Bring the Outdoors In

Our beautiful Devon landscape is often a source of inspiration when decorating our homes. However, bringing the outdoors into the home is about more than simply adding plants and greenery. Instead, we need to consider patterns, colour, materials and textures as a way of creating an outdoor feel inside.

Mel Risebrow is co-founder of Brompton Finch, a company that specialises in creating beautiful bespoke interiors, art and decorative products inspired by flowers. He says, "If you look at flower groupings in the garden and their intensity of texture, form and colour, it seems only natural to create the same effect indoors. We're inspired by the possibilities of layering pattern on pattern."

Katey Korzenietz from Home Restyler says that as far as pattern is concerned, geometric shapes have been stylish in the world of interiors for some time now. "I often find they mimic nature's shapes, especially leaves. They may not be for the faint-hearted, but if you like the idea of geometric patterns, they can easily be worked into both contemporary and retro schemes. The key is to balance the colour scheme, use similar-looking patterns and not to overdo it. By far my favourite rug at the moment is the Concentric Rug by Niki Jones; add that to a room for an amazing result! Other great ways to inject a bit of geometric style is through fabric for soft furnishings like Scion's Wabi Sabi Dhurrie or decorative accessories like Ferm LIVING's Spear Vase."

When it comes to colour, Mel says we should dare to be bold. "The trend this season is for vivid colour. We couldn't resist decorating our conservatory with a profusion of cushions in an array of colours featuring a strong floral print and opulent pollen yellow – a great way to bring flowers out of the borders and into the home."

When choosing colours to use indoors this season, Katey says we need look no further than nature itself for inspiration. "Bursting with everything from zesty lemons to poppy reds and dusky violets to emerald greens, nature is the trend-setter when it comes to demonstrating different colour palettes that can work incredibly well together. "Why not experiment with two-tone freehand colour fades from the Dulux Collective Passion range?"

Aside from wall coverings, flooring choice is a good way to ensure that you can successfully get that outdoors feel inside. For Caroline Palk, Director of Ashton House Design, a contemporary flooring solution can be found in polished concrete flooring, which she says can be tailored to incorporate other aggregate for variety and colour. "As well as the plethora of stone options, don't overlook the possibilities of oak boards that have been treated to give them a bleached appearance."

And what about furniture? Caroline adds: "Woven furniture perfectly captures the lightness of a spring mood. Textural water hyacinth, a fast-growing reed from Thailand, lends itself perfectly to weaving. Combine it with a zingy citrus-infused fabric to really set your scheme alight. Woven Lloyd Loom-style furniture may suit this scheme, and can be painted to offer a contemporary model in traditional apparel."

Extend the indoors outside

For those of us lucky enough to have ample outdoor space, the garden can become an extension of the house and even provide an extra room outside. There are certain tips and tricks used by designers and architects to help create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. "Continuing interior features into the garden connects the spaces and encourages outdoor living," says Caroline Shortt, Director of Barc Architects. "We often continue a kitchen surface outside where it can be used for barbecues and al fresco dining. Overhanging roofs and exterior fireplaces also allow the garden to be used on chilly or damp evenings."

Katey recommends using flooring to create this transition. "If you want to create a seamless flow between interior and exterior spaces, porcelain tiles are top of my list. Long-lasting, colourfast and frost-proof, and available in a wide range of formats, these tiles cleverly mimic both the grain and shade of wood so not only can you achieve the look of gorgeous natural wood running from inside to outside, but they are incredibly durable and practical."

Lighting, both indoors and outdoors, is also an important part of creating an effective combined living space. Caroline Shortt says, "Natural light is important for our health and wellbeing, so we always try to draw as much natural light into the building as possible. For example, roof lights allow views of the sky and give a feeling of being outdoors." She also explains that a well-designed exterior lighting scheme means that instead of being faced with a 'black hole' at night, the garden continues to form part of the interior space, making the space feel bigger and bringing the outside in.

“Nature is the trend-setter when it comes to demonstrating different colour palettes that can work incredibly well together”