insideKENT Magazine Issue 77 - August 2018 | Page 150

INTERIORS OUTSIDE-INSIDE INTERIOR DESIGN: Bringing You Closer To Nature WITHIN THE REALMS OF INTERIOR DESIGN, THE HOME AND THE GARDEN HAVE LONG AND OFTEN BEEN REGARDED AS TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE SPACES – IF ANYTHING, GARDENS HAVE BEEN ADORNED WITH THE FURNITURE, LIGHTING AND FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH INSIDE LIVING. THAT TREND IT SEEMS IS SWITCHING; WITHIN THE HOME, INDOOR PLANTS AND MORE RAW, NATURAL MATERIALS ARE DOMINATING LOOKS AND IDEAS SHARED ON PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM AS THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY BLURRED. IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE INTERIOR/EXTERIOR DESIGN FLUIDITY – HERE’S HOW TO NAIL THE LOOK. PLAY WITH COLOUR Whatever the weather, you can bring cool tones or much-needed warmth into your home by incorporating the colours that represent each season and mirror those that are being framed by your windows, doors and skylights: think pastels for spring; bright yellow, blue and green for summer; red, orange, brown and gold for autumn; and white, teal, icy blue and grey for winter. There is something very comforting about the warm, cold or neutral hues of nature’s changing seasons that can really transform a space into a home, especially through wallpaper, a complimentary paint palette, pillows, cushions and upholstery. Similarly, earthy tones are instantly synonymous with nature and work at any time of year. Brown, beige, tan, terracotta and green all blend together harmoniously to create a really comforting outdoor-indoor look and also makes a stylish backdrop to rustic, country-style furniture – ‘farmhouse- style living’ was one of the key trends of 2017 and continues to dominate home decor trends this year. EMBRACE NATURAL MATERIALS You definitely don’t need green fingers to get to grips with the outside-inside interiors trend as there are plenty of other ways to integrate natural materials with your existing inside space. Wood, in all its many splendid forms, is the most versatile of natural materials and pairs really well with natural colours, so avoid painting it and let all of its lovely knots and imperfections shine through. Stones, feathers, branches and coloured corals are also fab for intricate decoration. Since around 2015, both architects and homeowners have also rediscovered exposed brick as a powerful natural tool. There's something about a brick wall in the home that somehow manages to indicate rich history and old-world character at the same time as giving quite a modern, statement feel. Part of the beauty of bricks is that they can be worked into a variety of key interiors looks from industrial and shabby chic to minimal or vintage, but they always look timeless. 150