Organic-inspired furniture design

As an interior designer, I turn to many sources for inspiration. In addition to furniture markets, I love to browse catalogs, magazines (my faves are Coastal Living and Southern Living) and websites (Houzz and Pinterest) for ideas. Often it’s one key piece that inspires the look of a whole room. It might be a painting that seems to fit the project perfectly, or a fabric I know the client will love. And while everyone’s talking about eating fresh and organic, I’m enjoying organically inspired interior design.

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is nature. It’s hard to go wrong with a design direction pulled from the environment. Whether it’s a color palette, pattern or material—there’s just something about organic elements that work. Whenever I’m in doubt, nature is always a sure bet.

I love color palettes drawn from nature, in fact the majority of the palettes on my Pinterest board are nature-inspired. In any palette, there may only be one or two colors that I’d consider for a wall or large expanse. Yet all the colors are useful—particularly when they illustrate color combinations I’ve never considered. I find there’s a solution for every furniture design project to be found within nature’s beauty.

The first palettes that come to mind are beach hues and water colors. Calming, sandy tones of white, cream and beige balance the varying shades of blue found in the ocean.

More than just being beautiful, this beach photo provides a proven template for colors that work together beautifully.

I also love the warm shades of red and ochre highlighted in a landscape of fall leaves; the hazy greys in a field of stones; and the crisp greens and pinks of orchard fruits.

Wondering how to combine red and green without it looking Christmas-y? Look to nature.

In addition to color, organic design can be seen in the patterns and materials used to create furniture, accents and decorative accessories. While floral patterns have always been a staple for textiles, I love to see them on wood accent furniture —they bring freshness to a room.

Adding an accent like Hooker Furniture’s Farrah Flowered Chest helps bridge the space between indoors and outdoors.

The Spring Garden Chest from Hooker Furniture’s Melange Collection brings both nature-inspired color and pattern into a room.

Incorporating natural materials is another great way to enliven design. From rustic wood finishes to sea shells, bamboo and rattan—natural materials give a room texture and depth. And don’t be surprised when it’s that piece that becomes the focal point and topic of conversation.

No matter where you live, you can bring the beauty of the beach into your home with the Capiz Shell Console.

One of the most common materials found in nature—bamboo—provides an earthy neutral focal point for your room. Bamboo doesn’t have to look casual—it can be refined and elegant—as demonstrated by the Ashton Chest.

In fact, just about any design pulled from nature will be sophisticated, warm and unpretentious, all at the same time.