Interior design: how to bring the outiside in

One of the most relaxing decorating motifs is nature. To create a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, bring the beauty of nature into your home when decorating. This can be accomplished in several ways.

First, you should arrange your furniture to make the outside view your focal point. Place your largest seating item directly across from the windows or patio doors with the best view. Arrange the other chairs in the room in relation to this piece, also facing the view. If the television is also an important element in your home, place it next to your window or glass doors so that you do not have conflicting focal points in the room.

Next, you can use nature in decorating. Long, branches make excellent curtain rods. Thin branches and tall reads like pussy willows look great arranged in a large vase. Pick pinecones off the ground in the fall and early winter months, dry them in a low heat oven to kill any bugs, and display them in bowls and clay pots. River stones and other rocks make an excellent base for your candles and dried floral arrangements. For your wall treatments, there are natural grass cloth wallpapers available. You can also tile a wall with river rocks or other stones instead of regular wall tiles.

Celebrate the beauty of nature in your wall art. Hang landscapes of water and hillsides throughout your home. Display items carved from wood on your shelf. Create your own nature art using shadow boxes and sand art kits. Something as simple as a large piece of bark or a collection of driftwood will make wonderful wall art. Photographs of animals are also a nice touch for natural decorating.

Use natural elements in your home instead of synthetic items. To emphasize nature in your home, choose hard wood or stone for your floors instead of linoleum and carpet. Use earth tone colors on your walls like shades of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown. Try to use these colors in combinations that are soothing versus unexpected. Avoid using plastic and other synthetic materials for furniture. Stick to natural looking fabrics and wood, wicker and a touch of weathered iron. Shiny metals will clash with natural decor. Instead of using glass display bowls, choose wood and clay.

Incorporate plants in your home. Hang window boxes inside your windows instead of out. Put small indoor trees and hanging plants in every room. Hang fern plants in your bathrooms. Instead of cut flowers, or synthetic plants, display potted flowering plants on your tables. You can also purchase indoor hybrid trees that produce fruit. Also, make sure that there are plenty of plants and flowers to view outside of your windows and patio doors as well. Combine plants in the ground with seasonal potted items for an overabundance of nature to view.

Mimic nature's color scheme by painting your room the colors found outside your window. Paint both the walls and ceiling of a room pale blue. Put a green throw rug on your hardwood floor. Use floral patterns on your upholstered furniture. You may even wish to paint faux clouds on the ceiling.