Bring the natural world into your home with these great interior pieces inspired by nature

AS technology takes over our lives, it’s time to reconnect with the natural world, writes Robyn Willis.

Earthy colours available from Dulux.

WE’RE all connected more than ever before. Between the demands of social media, frantic working lives and our apparent desire to stay abreast of breaking news, there’s little time left in the day to stop and, well, smell the roses.

This is why trends forecasters are predicting we’re about to embrace the natural world like never before.

While we’re not about to unplug ourselves from the technology we’re so dependent on, UK trends forecaster Victoria Redshaw from Scarlet Opus says we will be looking to draw closer to anything and everything natural.

“The more we get involved with technology, the more people want to surround themselves with the textures, colours and patterns of nature,” she says.

Although timber and stone have never gone out of fashion as building materials, she says we should expect to see more of them in their raw state, celebrating their flaws rather than trying to eradicate them or smooth them over.

Hewn logs are doubling as side tables while worn marble bowls take centre stage in the bathroom or on the coffee table.

Untreated textiles such as linen and hemp are valued for their textured feel as much as for their eco credentials, along with materials salvaged from the manufacturing process that would otherwise be considered waste.

It’s about having something unique to call our own so it’s a great time for craftspeople producing one-off pieces, whether they are hand thrown plates or light fittings made from twigs and feathers.

While industrial designers such as Patricia Urquiola from Spain and Noe Duchaufor Lawrance from France create high end furniture with sofas that have branchlike legs or barstools with lily pad-like seats, humble bush furniture is having its day in the sun.

Even the ubiquitous builder’s pallet can be re-purposed as rough hewed casual seating or framing for pot plants.

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Set the tone for the room with these earthy colours from the Earthwerks palette. Colours include pale mustard, gooseberry fool, garden pond and Canadian pine, $46.45 per 1L from Dulux, dulux.com.au

Earthy colours available from Dulux.

These handmade plates are reminiscent of skimming stones found on the beach. Ebb Tide plates in aqua from $9 to $49 each from Kim Wallace Ceramics, kwceramics.com.au

Nature in a bowl.

This rug is based on photos by broadcaster Caroline Baum of the trails molluscs leave at the beach. Black Map wool and silk rug, 3m by 2.4m, $7200 from Designer Rugs, designerrugs.com.au

Rug design based on trails left by molluscs on sand.

This lantern-like floor lamp makes a delicate addition to your indoor lighting options. Industria Twig Floor Lamp, $1490 from Globe West, globewest.com.au

Twig-like lamp.

Stump up for this handy stool or side table. Ficus timber stool by Riva 1920, $1435 from Fanuli Furniture, fanuli.com.au

A stump seat, stool or side table.

Invite the outdoors in with this leafy upholstered console table ideal for the hallway. Portofino console table, $830 from Eco Chic, ecochic.com.au

Bring nature into the home with this hallway table.

You’ll want to leap from seat to seat with these lily pad-like barstools. Fjord barstools designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso, from $2795 from Hub Furniture, hubfurniture.com.au

Stools inspired by lily pads.

Is it a light? A table? A seat? These very cool logs have been salvaged for reuse. Cracked logs, $640 from Duncan Meerding Furniture Design, duncanmeerding.com.au

Logs salvaged and turned into garden lights.

Originally published as Bring the natural world into your home with these great interior pieces inspired by nature