The Green Green Grass of Home
The trend for botanical design is showing no sign of a slow down. With summer now firmly upon us, the interior trade shows, home magazines and high street stores are still full of all things green, lush and verdant that connect us to our outside environment.
It seems that anything goes when it comes to ‘bringing the outside in’. A delicate fern leaf or etched leaves on metal and glass occasional tables is just as appealing as a black metal palm leaf on a lamp base. The colour green, in all its resplendent glory, can be teamed with practically any colour on the chart, as indeed it is with nature. Sky blue with vibrant green seems to encapsulate the botanical theme this summer - perhaps reflective of long balmy days with cloudless skies and only the umbrella of tree canopies for shade. And who wouldn’t like to wake up to that vista replicated inside their home on a wet and damp Monday morning in winter?
The desire for open plan family living is clearly a key factor in creating the seamless transition from living space to garden. But there are other factors driving the trend - for example, renewed vigour in ‘grow your own’ fruit and veg, and accessorizing with houseplants around the home not just to add colour and texture, but because latest research and increased awareness of just how much plants support human health.
The central theme of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year highlighted how plants and green spaces can have a positive impact on many aspects of our lives, particularly our mental health, wellbeing and happiness. Phenomenons such as ‘forest bathing’ are also becoming increasingly popular globally as our sprawling cities and urban areas continue to grow and city dwellers seek respite in a cooler, fresher and calmer oasis. But there is also hope for those of us who are not confident in keeping houseplants and flowers alive; the revival in faux flora and fauna such as the Cymbidium Orchid and Giant Tree Fern pictured below, has never been more realistic in texture and colour. Faux foliage can be bespoke for any design scheme or decor, while introducing an all year round pop of colour and brightness.
This year’s Chelsea Flower Show also demonstrated that you don’t need a big outdoor space to reap the holistic benefits from nature and plants. Space-saving hanging planters and terrariums, plants in organic handwoven baskets, and home products depicting shapes and contours inspired from nature all connect us to our outside world. There is also a huge range of accessories and products for the home which have been hand crafted from natural materials such as wood, bamboo, rattan, seagrass and linen, all of which create a sense of balance with our natural environment.
The variety of botanical designs and patterns now available in furnishings, furniture, and home accessories is as vast as plant species themselves. The delicately crafted Distressed Bronze Leaf Chandelier, Voyage Maison Grey Cocoon Cushion and Black Jasmine Acorn Table Lamp below are prime examples of this.
Furthermore, such designs are extremely versatile and accessible in that they work in every colour, with a variety of other patterns and finishes, and in any type of home.
Our gardens and outside spaces are the perfect antidote to busy, highly populated, stressful lives. Plants support human health, so by replicating plants and flowers in our interior surroundings, we are also boosting our psychological and physical wellbeing. If recreating a green leafy haven inside our homes allows us to escape the stresses of everyday life and enjoy the wonder of nature all year round, then long may the botanical trend continue, through this long hot summer and beyond.
