In 2020, we’ve all spent more time indoors due to COVID-19 safety protocols. So, it should come as no surprise if you’ve gotten a bit bored with your home’s style. Maybe you’ve been wanting to redecorate for a while, and this time in quarantine is just the push you’ve needed to make it happen.
With parks shut down, many have taken solace in our own outdoor spaces, whether it be a nice patio or lush backyard garden. It makes sense—researchers Charles Hall and Melinda Knuth at Texas A&M University found that living or spending times in or around green spaces can improve your mood, reduce stress, improve cognition, and reduce aggression in people.
With all those benefits of the great outdoors, why not let the natural inspire your next interior design redo? Whether it’s a total home overhaul or one small addition, we believe in the power of interior design and home decor to transport us. Isn’t that what we all want these days?
Here are four ways to bring the great outdoors into your home through interior design.
Plants, plants, plants!
This one’s a no-brainer. If you haven’t incorporated greenery into your interior design, you’re missing out! Many homes have at least one house plant, but too many are scared away from owning house plants for fear of failing to properly care for them. We’re here to tell you there are plants out there that aren’t easy to kill, offering you the mental health benefits of house plants listed above without the stress of sustaining plant life.
A few low-maintenance house plants to look into include the snake plant, dracaena, pothos, ZZ plant, spider plant, and rubber tree. If you’re looking for a house plant with something to offer, try aloe vera, which is not only easy to care to for but will provide you with healing aloe vera. Lavender is a beautiful, good-smelling plant that provides one of the most beloved essential oils.
Bring your garden inside
In the same vein as acquiring more house plants, think about bringing your fruit-bearing plants indoors. While most vegetables, fruits, and herbs grow best outdoors, it is more than possible to cultivate a flourishing garden inside, allowing you to reap the obvious benefits of growing food and the mental health benefits of having indoor greenery.
As long as you’ve got a good amount of natural light, water, and all the necessary gardening tools, you’re ready to go. A few food-bearing plants that thrive especially well indoors include scallions, radishes, microgreens, herbs, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries.
Add natural touches to your decor
Use natural touches throughout your home to channel the great outdoors. It could be an accent piece like a bowl of seashells or a tabletop rock garden. It could also be your furniture, such as some outdoor rattan or wicker chairs. You can even incorporate natural materials like wood, cork, and stone in your flooring, walls, and countertops.
Channel your favorite outdoor aesthetic. Whether you’re a mountain lover, beachgoer, or somewhere in between, there is a way to bring your favorite outdoor landscape into your home.
Let in plenty of natural light
The hands-down best way to bring the outdoors inside is to, quite literally, let it in. Throw open your shades and windows to let in the natural light and air. Not only will this help your house plants grow, it will air out your space and create a greater sense of peace in your home.
Hall C and Knuth M. An update of the literature supporting the well-being benefits of plants: A review of the emotional and mental health benefits of plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture. March 2019; 37(1).