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No matter what your interior design theme, natural elements can both elevate the style and infuse your home with positivity. Whether through plants and terrariums or natural fibres and dried flowers, these materials promote a more relaxed, peaceful environment. Also known as interior landscaping, using natural elements such as greenery, bamboo, stones or minerals can help to bring the outdoors inside while maintaining a warm, inviting home. Outside of the visual aspect, there are countless benefits to utlising natural materials over synthetic.

Benefits of Natural Home Design Elements

Not only are natural elements pleasing to the eye, they also bring positive physical and mental benefits to the people around them. For instance, living plants or terrariums are proven to reduce stress and improve your mood. This is thanks both to their visual beauty as well as the calming effect of tending to one’s plants and floral displays, which has similar benefits to gardening.

Having a lot of plant life in your home can also help to absorb unwanted noise pollution in your home. Large or spongy leaves can better insulate and shelter your area from the honking of horns or unwanted chatter, meaning you can enjoy more peaceful surroundings.

Finally, certain plants and other natural materials can improve the indoor air quality of a space by absorbing CO2 and producing more oxygen-rich air. They can also help purify the air by removing common household toxins and pollutants, as well as help conserve energy by releasing moisture to cool the air.

Popular Natural Design Elements

Whether you’re looking to add more green to your home design or are more interested in different types of natural fibers and elements, there are myriad choices to elevate your aesthetic. Regardless of your current decorating scheme, natural elements come in all shapes and sizes, and can easily provide needed positive vibes and earthy structure to your space.

Terrarium Console Table

The best natural design choices effortlessly combine style and natural function, and a terrarium console is the perfect example. Cultivating plants with this piece is a statement, while being extra functional thanks to the completely waterproof materials. With a table-top terrarium you can easily grow and display your favourite herbs, succulents or micro green indoors with a vibrant, eye-catching piece of furniture.

Self-watering Hanging Sky Planter

Cultivating vegetation indoors does require some maintenance. That’s why this clever sky planter is the perfect design piece for your next plant. It uses a Slo-Flo irrigation system to meter out the water your plant needs between refills. This helps avoid over or underwatering, which plant lovers know can lead to less vibrant, healthy greenery. It’s made from recycled materials, and because of its upside down positioning, will add modern touch to your interior design.

Mendog Straw Natural Mirror

Even dried plants and flowers can brighten your home with interesting and unconventional designs that require no maintenance. This dried straw mirror features a more bohemian style and is constructed using rigid, sturdy Mendong Straw. This combines the natural straw coloring with an overlaid black fine-detailed pattern for a more bold design. Whether you want to update your beach house bathroom or apartment entryway, natural is the way to go.

Water Hyacinth Sustainable Basket Planter

The perfect home decor scheme is often a blend of different types of elements, whether mixing highbrow with lowbrow, simple with complex, or classic with modern. Effective pieces like this sustainable basket planter add a homely feel to any abode, bringing warmth and earthiness to your space.

While it may appear simple, this handfinished planter is lined with water hyacinth, making it lightweight yet sturdy, the perfect display for a beautiful plant. It showcases a contemporary style with tripod-style legs and is fully waterproof, ensuring no leaks. You don’t have to sacrifice function for form when it comes to well-made, natural pieces. 

Palm Leaf Pack

Palm leaves are a beautiful, versatile decor piece if you’re looking to add an unconventional twist. While green palm leaves give a tropical style, once the leaves have been dried out, they take on an entirely different feel, becoming more sculptural and textured. They require no maintenance and can be reused again and again with different types of vases or containers, adding a softer desert aesthetic to each one.

Greenbox Indoor Growing Farm

No single piece of furniture or decor “has it all,” but this comes pretty close!

Smart gardens let you grow your own fresh herbs and plants no matter the size of your home or lifestyle, while also being a lovely, natural addition to your interior design. The Greenbox features its own watering and lighting system to support sustainable growth even if you don’t have a green thumb. It’s portable, light and simple to maintain, allowing you to easily grow edible flowers, leafy salads, chiles, herbs and more. Who doesn’t love a statement piece that feeds you too?

Final Thoughts

Bringing nature indoors is a fantastic way of creating a positive and relaxed ambience to your home space.  Not only do plants, terrariums and natural materials such as seagrass, straw and dried florals looks aeathetic they also help you to connect to nature and create a balance between work and relaxation.

How cool is it to create beautiful flower displays that can brighten up any room? Well, you’ll have the opportunity to do so yourself, even if you’ve never done it before. Today, we’re looking at how to make the most gorgeous floral arrangements from dried plants, even if you’re a beginner.

When most people think of dried plants, their minds immediately go to prom corsages or potpourri, but that’s not what we’re making here. We’re talking about beautiful displays that can be throughout your home to awaken the positive energy and heighten your existing decor.

Why Dried Plants?

The thought of having dried plants in your home may not sound exciting, but not only can they be a beautiful added feature to your home, but they also have other advantages. With dried plant floral displays, there’s nothing to maintain. This is especially great for those of us who know nothing about taking care of plants or don’t have the time to care for them. There’s no watering, they’re already dead so you don’t have to worry about that. The other thing is they don’t attract bugs. So, let’s go!

What Are Dried Plants?

It’s okay if you don’t have a green thumb. If you’ve not had much success growing plants, do not be dismayed. Dried plants are now trending, and many homes are filled with decor featuring dried plants. So, if you have some flowers clearly on their last legs, you can still use them to brighten your room. Some of the best dried plants to create floral arrangements include:

Pampas grass - This is tall, fluffy grass with outstretched stems that can grow pretty tall. The foliage comes in a variety of white and pink shades. To some, it may appear to be a weed, but it can make a beautiful display for any room.

Bunny tail grass or Legarus - This plant has long stems with soft, fluffy tear-drop tufts of pale, ivory or beige shades that resemble a rabbit’s tail.  Also known as Legarus, these plants can easily be popped into any vase or jar to give a simple, yet appealing look to your room.

Billy buttons - This is an Australian long-stemmed plant that features a golden, yellow, globe-shaped bulb on the top that resemble little tennis balls. These bright-colored bulbs (even when dried) will brighten up any room.

Palm leaves - These can make for elegant-looking decor in your room. Place a few of them in a vase, just make sure to cut them at different sizes so they’re not all the same length.

King protea - These distinctive flowers have pink, bowl-shaped flower heads that can grow to be pretty tall. Add these to any flower vase for a dynamic effect.

Cotton flower stem - Stems of dried cotton flowers actually make great floral displays all by themselves, or with other plants. These are especially great for a home office.

Eucalyptus - Dried eucalyptus plants are great for your flower arrangement as it adds the greenery that you may want for your display. The silvery-green single stem is a simple effect that makes a huge statement. Turn a basic room into an appealing room with dried eucalyptus.

Dried wheat bundle - If you’re looking for a great fall centerpiece, this is it. Dried wheat offers boundless options with just the right amount of organic and rustic vibe.

Dried branches - Never considered dried branches for your decor? If you’ve been throwing these out, you’re missing a major element in your floral arrangement. Adding twigs or dried branches to a vase is the most affordable thing you could do that would have the outcome you’re looking for. You could easily collect the branches you need right outside your door.

These are just a handful of dried plants that can be used for your floral arrangement. There are too many to name, but hopefully, these give you an idea of how effective any dried plant can be to your decor.

How to Make a Floral Arrangement Using Dried Plants

Dried plants, preserved grasses, wheat, leaves, and even branches can serve as a beautiful display for your floral arrangement. Don’t hesitate to use your imagination; go as far as you can go with it. Don’t think there’s only one way to get this right. There are so many avenues to explore when creating floral arrangements. Here are a couple of ideas:

Kitchen Display

All you need is a simple, yet nice vase with a variety of dried plants: white spear palms, soft bunny tails, bleached Ruscus, and lotus pods, these are all good to use and will create a modern display.

Plant Hanger Display

You could take some of those same dried plants mentioned above and place them in a small vase and pair it with a plant hanger. The arrangement could be on a table or counter, or it could hang from the ceiling or from the wall.

Simple Steps for Beginners

If making floral arrangements is new to you, don’t worry, it’s not complicated. In fact, following the steps below will help you create a dynamic floral arrangement for any room you want.

What you’ll need: a vase of choice, dried plants in the same color palette in a mix of textures, and floral foam.

First, make sure you have different textures of dried plants. That could be smooth grasses, harsh and spiky thistles, and bumpy blooms.

Try to pull together dried plants that are in the same color palette (if you’re going for a modern look).

Layer your plants or cut them so that they’re at varying heights.

Place the floral foam at the bottom of the vase and gently insert each stem into the foam to keep them in place.

Voila! You’ve just created your first dried plant floral arrangement!

2022 seems to be a year of diverse home decor styles and more personalised, creative approaches when styling our home.  This is a time when people are sticking to what they love and getting rid of hard and fast rules about 'trendy' looks and popular interior schemes.

Although refreshing, it can be quite daunting to embrace that bold colour choice or quirky furniture piece because of the sheer volume of options to choose from.  This is where statement and timeless decor pieces play a huge part in planning and completing an interior project.  Having one solid piece that instantly conveys your creative message not only saves time and money, it will last for years.

In this article, we look at 3 Statement Copper Baths and why these pieces can  individually embody different interior styles while being versatile enough to remain captivating even when you decide to change your scheme further down the line.

If you are fed up of labouring over various Bathroom suites and can't seem to decide on the 'look' you want then picking one Statement and Timless piece could be your simple solution.

Read on to find out:-

• What is Statement Decor?
• Is Statement Decor also Practical?
• How do I achieve Statement & Timeless?
• 3 Statement & Timeless Copper Baths

When you enter a space and spot certain features that instantly draw you into a room, that is what would be described as Statement decor.  This can be a striking mirror in an Entrance Hall, an accent chair in Royal Blue or even a well appointed piece of art. Sometimes you may choose to have a few select Statement pieces such as a unique Dining Table, funky lighting or ultra luxe Bathroom fixtures.

Statement decor is about well considered items that capture attention while creating a balance in the space, bringing all of the interior elements together.

Statement features do not have to be large, expensive or ornate.  It is more about choosing something that you appreciate more everything time you look at it. You want to think about the overall space, consider the layout and where a statement item will be positioned to celebrate the allure in all its glory.  Squeezing a large Statement bed for example, into a small room would take away from the overall impact.

Depending on what it is, for example, a furniture item or an aspect that serves a specific function, practicality also comes into play.  It is pretty pointless to invest in pieces that are overly fussy, difficult to maintain or not suitably sized to the space intended.  Statement pieces should also be clever decisions.  Sourcing interior accents that have both decorative charm as well as full function is important.

Statement decor that remains beautiful, engaging and complimentary despite it's changing environment has a timeless quality.  Home decor is ever-changing, walls are painted, colour schemes are switched up and furniture comes and goes.  This is why having a statement piece that can last for years to come and is versatile enough to blend with passing trends is key to achieving the timeless factor.  This concept can also be applied to other room features such as parquet or wood flooring, wall features and panelling.

Constructed from pure copper, Thames has a distinctive, antique finish which embodies the rich colour and patina of aged metal.  The exterior contrasts beautifully with the polished Nickel interior bringing gentle elegance and effortless style to your Bathroom space.

Whye has the added benefit of a contemporary white Bathtub with a striking exterior of burnished Copper for a truly unique look.  The flamey Copper reflects light, adds warmth and flair while the White interior feels fresh, modern and light.

With an edgy, industrial feel, Avon has a raw Copper finish with a smooth Nickel core.  The simple beauty of the curved design combined with the deep tones of contrasting metallics enhance the craftmanship perfectly.

Choosing one select piece that adds instant flair to your interior space while outliving all passing trends serves a few purposes.  It saves time, expense on paying for multiple items and accessories to achieve a specifc 'look' and will be loved for years to come.  Statement and Timeless decor can be tricky to get right but when you do, it feels and looks amazing.

With so many options to choose from, picking Wood Flooring for your Home or Commercial Space can be a bit of a challenge.  There are a plethora of colours, sizes, finishes and styles to consider before being able drill through all available information and make an informed decision.

What most consumers look for when they narrow things down is quality, specific colour options and high value for money.  Based on these factors, we have selected our 3 best Wood Flooring options that tick all the boxes.

In this article we look at:-

• When we talk about Wood Flooring, What does Quality mean?
• Most Popular Colour Options for Wood Flooring
• On average, How Much Does Wood Flooring Cost?
• Our 3 Best Value Wood Flooring Offers

Quality has a fairly wide definition but it generally means "of a high standard".  In terms of Wood Flooring, quality is measured in the origin and source of the material as well as how the flooring is designed,  manufactured and finished. Largely speaking, wood flooring of a high quality should have:-

All Engineered Wood Flooring has a wear-layer which determines the longetivity of the board.  This lets customers know how many times they can sand the top layer of solid wood before having to replace it.  With a good quality product, the wear layer should be between 3mm and 6mm which signifies good durability and life expectancy.

Having a laminated plywood as the undercore of your Wood Flooring is key to stability due to the cross layered structure. This is also less likely to shrink or swell in changing temperatures and is more compatible with under-floor heating.

Quality pre-finished Wood Flooring will have a polished, clean appearance and the chosen finish, whether it is treated (smoked, brushed) or coated should look and feel of a high standard. 

There has never been so much choice when it comes to Wood Flooring colours.  From dark and light tones to neutral shades of Grey and White, there's something for everybody.  What seems to be popular in the last couple of years is a return to more traditional, classic Oaks, Rustic finishes and wood with plenty of character and texture. Think Smoked, Brushed and Oil treated flooring.   Another tonal scheme that is 'bang on trend' is neutral colours such as Grey, 'Greige', Beige and Light Scandinavian style wood flooring.

In other words, what is good value when sourcing a Wood Floor? There is a few things to take into account when evaluating the price of Wood Flooring.  Factors such as Grade, Board Width and Thickness, Treatments and the quantity you want to buy will all impact the price.  Cleaner grades such as Prime and Select have less markings and sapwood so they are more costly because less of the log can be used to produce it.  Wider board flooring is more expensive than narrower options and specialist finish products that have been Smoked or Brushed also add more to the cost. 

You can expect to pay anything between £40m2 and £130m2 in the UK today for good quality Wood Flooring although this is very approximate due to so many factors affecting price.

We have a wide range of high quality Engineered Wood products which vary in styles, sizes and costs.  Here's 3 great recommendations that offer excellent value for quality.

With a plywood core, Isparta is from our Structural range, a collection selected for its exceptional stability and fine grain design.  A European Oak with an ABCD grade, the boards have a 4mm wear layer meaning they can be sanded down several times, lasting for years to come.  The 150mm wide board gives it the contemporary edge.  In pale, natural Oak with rich, dark knots and grain markings, Isparta is lively and characterful.

Structurally stable to the core (Plywood), Antoich European Brushed Oak is finished in matt lacquer for super easy maintenance.  With it's super high wear layer of 4mm, the boards will stand the test of time and the wideboard appearance gives it a modern yet classic elegance.  Its has a clean, minimal look with gentle grain detail and fits all interior schemes.

Smoked and Brushed, this treated Rustic Oak has an extra wideboard of 192mm giving a room depth and an added layer of texture.  It has a sturdy 3.5mm wear layer for a long lifecycle with a plywood core for maximum stability.  Waterloo is a full-bodied Golden Oak with cooler nutty brown accents adding warmth and ambience to your interior.

Wood Flooring has many elements to consider before making a choice for your home or commercial space.  Fundamentally, it comes down to simple aspects such as quality, choice and value for money.  Focusing on each of these factors and matching them to your personal criteria and preferences will allow you to make a floor decision with more confidence.

Luxury laminate flooring is popping up everywhere and what is not to love?  It's affordable, practical and there's a wide choice of fantastic finishes out there. 

In this article we look at:-

• Reasons for Opting for Laminate
• Our Best Value Laminate Offers

We all adore the natural beauty of wood flooring but sometimes, depending on circumstances, it's not the right choice.  A room may have a history of damp problems, moisture ingress or it's simply not affordable.  Whatever the reason is, modern laminate products now fulfil the same brief as authentic wood flooring by offering stability, a 'real wood' appearance and plenty of variety.

Let's delve in:-

Contemporary laminate flooring is typically made with an HDF core meaning it is stronger and far more hard-wearing than earlier laminate products.  Living areas like Lounges, Entrance Halls and Bedrooms are heavy traffic spaces and modern laminate is designed to stand up to high footfall.  Some products now have the versatility to withstand changing temperatures and areas with lots of moisture such as Bathrooms and Kitchens.

Innovative design techniques have allowed manufacturers to create laminate flooring with even richer wood detail.   Wood characteristics such as grain, whorls and knots have a more distinct quality while attention to texture, treatment and form have also been considered to produce highly authentic looking flooring that replicates the beauty of genuine wood.

Choice has never been so abundant across the many floor types with the most variety being in laminate flooring.  The market has cultivated it's designs to cater for all styles, finishes and colour preferences from light, white-washed effect boards to Greys and dark woods.  Customers can also choose Herringbone, Mosaic and Panel style laminate which mimics authentic parquet flooring.

Our favourite laminate range Egger is renowed for it's quality laminate products.  Offering different thicknesses and designs to suit a broad range of uses and personal styles, Egger is most importantly, really high value for your money.

Here's our Top 3 Favourite Offers:-

Light, breezy and light-infusing, Toledo is the perfect floor finish to enhance the feeling of spaciousness.  The boards are a pale, milky white oak with delicate grain detail that adds a peaceful and laid-back vibe to your home style.

The 8mm boards have a simple click installation with a stain/scratch resistant top surface which is family-friendly and ultra durable.  Even better news is that is comes with a 25 year warranty against premature damage.

Velasco is a beautiful mid golden, natural oak with a some light rustic characteristics.  If you are looking for something warm and engaging without being too 'country', this is the perfect middle-ground option.

This is a 7mm board which also has an easy click fitting method making it fairly straightforward to install yourself without a specialist floor layer.  Guaranteed for 25 years, Velasco is a fantastic floor choice with added value.

This finish is a dark 'greige' tone meaning a mix between beige and grey resulting in a super neutral blend that pairs well with all decor styles.  It has a fresh, nordic appeal with cool accents meaning it will compliment the warm tones of your walls and furniture beautifully.

Ocampo has an 8mm thickness, comes with a 25 year warranty and has the sought after click installation for DIY enthusiasts.

Laminate flooring has much more to offer consumers than when it first appeared.  Gone are the days of dull, basic colours or the concern over durability and quality. Brands such as Egger who specialise in this type of flooring deliver the highest value for money and quality.   With so many great laminate products available and the extensive range of styles to choose from, this cost-effective floor solution really does tick all the boxes. 

Parquet flooring is classically beautiful, utterly timeless and often expensive.  This is hugely down to the installation process which involves very skilled, labour intensive workmanship.  How can we achieve the same aesthetic without the big installation price tag?  Enter Authentic Herringbone flooring, the new trend of parquet-effect laminate that homeowners can't get enough of.

In this article we look at some of the major benefits of this floor trend and the best value offers out there.

Read on to learn about:-

• What is Parquet Flooring?
• The Benefits of Parquet Effect Laminate Flooring
• Best Value Parquet Effect Laminate Options

Parquet flooring is the art of installing wood in a pattern design to create effect.  Blocks, staves or battens of solid timber are placed in patterns such as Herringbone, Chevron or panel form (Versailles) to form a beautiful, decorative floor. This style of flooring has been around for centuries and although the concept is ancient, the aesthetic appeal has never lots it's wow factor.

Modern parquet flooring has evolved from predominantly solid hardwood to other materials such as laminate, vinyl and engineered wood.  This offers so much more flexibility to the consumer in terms of location, budget and fitting methods.

When we think of laminate flooring, we tend to imagine the 'poor mans hardwood' but innovations in this field have seen laminate flooring become much more robust, sleeker and available in the latest colour trends.  The result is durable, stylish floor finishes made from PVC that replicate the natural beauty of real wood but much more affordable. 

Authentic Herringbone is a stunning range of laminate parquet designs in 10 finishes.  The 12mm durable laminate has a number of benefits asides from the wide choice of exciting colours.

Key qualities are:-

This product comes with a 25 year warranty guarantee against premature aging.

The laminate boards have an additional core strength meaning they last longer and are less likely to experience movement.

With a non-scratch and stain surface, your laminate flooring is designed with high traffic and family-life in mind.

With a fuss-free, no glue click system, the boards lock together making it a quick and diy-friendly installation process.  This saves huge amounts of time and expense on labour.

Authentic Herringbone is cost-effective, highly affordable and reduces expensive specialist fitting and finishing costs.  Classic parquet flooring usually needs to be sanded, stained and sealed after installation adding more on top.

Simple to clean and retain it's beauty without pricey maintenance costs, laminate parquet will not scuff, scatch and discolour over time.

With a fantastic collection of colours available, it is difficult to choose a favourite.

We like:-

With cool, ashy tones of Steel Grey, this fresh and neutral Herringbone option is a winner if you are looking for the classical feel of parquet with a modern twist.  The subtle wood grain markings give the floor an overall clean, polished look.

We love the mellow, organic feel of Bleached Oak which has laid-back Scandi vibes.  The perfect choice for any Living area such as a Lounge, Master Bedroom or open-plan Kitchen, this blends beautifully with all decor tastes.

Parquet flooring is a sought after feature in homes and commercial spaces alike.  The material itself is not costly, however the installation process for standard wood parquet design can be.  Modern laminate options now allow for more affordable approaches to this wonderful flooring method.  For a more budget-friendly option to achieve the statement parquet look at home, Authentic Herringbone is one of the best choices out there in terms of quality and affordability.

When we think of a minimalist interior, we instantly imagine plain, bland and even boring home style interiors. The Minimalist movement has evolved however, from the basic style we once knew into something more personal. 

In this article, we explore the main interior aspects that make up this understated yet refined approach to a home decor scheme.  We also look at the best decor choices to achieve your own version of minimalism at home.

From a design perspective, a minimalist aesthetic is about simplicity, polished lines and curves and allowing the select decor pieces to speak for themselves.  It also uses light and shadow to enhance texture and colour creating a peaceful and restful ambience.

There are some elements of a minimalist home design that are fairly common-place although you don't have to stick to hard and fast rules to get this look by yourself.  Use some of the following tips as a general guideline.

Colours such as White, Grey, Blue and Beige are popular choices for a minimal scheme.  These shades come in so many variations which can be easily layered and blended to create texture and depth.  Choose two neutral colours you like that can be used as a base tone with accents of the other, for example, an off-white and a deep tonal grey.  When selecting flooring for your minimalist space, choose tones in Grey, natural Oak or flat colours like Black  or White treated engineered wood.

A minimalist interior is based on simplistic and laconic features which work in harmony together. Wall,floor and ceiling decor is kept to a minimum to add a feeling of space and fluidity.   Avoid overly colourful art prints, ornate rugs or too many light fixtures and focus on sleek, functional items that have incredible shapes.  Try to choose decorative accessories such as a vase, a plant or piece of artwork if it contributes something to the space in terms of it's form, colour or texture.  

Fussy or overly bold patterns in fabrics, wallpapers etc distract from the unadorned and spacious vibe you are aiming to create. For variation, opt for different materials and textures instead for example, explore natural wood flooring options with subtle, interesting grain patterns which have a natural design of their own.

Often there is one dominate colour within a minimalist scheme such as using various shades of one colour throughout the landscape of a room.  Repeat the main colour of your walls in items such as fabrics, decorative items and flooring.

Minimalist furniture and fittings are the centre pieces of a minimalist room so select sofas, chairs and other fittings with curves and smooth lines.  This celebrates the functionality of your space in all it's simplicity.  Aim for sleek, high-end finishes in spaces such as Kitchens and Bathrooms where fixtures are the focal points.

It is not unusual to see a beautifully crafted mirror, coffee table or lamp within this type of interior.  This is because the shapes and silhouettes of well-made, functional pieces contribute to the overall effect of the space and attract the eye. Again, minimalism doesn't need to be basic.  Pick a stunning light fixture or interestingly shaped table that draws the eye to the workmanship and form of the item but make sure to keep these accents to a minimum.

A minimalist interior doesn't have to mean boring.  By selecting key pieces that you love and using carefully chosen colours while keeping everything balanced with minimal accessories, you can create your own haven of calming minimalism.