Tropical Flair
Add nature-inspired decor to your home—peruse these verdant ideas, which incorporate elements of the outdoors into interior design
A NEW LEAF
This homeowner has opted for dramatic, large-scale elements—including statement furniture pieces as well as bold finishes—throughout her petite city apartment. It’s a brave move, and one that has certainly paid off. In the main bedroom, for example, this leaf-print linen wallpaper creates a nature-inspired backdrop that lets the occupant feel as if she has woken up in the middle of a tropical jungle. To complete the tableau, the foliage motifs are paired with antique side tables and a Persian carpet that add a touch of history to the space.
TEXTILE TREATMENT
Artfully draped over the four-poster bed in the master bedroom of a young family’s holiday home, this printed fabric beautifully evokes the abundance of flora and fauna outside.
It’s complemented by a judicious selection of natural textures, including the wooden stump used as a bedside table and the basketware used as lampshades; all of which help to create a tranquil yet layered feel.
THE GREEN ROOM
A wide range of verdant shades, ranging from moss to teal tones, is almost casually reflected in the interiors of a ceramicist’s home. Combining emerald hues with crisp white shades creates the sense of being in a pastoral setting, which is enhanced by glimpses of a lush garden through just about every window, including this one in the kitchen. The result is an atmosphere of calm more typically found in the countryside than on the urban fringe, where this house is located.
Decorative plates by South African artist Hylton Nel are placed under the floating shelves, which hold potted plants as well as an assortment of mugs, jugs and other vessels—handmade and store-bought—in a lake-inspired palette of blues and greens.
BOTANICAL BEAUTY
Whether your home is located in the bustling city centre, part of suburbia or the quiet countryside, few decorative elements bring nature into a domestic space in a manner quite as charming as botanical prints. Reproductions of drawings showcasing fauna and flora are easy to source and will add a nostalgic yet natural ambience to just about any interior; these combine art with scientific endeavour, and a dash of historical flair.
The botanical artworks pictured here are based on German educational charts by painter Professor Gottlieb von Koch, biologist Dr Friedrich Quentell and teacher Heinrich Jung; they complement the look of this casual and colourful family room perfectly.
WONDER WALL
This bathroom is a showcase of natural inspiration as well as an ultra-private retreat in which to indulge the senses. It combines various decorative curiosities with delightfully feminine touches on a set of Perspex shelves by South African interior designer Andrea Graff; the bathroom’s walls were also hand-painted with chinoiserie-style floral motifs.
Plants feature everywhere, bringing the natural world into the space in multiple forms that range from pressed specimens to painted artworks featuring flowers and a range of leafy indoor plants, too.
OUTSIDE IN
This sunken lounge in a three-storey house is filled with an eclectic mix of some of the owner’s favourite design pieces, which he has collected over the years. “Creating different levels on the ground floor really made a difference. When you step down into the lounge, you really get a sense of spaciousness,” he says.
Apart from the vertical garden, the dominating feature of this openplan living and kitchen area is the black steel framed windows. The sleek, monochromatic look is made livelier with a botanical-themed rug, accompanied by contemporary designs from furniture brands including Hay and Tom Dixon.
COURTYARD CALLING
During the renovation of this urban apartment, floorto-ceiling glass doors were installed between the living room and enclosed central courtyard area, ensuring that the interior feels lightfilled and airy. The doors also blur the line between the outdoors and indoors, creating the “idea that nature is entering the living room”, says the home’s artdirector owner. He’s right: the “deliberately chaotic” plant-filled terrace has here become the central focus of the indoor living room.
Furnishings-wise, the black leather sofa designed by Vincenzo de Cotiis for Progetto Domestico is the main event in the living space, creating a solid anchor point amid the jungle-like atmosphere.
The green rug provides a further point of reference to the greenery outdoors.