Back To Nature: The Affordable Natural Materials Your Home Needs

This summer, we’re going back to the basics. And getting in touch with the natural world around us. With these easy home tips, you’ll be able to reconnect with the outdoors in interesting and affordable ways. Return to nature and be inspired by natural, organic materials like wood grains, hessian, marble and more. There are also fun ways to play with natural shades and bold botanicals, as well as create a natural haven with quirky wallpaper. The best part? You won’t need to break the bank doing it…

Top 5 natural materials your home needs

Wood variations

A classic natural element, and something most of us will have somewhere in our homes. To incorporate wooden materials into your home, you don’t need to spend a ton buying expensive dining tables or heavy office desks. You can add a touch of this wonderful natural element in so many other – more affordable – ways. For example, you could use a sanded log as an interesting side table. Or, smaller wooden log pieces as organic book ends – instead of investing in an expensive wooden book shelf. You could even experiment with wooden pallets to create an unusual outdoor coffee table, herb shelf or wine rack. We love the look of this organic, wooden wall installation made with repurposed log cuttings. It’s natural decor at it’s best and creates a beautiful, natural, artistic visual. And, it’s totally inexpensive.

A dry arrangement

Don’t want to have to keep buying bunches of fresh flowers every week to give your home that lovely natural feel? You can create a similar organic scene simply by looking out for stray branches in the garden. Depending on the kind of look you’re after, something thin and spindly (like the below example) would look gorgeous in a chic, natural living room. Stick to glass vases so you can see all of the statement arrangement. If you have the space, and want to go for something bolder, decorate with bigger branches or logs displayed on mantle pieces or in bigger planters. If you’re using these natural elements, make sure they’re totally dry, and cleaned before they’re displayed. We don’t necessarily want to welcome all of the outdoor wonders inside.

Woven wonders

Woven materials effortlessly bring that classic touch of nature to any room. And, happily, the material isn’t particularly expensive, so woven accessories should be within a modest budget. There are many ways to incorporate this natural element into your home and, because it’s such a trend at the moment, the stores are brimming with beautiful woven items. Try something unusual and create a wall installation with woven mats or placemats – if you have them in your cupboard already, what a bonus! You could also hang shallow woven baskets on the wall, or use deep baskets as elegant living room storage. We love how woven and wicker baskets have been used for storage in this stylish bathroom. Because this wonderful material comes in various shades and textures, you can mix things up in any room and create a natural feel that isn’t uniform. Just as nature intended.

Nature immersion

This reading nook is a nature-lover’s haven and includes so many lovely natural elements. Obviously, you don’t have to tick all of these boxes, but we wanted to give you an example of a room that’s immersed in nature’s wonder. We love the wooden console table, statement mirror, quirky pot plant and rustic lamp. And, the really stand-out decor element is the exotic printed wall paper – perfect if you’re on a budget. To keep things reasonable, stick to using wallpaper on one focal wall rather than in the whole room. Who wouldn’t want to read and unwind in this peaceful jungle?

Natural shades

We think of natural colours as being shades of cream, beige and grey. But, as this bold bedroom shows, there are myriad colours in nature’s kaleidoscope. We love how several natural elements have been included in this exotic bedroom, such as the rattan pendant, tropical bedding and oversized planter. And, the dazzling decoration that brings it all together? That deep forest green wall paint that sings of nature and tranquillity. These Mr Price Home accessories shouldn’t be too pricey. But an affordable way to play with nature’s shades would be to hone in on the final touch and paint a central wall an interesting colour. Make it a fun family DIY weekend project to really save on costs. You’ll love the final product.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but we wanted to give you a few ideas to get you started. Once you have the basic natural elements in play, experiment with other items like gold-leaf serving bowls or faux marble trinkets. The slightest natural touch can make all the difference.