Many of today’s homes are overly synthetic. We rely too heavily on plastic furniture, chemical smells, and artificial lighting. This can sometimes leave homes feeling cold and sterile.
By bringing more natural elements to your home, you could help to make it feel warmer and cozier. It could also have benefits to the environment and benefits to your health. Here are just a few ways to give your home a more natural touch.
Use earthy colors
Glossy colors can make a home brighter, but they aren’t very natural in tone. This is where pastel colors can have the advantage – they’re a lot more soothing because they aren’t as intense and feel more natural.
This can be particularly the case with colors like grey, tan and green. Such hues are commonly found in the natural world and are therefore easier on the eyes, helping to make a room feel more relaxing.
away with plastics
There’s more plastic in our homes than many of us realize. A few common instances include synthetic stone countertops, nylon and acrylic upholstery, fiberglass bathroom fixtures and laminate wood flooring.
Whilst plastic can often have good all-round properties, too much of it can make a home feel artificial. It’s also not good for air quality, with many plastics giving off toxins (usually a tiny amount, but enough to still cause irritation to the lungs).
There are lots of natural alternatives that you can look into such as cotton and leather upholstery or stone countertops. Even if you don’t want to replace these larger items, making small replacements
such as choosing wicker baskets for your laundry room or opting for wooden slat blinds for windows could make an impact to the feel of a room (not to mention your health and the environment). You can find all kinds of natural solutions to plastic furniture and fixtures online.
such as choosing wicker baskets for your laundry room or opting for wooden slat blinds for windows could make an impact to the feel of a room (not to mention your health and the environment). You can find all kinds of natural solutions to plastic furniture and fixtures online.
Grow houseplants
Adding houseplants is a great way to connect with nature within your home. As well as literally bringing life to your home, different kinds of plants can carry all kinds of other benefits.
For instance, there are certain plants like lavender and jasmine that have been known to help sleep quality, making them excellent choices for the bedroom. Others such as spider plants are great at dehumidifying the air, making them great for the bathroom. Meanwhile, edible plants such as pepper plants and chives are great for growing in the kitchen where they can be added to food.
Use natural scents
There are also lots of ways to create natural scents which can be good alternatives to chemical air fresheners. Using an oil diffuser, you can introduce various essential oil aromas to your home.Soy scented candles are also great for giving off natural scents. These smells can be coordinated with the seasons.
Let in more natural light
It could also be worth introducing more natural light to your home. Sunlight is full of vitamin D, which is essential for keeping our skin and mind healthy.
Increasing the amount of natural light in your home may not be easy. Skylights and patio doors are just two ways to maximise natural light exposure within your home if you’ve got the money and means to renovate. There may also be simple solutions such as removing obstructions in front of windows, both inside and outside (avoid placing furniture in front of windows and consider trimming back outside plants).
