Using natural stone, wood and wool in the home; top tips on achieving this look from the experts at Stonehouse, The California Company and Warren Evans.
If you’re revamping your home this year, natural is the buzz word in interior design – think natural stone, sustainable wood and fluffy wool to create an earthy and fresh feeling inside.
Check out these tips from our interior design experts on how to incorporate this trend:
Floors
Naturally beautiful
Natural stone tiles are elegant and timeless, and can be used in almost every area of the house, from kitchen work surfaces, to kitchen and hall floors, to tiled wetrooms, to create a chic environment.
Simon Errill, Managing Director at Stonehouse Tiles, says: “With natural stone, no two tiles are ever the same, so you’re always guaranteed a completely bespoke product. It is a hardwearing material, that’s highly resistant and very hygienic – it’s ideal for high traffic areas or if you have children.”
Kitchen work tops
Grandiose granite
Simon adds: “Granite shows nature at its finest. It is a stone renowned for its strength and durability, as well as its versatility – available in different colours and textures, it can create a variety of looks and finishes. Granite is particularly well-suited to the kitchen as it provides a low maintenance, easy-to-clean, heat and scratch-resistant solution.”
- Stonehouse Tiles is a natural stone tile specialist. Visit www.stonehousetiles.co.uk for a selection of over 200 natural stone tiles.
Windows
Shutter it out
Go for sustainable hardwood shutters to create an earthy environment.
Shutters are one of this year’s hottest interior trends, according to design experts. They can be made to virtually any shape, in any colour and to any size, up to nine metres in width – so you can really get inventive with the design and create a truely bespoke product for your home.
Sam Tamlyn, shutter expert and Operations Manager at The California Company, advises: “You’ll see shutters available in a myriad of materials, from MDF to plastic, but you can’t beat a hardwood shutter – they’re altogether stronger and have a longer lifespan if looked after correctly.
“Yellow Poplar and Elm woods are amongst the most durable on the market, and have undergone rigorous testing too – so you know that you’re not just getting a stylish product but a quality one too for your windows.”
Go large
Draw the light into the room and create a brighter space by opting for a larger shutter slat. Sam says: “The contemporary 89mm slat is perfect for this, and is proving very popular at the moment.”
White is right
Choosing the colour of your shutters is a very personal thing, and you should always consider the existing decor and style of the room.
Sam adds: “Lighter coloured shutters pull more light into the room, while darker colours will absorb more. So if your room faces north and is naturally colder and darker, I’d advise picking a lighter colour for your shutters – think soft ivory or pearl.”
- Visit www.californiacompany.co.uk for DIY FSC certified wooden shutters, made to order. Shutters start from £160 per square metre.
Bedroom
Wood is good
A wooden bed is a subtle way to bring the outside atmosphere into a bedroom.
Warren Evans, designer and bed specialist, says: “A solid wooden bed handcrafted from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood is built to last, and, if looked after correctly, will have a lifespan of over 10 years, so it’s a great investment too. I’d advise choosing a bed that is made with mortise and tenon joints. This is a very traditional practice, but will give the bed added strength and durability.”
Shades of the earth
Warren adds: “A great way to complement the natural look and thread some warmth into your home is to combine comfort with style by introducing shag-pile carpets, soft textiles and snug chairs. Fawny browns, greens and yellows are the perfect colours to go for when trying to achieve this trend.”
Working with nature
Warren continues: “If you’re working to a tight budget, a really simple but effective way to weave nature into your home is by gathering a bunch of twigs from the garden that have fallen from the trees, and tying some straw ribbon around them to keep them all together.
“Then place them in a tall vase, which can stand on the floor. This sort of trick is a really great way to dress a room up using the latest trends, without breaking the bank.”
- Warren Evans is the award winning bed specialist. He handcrafts quality wooden beds and furniture, and supplies top quality mattresses. Visit www.warrenevans.com for further details.
