by Blake Herzog
We all love the luxury that technology affords us in our home from smart kitchens and bathrooms to lighting and utilities, but they also mean more time spent on our phones or looking at other screens.
This is something we all could use a break from, so it’s more important than ever to incorporate natural and organic materials into your interior to provide some balance to your home environment and reinforce your connection to nature’s bounty.
Your options for doing this are vast and getting wider all the time whether your taste leans toward rustic or contemporary style.
Wood
This is the most classic and versatile of all the natural materials used for interior design and shows up in furniture, on walls as either paneling or art and anywhere else you can position it.
Whether you’re looking for the clean lines of modernism or the rough-hewn appeal of rustic items, there are warehouses full of dynamic pieces that will add depth and beauty to your abode. Antiques and reclaimed wood are gorgeous, ecologically sound and one-of-a-kind choices that make your home feel like much more than a collection of gadgetry.
Stone
Stone has been associated with luxury dwellings since time immemorial, and though other building materials have vastly improved over time, it still stands as a near-universal marker of power and strength.
If an all-stone structure feels overbearing, you can still deploy accents throughout the interior and exterior to ground your home in the earth, especially if you can find locally or regionally produced material.
Stone can be smooth and sculpted or left in its original wild, rugged state. Marble and stone leave a vivid impression of a home that will stand the test of time, unlike most laptops.
Ceramics
Yes, these qualify as organic. It’s not anything that’s cut out or sanded down from trees or boulders, but most types of clay are made entirely of natural ingredients including water, sand, minerals and other raw materials before an artist or machine molds it into pottery or figurines.
Artisan ceramic pieces contribute the most authentically earthbound feel to a space, whether they’re placed on a shelf, hung on a wall or suspended from the ceiling. Look for larger ceramic products such as lamp bases, planters, sculptures and even furniture so you can support artistry and sustainable materials.
Plants and grasses
Biophilic design has been an interior design buzzword for a few years now and while its definition in architecture is highly conceptual, it’s commonly brought to life by living plants small enough to fit on your desk to those large enough to fill a two-story atrium.
Many high-end homes are flooded with natural light, making them an ideal space for vegetation to thrive.
Grass can be found everywhere from bamboo and rattan furniture to woven mats and lush displays in vases. Most indoor grass walls and surfaces are made from artificial turf so they may not be the most effective addition to your organic décor.
