How to design your indoor space to feel like the outdoors?

For those of us that live in Canada there are two times of year that we can start to feel a little anxious.
When fall turns to winter...I start to grasp at the last moments of the outdoors not knowing when that first snowfall is going to come. When winter turns to spring...it just never seems to happen quick enough, though I'm grateful when it does, especially after this past winter.

Perhaps anxiety is the wrong descriptor but nevertheless when we long for the outdoor feeling whether it's minus 30 with the wind chill or pouring down rain it's nice to have a go to option in your home that still provides that relaxing feeling of the outdoors.  So what are some key elements.

Room Photo from HGTV on Beach Inspired Sunrooms - See More

Natural elements such a wood, cotton and wool are great to use.  With any fabrics in the room try and think about the use of floral or leaf patterns if the design is right for you.  Paint colours can be chosen to reflect the particular outdoor mood you desire, the bright yellows, oranges and pinks for those that love the summer time bloom or the more subdued blues, neutrals or greens for those that love the lake/ocean feel.  Lastly, the most obvious choice and sometimes overlooked, is the use of plants.  Big or small, in oft set corners or up front on table tops, the use of greenery or flowers is crucial, in my opinion.

One thing trending is the use of vertical living walls in the home.  With so many plants being able to grow vertically without the use of soil there are many designers and companies learning how to use this concept practically in a home.  Read more by Rebecca Keillor, Special to the Sun

Now having said that we are not all green thumbs and the thought of having any living plants in our homes seems to carry with it the inevitable statement, "man I really tried to be good at watering it this time!"  Fear not, the ability for companies to produce fake plants from Ficus globes to Palm trees has been incredible, get a small taste on our Facebook page of what these can look like.

But be forewarned fake plants doesn't mean no maintenance, they still require cleaning as they can be dust collectors and start to age quickly if not maintained, find out how to care for your fake plant if you think they hold a spot in your home décor.

Another great inspiration of bringing the outdoors in:

Photo by housearquitectura - more details.