Recently I’ve had one of those late afternoon carpools that lands you just far enough from home that it makes sense just to bide your time until pick up instead of more drive time. In an effort to keep myself from another Target run or random errands, I’ve been finding different local forest preserves where I can take a walk. Beyond the obvious benefits of exercise and relaxation, I’ve been reminded just how much nature inspires my design work.
The riotous color combinations of a field - chartreuse grasses, pink wildflowers and bright yellow prairie plants are reminders that nature’s palette is rarely neutral. Layers of texture and varied scale - soft grasses, sharp stalks and full ground cover combine in ways that I can translate into a well-designed room.
Here, this wildflower moment inspired a color palette that could bring so much life and warmth into a room.
The way light bounces off of trees in their various forms of fullness throughout the year shows us just how important natural light is in any space.
Or, the way morning light can brighten a pop of pink into an even more enticing moment reminds us of the power light has in a room.
Let’s not forget what Mother Nature teaches us about mood and tone with each passing season.
Interiors need the same variety of finishes, scale, and strength from grounding elements in the same way or they can feel stale or “decorated.” An iris growing wild amidst a field of green gives us permission to throw an unexpected color into a room, even though it might not “match” in the traditional sense. As we say often, nature is the best muse.
