When creating the vision for our new home, I knew exactly what I wanted in my head. I wanted a fresh vibe with organic and natural materials, such as linen, hemp, and seagrass. It needed to be modern, to fit with the existing architecture and style of our home, but I wanted it to add warmth.
I found myself researching different styles and designs until I found organic modern design, and instantly fell in love. Whilst the inspiration you’ll find on Pinterest is a little different to our 4 bedroom family home, THIS is how we incorporated the fundamentals into our real home:
Swap plastic storage for natural baskets
Plastic isn’t only bad for the environment but it’s pretty offensive-looking, too. Storage doesn’t have to be ugly, though. Swap out your plastic storage for beautiful rattan, rope, or seagrass baskets. They’ll add warmth and texture to your room, whilst also being practical.
We have far more storage now that we’re happy to have beautiful baskets on display, rather than trying to always hide away plastic boxes with broken lids. It’s become a bit of an obsession finding different textures, shapes, and style baskets but there’s never anything wrong with too much storage!
Opt for solid wood furniture over MFD
Investing in hardwood furniture may feel like an expensive venture, but it’s worth it in the long run. Cheap flat-pack furniture is a false economy and doesn’t last anywhere near as long, so you’ll be running to the shops again in a couple of years. Hardwood furniture looks better and feels nicer to use (partially because you’re not worried about a drawer collapsing every time you use it!).
If you’re on a budget but you want long-lasting furniture with grains and textures, then consider looking at second-hand furniture. Personally, I love mid-century and rattan furniture so whilst it’s not necessarily cheap, I can sometimes pick up a bargain online.
Bring the outdoors in with greenery
When you’re decorating a blank canvas, it’s too easy to find yourself in a shopping hole online, designing a bedroom from scratch. This can work well to bring together a cohesive design, but sometimes you need to take a step back and take an organic approach.
Look at how you can integrate things into your bedroom to add freshness and personality.
One of the best ways to add life and colour to a room, without upsetting the peace, is by introducing plants. Green foliage sits perfectly in our organic and natural design, so I try and add leafy friends wherever possible.
Embrace textures and raw materials
Inject interest and depth by using raw materials and texture to your space. Different grains of wood, marble, and porcelain, all offer varying textures and colours, without being too overwhelming. Each item is a dream to use (I’ve even got a bit of a chopping board collection going on because I’m just obsessed with all the shapes and imperfections!).
The kitchen is a great place to experiment with different materials, and from a hygiene perspective, it beats plastic and looks beautiful, too. But don’t forget that raw materials and rough textures can work really nicely when set against a soft sheepskin in the bedroom.