When it comes to styling our homes, we can often feel overwhelmed by the options—or should we say what’s on our Pinterest boards! But sometimes it’s best to turn away from the screen and simply look around us!
As builders of architecturally designed homes, Hamlan takes pride in its Coastal Heritage and we often reference our beautiful region in the design of our homes—from view enhancing designs to coastal materials and colour palettes.
Hamlan interior designer Zoey Nobel says that we can draw inspiration for our homes straight from the beauty of our natural environments.
“We live in a beautiful part of the world, with varying landscapes from the Great Ocean Road to the Otways,” she said.
“There’s so many beautiful colours and textures that you can draw from to give your home an exceptional look while creating a space that’s calm and relaxing to enjoy every day.”
Here’s Zoey’s top five tips on how to incorporate nature into your home:
Take advantage of natural light.
Did you know that wall colours can appear different depending on how the natural light hits it? By understanding the orientation of your home and how much or little direct sunlight each room will get, you can use different types of warm or cool whites or neutral colours to create different looks.
“Adding a light colour to a room allows natural light to highlight different shapes and finishes,” Zoey says.
“Many people often are mistaken to think that all whites or neutrals look the same, but they really don’t.”
For example, with a north-facing room, be conscious that a warm white can look more yellow when the sun hits it, whereas a cool white can create a crisper, cleaner look.
So to suit a dreamy, serene bedroom with a coastal feel you could opt for a warm white or neutral with natural finishes of timber or rattan. For an ultra-modern, minimalist bedroom, opt for white or neutrals with grey undertones and monochrome finishes. And then sit back and watch the natural light work its magic!
Use timber and muted sea tones to enhance your natural surroundings
You don’t want your home to work against your beautiful backdrop. By embracing your outlook you can style your home to create a look that seamlessly flows from outside, in.
“For a coastal home, timber is a must,” says Zoey. “And that doesn’t mean overdoing it! Use it sparingly, for example, engineered timber flooring such as Blackbutt evokes the feeling of sand and the beach.
“Coupled with muted sea tones, whether that be your paint colour or just your furnishings, you can create a lovely, relaxed feel to your home that feels like a walk on the beach.”
Playing with texture to add warmth and depth
Colour can be a powerful tool in creating ambience but texture can be just as powerful.
Too many flat surfaces can make a room feel clinical. However a simple addition like a textured jute rug, seagrass wall hanging or rattan furniture can really lift a room.
“Play around with texture,” Zoey says. “With texture you can have fun with layering different pieces to add warmth and depth to your space. Texture is also the easiest and cheapest way to change the look of your room depending on the trends at the time.”
Choose soft edges and finishes
The beauty of nature can be found in its imperfections. So when it comes to choosing anything in your home, whether it’s furniture or fixtures, choose soft edges and finishes opposed to flat or straight, for a natural, organic feel, Zoey says.
Soft edges and finishes, can instantly create a calmer more relaxed space. Curved furniture in particular is currently on trend. Furniture with soft, contoured lines, adds a touch of warmth and femininity to a space, which works well in a coastal home.
Add greenery
If you walk into a room and it feels like it’s missing something—perhaps it’s greenery. It really is the final touch when creating a space of natural serenity.
“By introducing greenery to each room, you’re bringing outside, inside,” says Zoey. “Greenery instantly softens a room and also has amazing wellbeing benefits.”
And like all things interior design, greenery can be layered—from adding a vase to your dining table to adding a hanging plant or a large indoor tree—get creative!
In Summary
If you’re looking for inspiration to help you style your home—look outside! Hamlan interior designer Zoey Nobel says that we can draw inspiration for our homes straight from the beauty of our natural environments.
Zoey’s top five tips on how to incorporate nature into your home, are:
- Add a light colour to a room to allow the natural light to highlight different shapes and finishes.
- Enhance your natural surroundings with use of timbers and muted sea tones.
- Use texture, for example a textured jute rug, seagrass wall hanging or rattan furniture, to add warmth and depth.
- Choose soft edges and finishes for a natural organic feel.
- Add greenery to each room to bring outside in.
When you build a home with Hamlan, you will have a session with one of our colour consultants in our Style Studio. In the Style Studio, our team will guide you through the selections of your internal and external fixtures and finishes to create the perfect home for you!
