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Some trends come and go, but then there are those that aim to make a long-lasting effect on the design of your interior. One of the trends that has been conquering the world of interior design in recent years is the raw approach to decorating. Typically, this means using unrefined materials such as bare wood, cinderblock, rattan, and many other materials to decorate your living environment. No matter if you’re trying to upgrade the look and feel of your bedroom, or you’re trying to create a more rustic setting across your household, raw décor might just be the thing for you.
Raw materials can help you mold the interior in a number of ways, and not just create a theme in every room, as you can use certain accents and pieces to make a small space look bigger, boost the functionality of your living environment, and support the environmental cause in the process. Here’s how you can transform your interior with the use of raw materials.
Decorate with raw wood
The first material that comes to mind when you think of raw decorating is, of course, wood. Now, wooden materials come in many forms and finishes, ranging from luxe lacquer hardwood all the way to waterproof laminate, so it’s safe to say that you have a fair share of choices. On the other hand, raw wood or pure wood is another material that can work wonderfully in any setting, modern or rustic.
This can be reclaimed or salvaged wood, or you can simply buy unrefined wood straight from the suppliers. You can use it to make a set of natural, rustic shelves, to make a log coffee table, frame paintings or mirrors, and accentuate any part of your home in a way that brings you closer to Mother Nature.
Go with natural rugs in every room
Another way you can bring nature into your home with raw materials is to accentuate the floors. Who doesn’t love to feel a soft, beautiful, comfy rug underneath their feet as they’re walking through the household? Putting natural jute rugs in strategic positions in every room is a wonderful way to cozy up the space, and make the room feel warmer and brighter at the same time.
Jute rugs are great because they’re basically hand-woven organic carpets that gently massage your feet, help retain floor temperatures, and are sustainable to boot. This is a wonderful way to enrich your home with organics, while at the same time complementing every area from the fireplace in the living room, to the island in the kitchen, and even the freestanding bathtub in the bathroom.
Choose concrete floors and surfaces\
While we’re on the subject of floors and flat surfaces in general, this is a great opportunity to fuse form and function together by choosing materials such as marble or concrete. Now, when it comes to floors, there is no such thing as completely raw materials, because you need a professionally engineered material such as concrete in order to enjoy the benefits of a strong thermal mass while also introducing a flat surface with an aesthetic finish.
Concrete and similar materials come with all types of aesthetic features, but their greatest benefit lies in their durability and overall functionality. These materials are, for example, excellent at conserving heat in the interior, because they act as a thermal mass that accumulates and retains warmth – perfect for staying toasty during those long winter months. In the summertime, these materials will help keep your home cool and thus help you minimize the use of air conditioning and other cooling appliances.
Use steel, cork, and copper accents
While raw and sustainable materials can play a big part in your home’s overall design, they can also portray a supporting role with smaller accents scattered throughout the household. You can choose steel hardware for the kitchen and the door handles with a faux leather finish, for example, while using raw copper pipes to replace the flashy look of new faucets and introduce a more rustic vibe into the mix. Try out the look of cork sheets for the ceiling or parts of the floor, or go for those finer details such as cork coffee tables, picture frames, shelves, and the like.
Don’t forget about greenery
And of course, there is no better way to introduce raw materials into your living environment than to decorate your home with potted greenery and beautiful floral arrangements. Greenery is, of course, sustainable and long-lasting, while flowers will inevitably expire over time so be careful where you put them. Use greenery to frame the design of every room and infuse that serene oasis vibe into the setting, but use flowers in raw wooden vases to create a striking focal point (perhaps on the fireplace or the dining table) and a contrast to a neutral backdrop.
Raw decorating is a new trend that is quickly becoming one of the most popular design choices for homeowners looking to bring their interior closer to nature and connect with the natural world themselves. Use these tips to successfully introduce raw materials into your own home.
