Decorating With Nature
Decorating with natural elements makes for a tranquil, serene home atmosphere. Combine natural décor with items you already have that are personal and meaningful to you, and you have a perfect recipe for a cozy, inviting, and relaxed space. (With the added bonus of being budget-friendly.)
So let’s look at some creative ideas for bringing the outdoors in and the look at how to combine them with meaningful objects we already own in a way that elevates both and truly reflects your personal style.
Natural décor - make it personal
Any space is improved when you include items that speak to you on a personal level. Even better if they are found or made by you and yours, and are free.
Personally, I don’t tire of beautiful, natural décor. (It’s what Greenhouse Studio is all about!) I’ve always been a resourceful backyard decorator, on the lookout for interesting things with the discerning eye of a magpie seeking to line her nest.
Whether in our actual backyard, the larger “backyard” of our community, or on a memorable family vacation, finding things to bring home and include in our decor can be fun and satisfying.
I love the idea of displaying family photos alongside eggs and lotus pods. I’ve also kept photos in a beautiful brass bowl on a cocktail table with air plants next to them, and people always sift through them when seated. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
It’s perfect for seasonal decorating too. Whatever time of year, just walk outside and see what you find. Once your eye is attuned to keeping a lookout for “outdoor decor” you’ll enjoy coming up with interesting and creative ideas!
A few pieces here and there can really transform a home, and you definitely can’t beat the price!
[Want more design inspo and helpful plant tips? Let's hang out on Instagram!]
[Related post: Natural Home Décor Styling Tips]
Found “outdoor decor” ideas
When you’re at the park with your kids and they bring you a pine cone or acorns, those can be beautiful, and most important, meaningful objects to incorporate into your home decor for years. When my 3 boys were little, we would often go on “nature walks” (calling them hikes would be a big exaggeration :) where they would fill their pockets with acorns, native walnuts (“pig’s noses” according to my oldest twin - spot on!) and horse chestnuts (aka California conkers).
Horse chestnut conkers, native walnuts, and feather all collected by my sons. Ornamental grass flowers clipped from the garden.
Together we have a fine collection of pine cones that sit on my fireplace year round along with beautiful moss covered branches. Lots of sea shells and sand dollars for summer display in a glass bowl during the warm months, and chunks of washed-up Hawaiian coral - a couple small pieces for desk paper weights and a big piece for a bookcase display.
About the only thing that didn’t make the cut was the boys’ bottle-cap phase when they were about four years old. Every time I’d open the dryer, mostly malt-liquor bottle caps would fall out of the lint filter from their pockets. (Apparently we weren’t hanging out at the nicest of parks.)
I remember the boys’ artistic grandmother found a huge coppery-metallic colored palm bract that had fallen in a windstorm. She drug it home and attached it to the wall over her dining room buffet where it stayed for a few years.
We’ve even lucky enough to have a couple of items from the past turn up like the large metal acorn finial a landscaper found in the yard, and an old glass “Citrate of Magnesia” bottle my twins keep in their room dug up from their grandparent’s house.
A couple of sugar-pine cones boys and I collected at a relatives’ cabin in Lake Tahoe. The old iron acorn finial (upper right) was found on our property. They compliment my dark and moody media room décor.
I clipped a couple fern fronds and the trailing ends of my Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus) and put them in an antique bottle that says “Citrate of Magnesia” found on my boys’ grandparent’s property.
Natural and found décor possibilities
Seashells
Sea glass
Found coral
Driftwood
Rocks, stones, pebbles
Acorns and other interesting seed pods and seeds
Pine cones
Branches, twigs, logs
Tree bark from fallen logs - paper birch and cork oak are especially beautiful
Cut flowers and flowering branches
Dried flowers - hydrangeas and lavender last indefinitely
Pressed flowers - makes a great kid activity
Fruit - fresh or sometimes it can even dry nicely (try pomegranates and citrus)
Toadstools
Leaves
Moss
Glass (found sea glass or a repurposed bottle as a vase)
Check out images of landscape artist Andy Goldsworthy’s artwork for the ultimate inspo in getting creative with found natural materials.
Ideas for displaying natural and found items
If you’re on vacation and you collect shells, sea glass, driftwood, or stones, those can be featured beautifully in a large bowl or corralled on a decorative tray, basket, or bowl.
A large object like a big piece of driftwood, shell, or pine cone can sit alone on display on a shelf
How about a glass container holding your favorite wine corks from special times & holidays?
Flowering branches cut from a back yard fruit tree look beautiful placed in an oversized vase. (read more about spring-flowering branches)
Acorns make lovely fall seasonal decor arranged surrounding the base of an autumn scented (pumpkin spice?!) candle a on a small decorative plate.
Paperweights for your new home office - smooth rocks, coral, wood
I feature a rotating collection depending on the season and my décor whim, all collected over the years by boys and myself. Not only do these things fit right in with a nature-inspired space, but I love the memories they evoke. Especially now that my boys are teens and 2 out of 3 are six-footers and are off to college. It’s nice seeing mementos from when they were so little.
See what you can find to bring the outdoors in, have fun getting creative with it, and hopefully make some memories in the process.
What kinds of found or natural décor do you have in your home and how have you displayed it?
[Want more design inspo and helpful plant tips? Let's hang out on Instagram!]
Enjoy the Decorating With Natural Materials post? Pin it for later!
