5 simple home decor design tips {inspired by nature}

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a cohesive theme in your home decor. The following details the basics of creating a theme inspired by nature that echoes throughout your home’s decor.

Step 1: Choose a  Unique Color Palette 

Step 2: Choose a Theme Inspired by Nature

Step 3: Continue your theme into your living spaces, but alter it slightly

Step 4: Lighten up your color palette in at least one room

Step 5: Add a touch of class with black and white artwork or photography

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Step 1: Choose a  Unique Color Palette 

Color Palette: Dark teal blue, off-white or creme, and blood red for a color palette.  Red, white and blue? This is anything but patriotic looking when it comes to fruition. A dark red wall was on the docket but since I was pregnant we decided not to paint. However we knew we wanted red accents. Wallpaper is certainly an option.  A damask red pattern would add dramatic affect as an accent wall in any bedroom.

Step 2: Choose a Theme Inspired by Nature

Pick a theme inspired by nature that has meaning in your life (from your travels, in your relationships, rooted in your family history): Peacocks are a symbol of immortality and resurrection in Christianity. In Greek and Roman writings they are symbol of the all-knowing ‘watchful eye.’  In Hinduism a symbol of kindness,  compassion, and patience. They have a rich history in many cultures. You often seen paintings portraying two at a time; a coupling.

Birds are amazing creatures, they see the world from the top down, from in between tree branches, but still snuggle into their nests at night with their families. They are voyeurs to the human world. Something about them seems so ancient and I have always enjoyed painting them. Each species is unique.

We reused from our old home and re-purposed items when we could.

Here are our current decor themes room by room. It blends into a great flow without being overbearing.

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Bedroom: Of peacocks and passion

Dark red hues are splashed throughout the room.  A Rothwell red ottoman bench (my only splurge) at the foot of the bed.  Red damask lampshades on either side of the nightstand. Dark red candles. Several different peacock art pieces: (link here and here). Vase filled with red roses, off-white and peacock colored ‘balls.’

This frame is repurposed. The artwork purchased from Amazon.com and matted at a hobby store.

Peacock art in a set of two. We had them mounted at a hobby store which is much cheaper than framing.

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Step 3: Continue the Theme into your Living spaces, but alter it slightly. Here is where flow comes in. Tone down a hue in the next room or start using a certain color more sparingly. Start incorporating one or two new elements.

Entertainment room- Black and red castle

My husbands ‘entertainment room,’ his castle if you will, mimics the bold red hues from the bedroom but it’s more masculine. Rod iron wall sconces are bold but they are twisted in delicate curves. A bold red blanket adds some softness to the black leather recliner.  Grey and black marbled ‘granite’ tops the television stand and side table. I added a few feminine touches in my ‘workspace’ but for the most part this is my husband’s domain. It’s romantic, yet masculine and simple. We didn’t want this room to collect clutter.

Artwork of our children adds balance.  I used a photo editing app Color Splash (iTunes app store) to change the pictures over to black and white and then added one simple splash of red to each picture.  You can find great deals on discount enlargement prints. These are 8 x 10’s.

My work space: Birds, teal, inspirational quotes

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Step 4: Lighten up your color palette in at least one room.

Your entire home should not be entirely bold and dramatic.  One room needs a spring feel to it. Bring the lighter, sunnier seasons indoors.

Living room:  Antique teal, birds, and French culture

The blue, red, and off-white theme continues into the living room, but the red hues were dropped in all but one vase and a few picture frames. To further change the mood the dark teal lightens into an antique teal and the off-white is now a bolder white. More birds are introduced which replaces the peacocks. I love French culture so I added a splash of it with the ‘fleur de lit’ wall art.

Wreath: Smith & Hawkin (Target)

Father’s day present. Made from a Goodwill picture frame, painted and sanded for an antique look. Pictures  are hung from copper wire and clothespins on a burlap backdrop.

Frame was 10 cents at a garage sale and repainted teal. The frame holder is actually a napkin holder purchased from a garage sale for 50 cents.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my husband and son. Same flowers as pictured below.

This frame is from a secondhand store and has been repainted. Scrapbook paper and a press-on craft store flower finish it.

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Step 5: Add a touch of class with black and white artwork or photography.

Hallway leading to children’s rooms: Hands and feet, Black/White décor

The walls leading to my children’s rooms have hands and feet/black and white pictures in black frames. Favorite baby pictures were blown up to 8×10 canvases. I then painted an Irish blessing on the wall to honor the heritage on my mother’s side of the family

I have to give credit to a dear friend who took the newborn pictures of my daughter. She did a great job considering the baby was not going to sleep for the session. In photography with children, expect the unexpected.

All self taken photography.

Daughter’s bedroom: Little Miss Sunshine

The bird theme continues of course.  Our daughter is such a ‘happy bird.’ Yellow suits her personality and teal paired nicely with yellow as a color palette in her room.

The two hearts were hand made using stencils and hung with yellow ribbon. Total cost under $3.

Painted canvases pink, scrapbook paper cut into a design, and Mod Podge glue. Glued on random buttons and old jewelry medallions.

Bought a plain shelf from a craft store and painted it yellow and teal. Painted $1 wood designs black and glued on. Canvases wrapped in fabric (hot glued) with press and stick paper flowers. The canvases could be reused later, I will simply remove the fabric.

Used acrylic paints to add a pattern. I ‘stole’ this pattern idea from an old bedspread I had. Painted $1 wood pieces yellow and orange. Hot glued on.

I almost threw away this frame once. You never know what you may use later.

      

The two frames below were on clearance for $4 each. They are solid wood, nice quality. They had a some odd sayings with a picture of an old-fashioned bike on them. Not my style, but with double sided tape and some 5 X 7 prints they are really cute. Pictures can be swapped out at any time so it’s a reusable item.

Son’s bedroom: Sanctuary of random belongings

Lastly, our toddler’s son’s room is a miscellaneous mess of his favorite things and we love it that way. It’s our ‘fun’ room.  We tack up posters from his Highlights magazine, any family pictures that he wants, and random posters of whatever he is ‘into’ at the moment.  That’s a toddlers world. There is not much a toddler can control in their world so his bedroom is his sanctuary of his random belongings.

A picture my son finger painted when he was two. It’s on mint green paper and he used stamps. A salvaged frame and repainted black.

All toddlers need a bulletin board. Whenever I get prints made, I always let him choose a new one photo to add or swap out.

I hope you enjoyed this ‘peak’ inside our home and have been able to glean some ideas from it.  If you follow steps 1-5 you should end up with a cohesive design theme that exemplifies nature. It’s a good feeling to bring nature into your home, isn’t it?

What color palette have you created for your home? What items were you able to re-purpose?

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