How To Decorate: Nature-Inspired Decor

Yesterday my cat dragged in a big curly-tailed Bahamian lizard and laid it on my living room floor. This is when I proceeded to freak out and yell to my neighbor who was outside working on his car to come rescue me from certain doom. My broom was close at hand and he used it to sweep the lizard out as I curled up on the couch in the fetal position, face pressed to the cushions, gag reflex on high, daring not to look. The good news is that the lizard was still alive. It ran off as soon as it touched precious grass. The better news is that I was saved from a fucking heart attack.

If you’ve followed my blog for any period of time, or have visited my home page, you’ll know that I love nature. And although I prefer to have no creatures who aren’t potty trained in my house, I do otherwise love to bring the outdoors in. I’m talking about nature-inspired design. If you’d like to bring the outdoors in and your inner hippie out, then come along as I share my tips for adding nature to your interior space. I’ve also included a video of my home tour below.

Use real plants. I get it, you’re a born killer. No plant survives your evil clutches. You’ve been known to drown them and starve them. You’ve watched them shrivel and reached out to no one for help. You need help. And deep down, you want it. Here’s what you’re going to do.

You’re going to purchase some succulents and cacti. I’ll be releasing a video soon on how to care for them and grow more from the ones you already have, but I’m confident that yours will still be alive by the time I release that video because they are real badasses and have faced the likes of you before. Go ahead and name one Rocky Balboa and the other Rambo.

Until I release that video, I want for you to water them once a week. For succulents, give their leaves a little squeeze. If it’s soft, it needs water. If it’s firm, it’s good.

Purchase a load of filler plants. Most filler plants, like babies breath, will literally last you forever with the added bonus of retaining their beautiful color. The pink and yellow flowers that you see in the video, and the babies breath, have been in those flower vases for a minimum of two years. They tend to be sold in dense bundles, so do separate them and spread them throughout your house.

Go flower picking. Many people consider buying flowers a waste of money because they don’t last. Creating a smaller arrangement and pressing them between the pages of a book is a great way to create some pretty nature-inspired art. Whenever I go camping (or my front yard hasn’t been mowed in a while) I love to collect wildflowers with a color scheme in mind. I add them to the pages of my journals and books, or lay them on nice paper and place them in a frame. Sometimes I just let a pretty leaf dry out on my windowsill. I love watching how the light plays on its surface throughout the day.

Pressed flowers.

Group your collections. Maybe you’re afraid to be in charge of more than a handful of little plants because of your history or you just hate responsibility. Or maybe you just want your plants to make a bigger impact. One design tip that applies to so many things is to group them together in an interesting way. My plants are usually lined up on my kitchen windowsill, but my cat has been sneaking up there (there goes that cat again) and plopping her ridiculous ass on top of them, cacti and all, and breaking some of the stems. I only know she’s been there when I walk in on her lounging in the sun, or she knocks something over and is halfway out the room before I get to her, or I see pebbles scattered around the sink and know she’s been up to no good. That’s how this cake stand idea came about. I can still keep the plants together because I like to imagine that they’re a little family and talk to each other in ways my measly human brain can’t decipher, but also I find they are prettier grouped together. Also, Daisy the cat won’t sit on a cake stand (I don’t think).

Nature-inspired accessories. Here’s the part many of you have been waiting for. Let’s be honest, some of you still aren’t convinced that the real plants thing is going to work for you. We’ll keep working on that. But one thing that everyone can do is add nature-inspired accessories. While my house isn’t covered in floral wallpaper (although I’m thinking about it for a room one day) I do like to have accessories that remind me of nature in every room. Just check out the video to see what I’m talking about.

I found the gorgeous flower lamp at a thrift store for $2 or $3 bucks and it has been by far one of my favorite purchases ever. I lament that the bulb went out because 60% of it’s prettiness comes when it’s illuminated. Along with the simple and modern ram head wall mount, I also have an antelope on another wall. I love that they are white and minimal. Nature doesn’t have to be saccharin, in your face, or super “girlie.”

However, when it comes to hosting dinner at my house, I love to go big. For the tablescape, I’ll pull weeds from the yard and stick them into the candlesticks with the candle and watch them melt into each other throughout the night. I place single dried flowers on dinner plates to welcome guests. Serving dishes like bowls to serve olives have a subtle flower petal design as well as place mats.

 

Artwork. Although I’ve always wished to have great artistic skills, nature saw fit to make me mediocre. But I haven’t let that stop me. All of the artwork you see was created by me using very simple methods (that video will come in due time as well). Although I love granny chic as much as the next person, I do prefer my art to be more on the modern side. So over the years, I’ve built up a collection of nature-themed art that I scatter about my house. If you love more traditional styles, the first place to head is to your local thrift store. If the frame or mat is ugly, paint is a super simple fix. If you love more modern styles, you can either create your own like I do or visit a website like Society6 that has some of the coolest art you’ll find anywhere for crazy reasonable prices. Art prints, throw pillows, wall tapestries, ugh. I love them so much. You’ve been warned.

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My name is Lyz-Stephanie and I want to inspire you to be more connected to yourself and the world, to find beauty in simple pleasures, and to have more adventures. Every day we can do something to make our lives happier and richer, make our minds more active and engaged. I’m on the journey. Will you join me?