The modern natural design style – and how to achieve it

The ‘natural modern’ design style is synonymous with natural fibres and materials, sustainable practices and warm neutral colours. It’s one of the most popular design styles, aligning perfectly with the growing importance of our home as a place of sanctuary and wellbeing.

The good news is the approach is relatively simple to achieve. Read on to find out how you can achieve this look inside and outside your home.

Your home façade and entry

Think of the front of your house and entry as part of the overall experience. You want to feel relaxed and welcomed upon returning home. While colour is important (more on this below) you can also make a difference by introducing natural elements such as timber cladding and soft outdoor lighting to break up rendered walls. Landscaping is another key factor. Including mass planting of one or two similar species can help achieve a relaxed, contemporary feel. To top off the look, a brick built, rendered mailbox with your house number displayed can look stunning.

Lighting

Light plays an important role in how our home feels. Natural light helps to warm and cool spaces in and has a positive impact on our energy levels and mood. Ensuring your home design adheres to passive solar design principles can have the added bonus of saving you money on heating and cooling. Talk to your builder to find out more.

How you use artificial light is also important. Thinking about how you will use each space and what mood you want to create can help with this. Cooler lights can create a subdued, luxurious feel in a bathroom, while warmer, dimmable lights work well in a cosy living space.

Colour

Start with neutral colours, such as beige, ivory, white or grey. It can be useful to understand the undertones of your neutral colours. For example, white could have a pink or a blue hue, offering a different ambience to the room.  Follow how paint “families” have been put together by different paint brands and speak to the experts at your local paint or hardware store for more guidance.

The colour of your flooring can make a difference to how your home feels. You may want to match hard floors to cooler spaces and soft flooring, like carpet, to spaces that you want to feel cosy.

Furniture

Select pieces that work for your lifestyle and your family and are the appropriate scale for the space you have. Also, your choice of furniture should complement but not match your colour scheme. When shopping, take along a paint sample and don’t be afraid to mix and match combinations. It may take a few tries to find something that works.

Different types of timber can will help create subtly different moods. A blonder wood will create a lighter, scandi type feel. A darker wood works for a tropical, resort style home.

Accessories

Accessories will bring your modern natural space together. To achieve the look, blend textural elements such as chunky cable knit throws and lush green houseplants, like Fiddle Leaf Fig or Monstera Deliciosa. Mixing these warm and natural pieces work well when creating a calm sanctuary in your home.

We have a range of house and land packages perfect for the “modern natural” style at our communities across Australia. Browse our house and land packages for sale in and around Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.