prefer the modern look and feel of a more open floor plan while others prefer the traditional setup with separate living areas. As with everything, the beauty here, too, is in the eye of the beholder. It comes down to family, living and lifestyle and perhaps even tradition.

Those who grew up with traditional dining rooms, with memories of great holiday meals, loud, boisterous and energetic family get togethers may want to continue with tradition and pass this down to future generations. While some view these rooms as a waste of valuable space, others prefer to hang tight to these rooms, even if they are only used a handful of times a year. It’s about preference, lifestyle and choice. In an informal poll, about half the people responded to preferring a separate, closed off dining room with the other half preferring a specified dining space, but not  in a separate, closed off space.

Dining areas in smaller homes and apartments

Many Americans and most Europeans live in homes and apartments too small for separate dining areas. For those residing in apartments, lofts and smaller homes, the kitchen is, once again, the center of the home for entertaining as well as dining purposes. In lofts with open floor plans, large farm tables are often central to the space. Much in the same way a kitchen table has become multi-functional, these have as well, providing hours of family meals, and entertainment as well as a place for homework, crafts and board games.

The family dynamic is changing

With the rising costs of living and a poor economy, many young people cannot afford to live on their home. It is becoming more and more common for today’s youth, after finishing university, to move back home while they look for work and to try to save a little money. In addition to this, as our population ages and is living longer, many elders are moving in with their children as well, making many homes multi-generational and redefining the term modern family. For these families more living space is therefore needed as opposed to the need for a separate dining area.

In conclusion

Whether or not a formal dining room is wanted or needed depends a great deal on tradition, lifestyle as well as size of the home. Those who view the space to be antiquated and unnecessary opting to turn these spaces into offices, bedrooms and libraries. Some, however, are choosing to have a room that is multi functional – a room that can best be served for different purposes – a room that could be converted from office or library to dining area, and if designed properly, this conversion is easily done. Maximizing the use of a home’s square footage is most important all around.

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Pure white. This is how this project was named where white is the star. White as the sum of all the colours of the light is the starting point of this amazing project: a house by the sea on the top of a cliff blessed with natural light. The owners wished for white and comfort to reign throughout the entire house.

The house is divided into five areas. The service area is projected to house up to five people and the decoration and furniture are all designed in white. The kids wing that includes the childrens rooms and a sitting room is the only part of the house with brushestrokes of colour.

The daytime zone that includes the dining room and living room areas was projected in a way that the exterior seems to spill into the house so when relaxing on the sofa one is invaded by the intense blue of the sea, which embraces the whole living area as well as the kitchen.

The upper part of the building houses a cube that locates the main suite. The room is decorated totally in white except for the bathroom, which is designed in deep dark basalt stone, and a black carpet that crosses the room. Several objects in distressed silver such as a mannequin and decorative frames on top of the boudoir also provide minimal touches of colour to the space.

Finally, the guest area on the ground floor next to the swimming pool is floored with the same material as the outdoor to integrate both areas even more, so that fuse in one essence.

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