As humans, our relationship with nature has changed dramatically over the years, and right now we are in a complicated era when we are increasingly interested in taking care of the natural world by finding new and smarter ways to work within its finite resources. Years of taking nature for granted means we are now trying extra hard to make up time to ensure that nature as we know it survives for millennia to come.

Hand in hand with this increasing global respect for nature, we are re-framing our individual relationship with nature on a far more micro level. From the materials we select, the cars we drive, to architecture and product design, the food we eat and the way we spend our leisure time, a consideration for nature is thankfully becoming far more mainstream.

If you’re starting from scratch and building a brand new home, it is the perfect time to get fully inspired by nature.

• Choose an architect or builder that understands the principles and benefits of passive solar design, and the importance of the biophilic principles - that is creating a connection to earth, wind, sky, flora, light and fire.
• Ensure that your building materials, particularly your floors, are of the highest grade for sustainability.
• Make the best visual connection between the indoors and out with large, energy efficient glazed windows. Utilise smart window treatments to control the light flow into your home. Consider shutters, block-out blinds and sheers here.
• Make sure that your windows can open to the breeze, so you can connect with fresh air.
• Incorporate decks or outdoor rooms into the initial design to make spending time outdoors more comfortable.

If you’re renovating and choosing new flooring:

• There is a whole new world of carpet options in the ECONYL® regenerated nylon range by Carpet Court. This eco-friendly carpet is manufactured from recycled materials and can be recycled limitless times. Or if you would like to use a natural fibre, you simply cannot go past 100% natural wool, like the Carpet Court Prospect Valley range in ‘Llama’.
• If you have the chance to replace your hard flooring, have a look at the timber options at Carpet Court. In an upcoming project, I will be specifying the lovely Florence Oak in ‘Whitehaven’. It is not only exceptional in resilience, and will have a long life, but importantly it has the elegance and refinement a European oak.

What are the best accessories and décor items to create a nature-inspired home?

• Rugs are a great way to add an extra layer of nature-inspired beauty to your home. My best pick for this look would be the Colombo which is a lovely wool rug, in the beige colourway.
•  Jute is also an excellent material, and I love the ‘Geometric’ style from the Bali range.
• Hand-made ceramics are the perfect way to enhance your home’s natural style, and there is an incredible range of ceramics in everything from plate ware, cups and mugs, vases, wall hangings, sculpture, and even light fittings. Go for irregular, organic shapes to capture the essence of wabisabi.
• Choose a nature-inspired colour palette for your home. We are seeing a move away from stark white walls to softer, more gentle tones like pale clay and earthy beiges which are a delicious base colour palette. Green is also a stunning way to get that nature vibe – I can’t get enough of soft sage hues at the moment!
• The most obvious way to help your home feel more nature-inspired is by adding indoor plants. So many new indoor-plant specialty shops have sprung up offering everything from the very easy-to- nurture Devil’s Ivy through to the plant that refuses to grow under my care, ever – the Fiddle Leaf fig. After many, many attempts, I have given up trying with these finicky ones!