Nurturing Nature: Natural Style in the Home

We take inspiration from nature for countless things in our everyday lives, and furnishing and decorating a bathroom should be no different. Getting back to basics and feeling in touch with the planet around us doesn’t have to involve a grungy, earthy bathroom or a solar-powered shower that doesn’t work for six months of the year; bella bathrooms can help you transform your modern bathroom into a quirky, natural and authentic room without a compost toilet in sight.

One of the best ways to infuse your bathroom with natural materials is to use natural stone tiles. Whether you have chosen to install a full wet room, or whether you a simply tiling the shower and bath area, natural stone tiles are a great option for those who favour modernity and sleek lines, but still want the tactile, authentic feel of natural materials in their home. Ensure that you source stone tiles which are non-slip and suitable for use in a bathroom environment, to save any accidents on wet floors.

Bamboo is another material which you simply have to reach out and touch when you see it; if you want to create a bathroom that is in touch with nature, invest in an exotic bamboo screen or an innovative bamboo bath mat and bring a touch of the Far East into the room. Bamboo is a relatively inexpensive material and a great way to add a new and different texture to a room that might feel out of date or a little bit plain.

Wood is a great material to use in the bathroom, provided it is treated and finished properly and is suitable for use in environments where it will constantly be exposed to damp and wet. Use wood to provide steps into your free standing bath tub, clad a feature wall with wood or create a safari theme by using wood as an accent, framing your bathroom mirrors and forming the bulk of your accessories, such as your scrubbing brush and your soap dish.

Nothing screams ‘nature’ quite like natural light. If natural light is not in abundance in your bathroom, place mirrors around the place to brighten it up, or add a skylight if the structure of the house will allow. Natural light makes all of the more authentic, organic components of the bathroom look even more at home and can create a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere in the room.

Artificial lighting in a safari-style bathroom should be stripped back to the bare minimum, with little embellishment, to give the feeling of treehouse luxe. Simple lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling can give a pared-back sense of being in the outback, while quaint lanterns and tea light holders also form great lighting features in a more natural-looking bathroom.

There are numerous other ways to bring nature into the bathroom; one of them is by infusing the room with a delightful natural scent. Scented lavender oils mixed with ylang-ylang and jasmine create a wonderful smell that instantly transports people to the outdoors without having to disappear into the wilderness, and keeps the bathroom smelling fragrant all day.

Ella Mason, an experienced freelance writer, wrote this article. Ella specialises in providing useful and engaging advice to small businesses. Follow her on Twitter @ellatmason