Bringing the Outdoors In: How to Connect Your Home With Nature

In today’s screen-obsessed world, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to lose touch with nature. Homes are packed with technology, helping us rely on the outside world less than ever, at the expense of losing our connection with nature. 

This connection is important; it helps our physical health, mental health, and our motivation to heal the planet. From an interior design perspective, nature-inspired colors, themes, or designs also look incredibly stylish and timeless. 

If you’d like to reconnect with nature, bringing the outside indoors is an excellent way to do it—in other words, incorporating nature and natural elements into your home’s interior.

Attach a Deck

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The best way to bring the outdoors closer to home is to make your outdoor space liveable, too. A deck or patio attached to your home is an excellent choice for an entertainment space close to the indoors while enjoying fresh air. 

Decks not only add versatility and function to your home but also excellent property value. Decorate the space with furniture, plants, lighting, heating, and shade—you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors year-round. A deck builder near me also had cooling deck options to keep our feet from burning on hot days.

Outdoor Furniture

Being comfortable outside is your best bet if you truly want to immerse yourself in nature. Most homeowners underutilize their outdoor space. You don’t have to limit yourself to a plastic lawn chair. There are all types of furniture made for the outdoors that are comfortable, stylish, and enjoyable. 

Whether you go outside to work, birdwatch, or play with your dog, you can lounge on a full-length couch or sway away in a rocking chair. Dedicated outdoor furniture can encourage you to get sunshine and fresh air more often.

Patio Kitchen

Preparing and eating a meal outdoors isn’t just a fun entertainment option—you can do it anytime with an outdoor kitchen. Picture a beautiful breeze blowing through the trees as you fire up a grill for some tasty treats. 

A mini bar can provide a delicious smoothie or freshly made cocktail. Patio kitchens allow you to enjoy the convenience of indoor technology while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. Outdoor kitchens add value, especially with a full-size patio space, pool, and fencing.

Eco-Friendly Features

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Immersing yourself in nature means building harmony with it, too. If you’re wasteful or harmful to the environment, you won’t be able to foster a genuine connection with it. Consider implementing more eco-friendly features in your home. 

Composting, recycling, renewable energy, energy-efficient appliances, and natural lighting can all help you reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy the benefits of nature without taking it for granted. There are many ways to improve your energy efficiency; take on convenient and cost-effective projects. Chances are high that your home will already be equipped with some energy-efficient features.

Expansive Windows and Sunroofs

Natural lighting from large windows offers many benefits. You can receive direct sunlight, warm your home, rely less on artificial lighting, and lower your energy bills (with efficient windows). When you have a direct view of your outdoor space and the surrounding ecosystem, you can watch more wildlife from the comfort of your home. 

For these reasons, large windows are trending in modern homes; more people want to get in touch with their wild side. Sunroofs can allow you to enjoy a sunny day or beautiful constellations at night. Make sure your windows are insulated to improve energy efficiency in extreme temperatures. Double-paned or triple-paned windows are recommended.

Plant or Natural Decor

Plants in the home do far more than just add visual stimuli; they improve the air quality, your mood, and the room’s feeling. Not everyone has a green thumb, but some hardy indoor plants require very little maintenance to keep happy, and you can enjoy their benefits. 

Creative plant decor is one of the most popular ways to immerse your home in nature. Green walls, hanging plants, windowsill planters, corner pots, and plant stands all look inviting and stylish in any home. 

If you’re allergic to plants, you can use decor or furniture made from natural materials like cotton, metal, stone, and water. Indoor water features can be beautiful, too, especially paired with plants. Tabletop bonsai trees and miniature rock gardens inside the home can create a vivid natural escape.

Sun Room

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A sun room combines an outdoor deck, porch, and living room. It shelters you from inclement weather, such as snow, wind, rain, and heat, while fully immersing you in scenic views from all sides. Most sun rooms feature glass or window walls, allowing for complete immersion. 

Comfortable furniture and hanging plants can add the finishing touches. If you have pets, they’ll likely love a sun room for its natural warmth and enrichment. You can decorate and design a sun room any way you’d like, but bright colors will bring out the natural light even further.

Conclusion

Modern homeowners of all ages crave warm sunlight and scenic views of nature. Bringing the outdoors inside your home is beautiful and enriching, effortlessly incorporating eco-friendly living spaces to improve the world around you. 

Most homeowners start with potted plants, but there are many more ways to bring nature into your home, such as miniature water features, natural materials, and large windows. 

Think about what you love most about nature and find a way to bring it to life. Connecting with nature can help us better understand the world around us.