Owning acres of land for your children to frolic on is ideal, but is not always feasible (danggit). Did you know, though, that simply having natural elements, or nature-inspired decor in your home can give your family some of the same benefits? It’s kind of crazy, but it’s true.
Here’s how I’ve incorporated nature into our home.
colors – the color palette you choose for your home can really set the mood. No matter your style, from vintage to extremely modern, you can utilize colors to bring the outdoors in. Think any shades of green, yellow, orange, reds, and neutrals. It depends of what outdoor ‘vibe’ you’re trying to hearken to. Moody; bright—as long as the colors can be found in nature (don’t go with extremely bold and bright with no anchoring darker tones, or you’ll miss the mark)—whatever. I would recommend using some sort of green somewhere, just because it is so ubiquitous outside.
@theremaybecats 
@theremaybecats 
@theremaybecats
images – when looking for art to strengthen your design, think outside the box. Find some abstract art in the same colors, or browse Etsy, or Instagram, and see if you can’t find an artist who makes outdoorsy art that really speaks to you. I have several paintings from the same artist of gorgeous landscapes that inspire me. Leaves and pressed flowers make interesting art, too; you could diy or buy. Even your own large framed photos of beautiful places you’ve been can make excellent art, and inspire you to get out on more adventures.
plants – when your access to nature is limited, why not bring the jungle inside? You don’t have to become a crazy plant person (unless you want to) to enjoy some houseplants. Everyone has plants that they seem to just ‘get’. Personally, I find Peperomias, Hoyas, Cast Iron plants, and Calatheas (some people would def disagree on this one, but other people think succulents are easy, and I’m a serial succulent killer) to be the easiest. Figure out where they get the best light in your space, and get a few plants (at least 2-3 in 6 inch or bigger pots for a bolder effect).
textures – this is where we get to really have some fun. Nature is f u l l of different textures. In our home, I’ve got a velvet couch, large fuzzy floor pillows, and a wood round table in the living room. Our office is pretty bare bones, but I do have a faux-greenery wall hanging that adds a bit of interest. If you do get some plants, look for textured planters, or ones made of different materials. Our room has leather + velvet pillows, a faux sheepskin, and some semi-sheer curtains on the kids bed. Soft, fuzzy, fluffy, bumpy, rough, smooth—try to incorporate as many as you can.
nature details – this is where anyone can improve, I think. Even if painting, redoing colors, furniture, or adding plants seems off-the-table for you, you can always add some nature details. Our kids’ rooms have curtain rods with pinecones on the end. We have real white oak shelves in every bedroom. Todd and I have a little nature souvenir from each of our favourite vacation spots in our room (a seashell, and a piece of driftwood). Both kids have a bit of a nature-theme to their rooms, with the colors, and faux garlands. We display a nature bowl of ‘treasures’ our kids collect, so we can be reminded of the fun outdoor times we’ve had together, and just to enjoy admiring the beauty of nature. Todd’s mom famously decorated her children’s rooms with sticks she found outside. Just a little creativity and thought can go a long way.
I hope this post has helped you discover at least one concrete way you can bring the outside in for you family. People and nature go together, and I wish you the best of luck in executing that idea in your home!
Below, I’m sharing some of my own pictures of nature to, perhaps, inspire you. But Pinterest is always a great option for inspo, too!
obviously, this is my inspo 
