How to create nature inspired themes in your home with performance fabrics

FT NEWS

Humans have an innate connection to nature and natural processes. However, with the increasing rates of urbanisation, cities are losing green space, leading to a disconnect with the natural world.Using nature-inspired design themes in your home décor provides opportunities to live and work in healthy spaces that offer numerous benefits to one's health and well-being while reducing stress levels. Regular doses of urban nature deliver the benefits of enhanced physical, social, and mental well-being.

The limitation of space in urban areas is causing the green cover to diminish at an alarming and unprecedented rate. In response to the challenge, efforts are being made towards ecological and nature-inspired urbanism that aim to create greener cities that are cleaner, cooler, and healthier, while helping to amend the collapse in biodiversity. Nature can be integrated into the urban world in direct or indirect ways. The most common features of nature-themed design elements include light, plants, water, air and ventilation, natural scents, as well as views of natural landscapes. On the other hand, you can also opt for subtle design elements, which involve the use of natural colours, natural materials and textures. 

Designers often use upholstery fabric to evoke nature-inspired elements to create a sense of relaxation. Performance fabrics, like those offered by Sunbrella, are an excellent choice for creating nature themes in modern homes as they have a timeless quality. Unlike natural fibre textiles, such as cotton, silk and linen, which need frequent replacement, performance fabrics are durable. They are wear-resistant, which means that the look of the fabric remains unchanged over time. Moreover, performance fabrics are exceptionally comfortable for the indoor environment, and a bonus is that they are available in colours and patterns that are inspired by nature.

Introducing nature-inspired themes with patterns in upholstery fabrics

The utilisation of colour, pattern, and texture can evoke the principles of the natural world and reinforce the importance of connecting with nature. Performance fabrics and woven textiles with nature-inspired patterns are great options to use as they provide symbolic representations of nature, helping to reduce stress levels.

The use of fabric that draws inspiration from the shapes of plants or leaves, can create extraordinary, nature-inspired designs. In general, favouring muted “earth” tones that distinguish soil, plants, and rocks are another application that fits into nature themes. Additionally, sunset and sunrises, flowers, rainbows, and animals or plants form appealing nature-inspired design that helps to represent nature at its best.

Upholstery fabrics that mimic patterns in the natural environment

Shapes and forms from nature have immense visual appeal, and people often have a preference for symbolic references to patterns, contours, numerical arrangements, or textures that exist in nature. It can be as simple as a randomly occurring pattern along a rocky coastline or complex repeating patterns, such as the fronds of ferns. The use of visual references to such organic forms is known to improve cognitive performance and concentration and reduce stress.

Interior designers and decorators attempt to balance durability with comfort and style when choosing upholstery fabric. While maintenance and aesthetics are significant factors for choosing the most effective upholstery fabric, the same can be said for durability. Even though traditional materials, such as viscose or cotton, are the go-to options due to affordability and viability, they do not last as long. They wear out easily and are not fade-resistant, requiring frequent replacement. Performance fabrics, on the other hand, are long-lasting and wear-resistant.

Incorporating the nature-inspired palette with performance fabrics

Most urban dwellers spend a significant amount of time indoors with little to no time to venture into the great outdoors. An excellent idea to recreate natural elements of the outdoors is through the introduction of a nature-inspired palette. The options to choose from are plenty. Sunshine yellow, verdant greens, sea blue, and so on, many colours match those found in natural landscapes or scenery. Another option at one’s disposal is to make use of bright pinks, reds, and lilacs to mimic the colour of fruits or flowers. Children are often captivated by bright, bold colours, which is why it’s a great idea to incorporate a nature-inspired palette in the children’s bedroom or playroom. Using a white background, contrasted by bright, bold green, pink, and blue can create a standout design that captivates children and adults alike. 

What are the different applications of performance fabrics for creating nature-inspired themes?

Performance fabric is stain-resistant, and fade-resistant. It offers homeowners a great deal of freedom as the fabric can be used in the living room, bedroom, or sitting room in the form of curtains, drapes, and cushion covers. Sofa upholstery in darker hues helps to set the tone in the living room, particularly browns that represent the earthy hues of the soil and the barks of trees. Patterned throws in green or orange, representing autumn leaves, can be used to add character to an otherwise neutral palette. Curtains and drapes in floral prints, in bright, bold shades such as red and pink against a cream background, can be used to tie the room together, if one is aiming for a holistic outdoor theme.

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