Bringing a sense of the glorious outdoors to our homes can be done in so many different ways.
Where's your favourite outside place? Standing on a cliff top looking out to sea? Sitting in a garden listening to the birds? Wandering down a country lane or through the woods with a green canopy of branches overhead?
Maybe you love a sunny day and a park filled with flowers, or perhaps your favourite outdoors is clambering over rocks on a mountain, or a view filled with palm trees - whether on a faraway holiday or at your favourite garden centre!
We can enjoy the outside, indoors, with just a few easy touches - and none of the mud or countryside smells!
The craze for all things botanical has been growing, excuse the pun, for a few seasons, which makes it even easier to find what we love whether that's jungle print wallpaper, a large pen and ink illustration of a favourite flower, or exuberant leafy plants.
The clamour for a sustainable, planet-friendly way of life is getting louder too and spreading into our décor with homeowners turning away from throwaway fashion and looking to incorporate natural, long lasting elements into their rooms.
A good start to bringing the outdoors indoors is to use wooden flooring, an obvious choice for those looking for a good looking, elegant solution to indulge that inner nature lover.
We're spoilt for choice too, from real wood flooring in a myriad of shades and textures through to scratch resistant laminate flooring and the ease of vinyl.
The joy of wood is its versatility to work with every lifestyle. A wooden floor is the starting point whether it takes centre stage in a minimalist look where the flooring truly is the star, or is a quieter but essential complement to a busier jungle, boho, retro or classic homely feel.
Choose a deep, dark beauty
Create a room packed with character with deep Kährs Oak Tveta where the wide boards of this rich wood bring a sense of maturity.
Its knots and cracks, streaks and varying shades give an individual, natural look; a base for a variety of interior choices.
Give it a flamboyant sophisticated flair, with a contemporary art déco finish with sunray-shaped mirrors, reflective surfaces, and black and white or bold contrasting coloured highlights. While traditional art deco highlighted the manmade and glamorous, it also celebrated plant and animal patterns; emphasize these to update it with an outdoor twist.
For country cottage charm, pair with spring greens and the varied pastel shades of spring flowers.
Take your deep wood shades to a retro style with vintage details such as old telephones, classic chandeliers and tableware - decorated with leaves and repeating flower patterns naturally!
If an industrial air suits your style, add an iron and glass tables to your wooden floor, walls in winter morning hues and pops of vibrant rust shades for soft furnishings.
Looking on the light side
Those seeking a lighter, more Scandinavian style may love the fresh and bright feel of pale oak - with a white-brushed natural finish. Put with nature-inspired sand, winter white, calm green or soft grey walls plus gloss white painted wooden furniture. Add textures with cotton, velvet, linen and wool cushions and lightweight curtains which will billow gently in a soft breeze. Swap these in the winter for heavier drapes to create a cosy feel.
Pile on the wood
With trend watchers predicting wood will be big news for this coming autumn and winter, add further links to the natural world with wooden clocks, candlesticks, curtain poles and ornamental features.
The look of wood instantly adds restful warmth whether it's the sophistication of dark mahogany or the sunshine-on-your-toes feel of ash. One way to add an instant natural look is to go for vinyl, which comes in a huge array of styles - such as the deep pine tones of Quickstep Livyn Pulse Pine with a weathered natural dark an easy platform to build a look that celebrates the joy of the countryside.
Back to basics
If a rustic theme is the goal, with upcycled dining tables and chairs, chests and bookcases, the rustic style laminate wooden floor instantly transforms a room. Work it with natural stone or bare brick walls, simple metal-framed lighting and an uncluttered air to bring the sense of beautiful alpine lodges, farm barns and a simpler life!
A warm wooden hue such as butternut oak is the ideal host for a romantic, nature-inspired shabby chic space. Add light leaf green walls, touches of natural bark like browns, tans and silver plus patchwork cushions and fluffy throws.
To simply celebrate nature without putting a style label on your home interior, take your wooden floor and get back to rural basics. Add a large green or earthy-hued sofa, maybe an indoor water feature and curtains and cushions decorated with birds, leaves and animals.
Plants make a world of difference too. How about an indoor living wall of green plus groups of potted succulents, ferns and large leafed plants such as monstera deliciosa, palms and Philodendron to bring a genuine sense of the outdoors to your home.
For those not feeling quite so adventurous, large prints and photographs of plants are an easy way to celebrate nature within your home.
