Five Ways to Bring the Outdoors In

28 May Five Ways to Bring the Outdoors In

As we finally approach springtime after surviving being quarantined inside for months, many are itching to feel the warmth of the sun on their faces. For those in areas where spring can remain cloudy and rain-covered, we wanted to give you some practical tips for how to enjoy nature even when you are stuck inside.

The Benefits

Adding natural light to a home can cause energy costs to decrease by as much as 75%. Additional research has proven that natural lighting helps people be more productive, happier, healthier and calmer. Natural light has also proven to regulate some mental health disorders including SAD (Seasonal Effective Disorder).

The How

Bringing the outdoors in can not only be easy but also fun. Incorporating our happy, light idea of springtime even when the weather may be more rain-soaked than sunny, can help us improve our mood as we decorate.

Incorporate Plants and Flowers

Whether you pick up a punch each week from your local farmers market and use a simple Mason jar for a vase, or you prefer long-lasting succulents, choose a plant or flower and stick to it. Bringing in the green and the bright colors of floral arrangements can lift our mood and increase the natural flow of oxygen in your living space.

When you are wanting to push this a little further, it is always great to add a large plant such as aloe or even a small citrus tree that has been planted in a basket to live in the corner of your small space. These little details can really bring the sunshine inside.

Use Natural Building Materials

Natural materials are products and physical materials from the natural world. Organic materials include animal and plant products; materials like wood, fiber, bark and soil are some examples. Inorganic materials are mineral products like stone, metal and composites like clay. Some benefits offered by these are:

• Low Maintenance and Operation Cost.
• Energy Efficiency.
• Enhances Indoor Environment Quality.
• Water Efficiency.
• Better Health.
• Material Efficiency.
• Better for the Environment.
• Reduces Strain on Local Resources.

Many builders shy away from incorporating these materials since their upfront costs can be higher, but the overall lifetime of the products tend to be much longer and the beauty small details such as recycled glass countertops or bamboo bathroom flooring can bring are endless.

Breathe In Natural Light and Fresh Air

This idea goes beyond simply incorporating screens in doors and opening your house windows. From the building and design front, adding more windows or larger ones like french doors can be a great way to allow more natural light and outside air spill into the interior when desired.

Air conditioners and heaters can accelerate the airflow in your home, but these options require greater energy consumption. So opening windows across from each other in the floorplan can allow air to flow freely through the home and opening those at opposite ends of a house will push that air through the space, especially when adding in the use of ceiling fans.

Create a Green Space

This is a perfect idea for a kitchen, home office, or even one wall of a main living space. Growing a green wall can be as minimal as adding hanging baskets and planters with florals, succulents, or even herbs, or as complex and growing ivy to cover an entire space. This greenery livens up an interior, adds a pop of color, and also brings a natural vibe that isn’t found in a bouquet of flowers.

Use Nature-Inspired Decor

This idea never goes out of style. From the incorporation of hardwoods in tables and furniture to the accents of wool and fur on blankets and baskets, these natural fibers breathe life into an otherwise dead space. Natural decor can soften a bedroom, bring fun into a child’s area, or vibe up a shared living space. The opportunities are endless.

Some of our favorite suggestions are:

• Exposed brick backdrop
• Firewood in a living room
• Natural wood furniture
• Wool blankets on bed and couches
• Organic sheets in a kid’s room
• Bamboo in the bathroom

Bringing the outdoors into the interior of your living space, no matter its size, allows you room to breathe. The inspiration that comes from the added fresh air, natural light, organic materials, and natural decor can breathe life into your home.