As our lives become even more saturated with media and technology and the hustle and bustle becomes often all-consuming, our home interiors can offer a respite from the craziness.
From nature-inspired artworks to textured, earthy materials, let these ideas inspire a sense of calm in your home design this year.
Here are four tips to create a harmonious space.
Calming colours
This year we’ll see nature continue to influence our interior design palette. Navy blue and pastels will become less popular and in their place, we’ll see the return of dark green.
Green is a versatile addition to an interior scheme as it can be elegantly balanced against brass, tan leathers, natural timbers and stones.
A green couch set against natural timber works well. Picture: Getty Images
Designers tend to aim for a timeless interior design that uses a language of natural materials and monochromatic hues. The injection of green into this palette makes the connection to the surrounding natural landscape and evokes the feeling of calm and tranquillity.
Natural stone is a popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms and furniture pieces and there are some stunning green stones currently available.
The organic nature of the grain connects to the fluidity of fabrics we are now seeing, as opposed to the trends of geometric patterning over the past few years.
Chilled-out art
Still-life landscapes bring the tranquillity of the outside in and provide an escape from our busy lives.
Melbourne photographer Kate Ballis has a beautiful series of prints in her Velvet Iceland series – the depth of field Kate has captured in her pieces draws you into the landscape and provides the perfect sense of escapism.
Kate’s partner Tom Blachford also has a series of Palm Spring prints titled Midnight Modern. This series plays with light and shadow in capturing classic mid-century architecture among the lush Palm Spring landscape.
Natural landscapes inspire a sense of calmness at home. Picture: Tom Blachford
Light up your life
Light is the perfect tool to easily control the mood of a space. A variety of light sources will help you set the scene and allow you to make a space multi-functional.
Through a combination of overhead lighting, recessed strip lighting, wall lights and loose lamplight you can instantly manipulate the mood by either creating drama or evoking calm, similar to what hotels do so well.
A variety of lighting creates calm in this Scandi-style living room. Picture: Getty Images
Materials to create Zen
After a period of hiatus, dark timbers and controlled terracotta tones are making a comeback while moody timbers and earthy materials will replace the Scandinavian trend of light oak and Carrara marble.
Natural stone is still popular, but in 2017 we’ll see a move towards darker stones like onyx, textured black granite and forest green marbles, providing a sense of drama and opulence.
A naturally textured material is instantly appealing due to its warmth and tactility.
By using a carefully considered combination of natural and artificial light you can highlight the three-dimensional aspect of a natural stone slab and create a sense of calm in a home environment.
Article repurposed from Interior ideas to get more Zen in your life.
