Spending time in nature is a great way to relax and make you feel good. But venturing into the great outdoors isn’t always easy. With a few small tweaks, you can bring the outside in to feel that positive effect without having to leave the house.

Whether you’re looking for some quick tips to bring a bit of nature indoors or some home design ideas, this guide has it all. Let’s take a look at how indoor plants, choosing the right colours and other interior design tips can add the beauty of nature to your indoor space.

1. Embrace Indoor Plants

Placing some indoor plants in your bedroom, living room, bathroom or even kitchen is a great way to add some greenery into your space. Not only do they look good, house plants have loads of benefits, too. Like improving air quality, helping you feel more relaxed, and even elevating your mood and increasing productivity.

Don’t have a green thumb? There are a range of low-maintenance plants that require very little nurturing to thrive. Snake plants, Kentia palms, pothos, rubber figs, succulents and many others often flourish when neglected. Just tip in some water from your reusable bottle while walking past and you’re set.

2. Integrate natural materials

Natural materials, like wood, stone, bamboo and even linens, offer an element of outdoor scenery without the added burden of ongoing maintenance. Features like exposed wood beams, stone floors, and cosy bamboo-panelled walls can quickly lift a space. These natural materials are a popular choice in design as they add a certain rustic charm to the home.

Not looking to renovate? You can still bring the serenity of the outdoors in by choosing natural furniture pieces and decor. Think timber tables or rustic cabinets to store your plates, reusable cups and other kitchenware.

3. Use Nature-inspired Colours

Colour palettes are a powerful way to change the feel of any room. Nature-inspired combinations can create a seamless flow between the indoors and outdoors, even helping to create the illusion of more space. With the right colour walls, textiles, accessories and other features, you can achieve a beautiful natural oasis right inside your home.

Earthy browns, soft greens and sky blue all capture different elements of the outdoors. Lighter tones, like dusty blue, sage green and even corals, can help create the illusion of light in a room, and are a great option for those smaller spaces. While darker tones, like taupe, amber, stone grey, tinted black and other shades of blue and green can help make a room feel cosy.

If you don’t want a drastic change like painting walls, simple colour changes to soft furnishings like throws, cushions or curtains can work just as well.

4. Consider Indoor Water Features

Water has always been associated with tranquillity and relaxation. In particular, running water can help bring calm to your home, sending you to the riverside as soon as you close your eyes. The sound of soft trickling water from a water feature, even a small one, can help create that spa-like feeling at home.

Desktop water fountains are a great place to start if you don’t want to commit to a larger installation. They’re often battery operated, meaning you can place them anywhere, such as work desks, entrance ways, kitchens, and more. If you do want to go all-out, a waterfall wall can be a stunning standalone feature, creating a tranquil oasis you can visit anytime.

5. Embrace Natural Light

When it comes to bringing the outside in, you can’t get much better than natural light. It can help you regulate your sleep, increase your focus and give you a happy boost day-to-day.

If you have plenty of windows but feel like you’re not getting light, try swapping your block-out curtains out for sheers, like chiffon or a light linen. This can help more natural light to filter in, giving your space a brighter feel. Need more light sources? Adding lamps into those darker corners, on bedside tables and in the living room can make a huge difference to both the look and feel of the space.

Even the smallest touches of nature in your home can help bring the outdoors in. Whether it’s a water feature, a new nature-inspired paint, some sheer curtains or an indoor plant (or two), there’s a way to bring the outdoors inside for any budget and style. It’s simply a case of finding the right options to suit you and your home.