New Decorating with Natural Elements 2012 ideas

Once limited to flower arrangements and random shell collections, now bits of nature (and nature-inspired objects) rule the roost. See how to get this trendy, organic look in your home.
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Found Objects as Favorite Things

Beach style is all about having a free spirit. A marble fireplace surround paired with a honed driftwood mantel creates an interesting contrast between refined and natural elements. Distressed wooden oars take a sculptural role when propped against a wall. To get the look, bring home old furniture, repurpose fabrics, and salvage pieces from flea markets.

 Savvy Salvage Finds 

For a subtle take on natural decorating, pair primitives with organic forms, such as branches, rocks, and wood. Burnished metal pendants with rope-covered cords set an industrial tone in this dining area. A French hay fork hangs as sculpture on the far wall, nodding to farmhouse rusticity.

Found Beauty

Focus on the earth's beauty by accessorizing with natural objects. This dresser, made from salvaged oak, is outfitted with twisted tree roots, a lamp with a driftwood base, and framed photographs of greenery.

Contain Yourself

For a garden-fresh display, assemble a collection of mismatched glassware, along with interesting flowers, greenery, and moss from a garden or floral shop. Arrange your natural finds inside the glassware and group together on a tabletop. Aim for an eclectic collection of natural finds in different heights, sizes, and textures.

Color Connection 

For a transitional look with a bit of edge, pair bold, bright color with natural finds. This driftwood candleholder is an organic antidote to the sleek lacquered orange table. If your whole room is modern, solidify the contrasting elements by repeating the new theme on another accent elsewhere in the room.

More Ways to Get the Natural Look 

Anything that looks like a relic from vacations past also makes a great addition to your natural collection. Found objects, driftwood, sand dollars, new purchases in sea-inspired colors -- all give your home an unstudied, collected look.

Natural Bath 

With a bevy of colorful touches and natural light, simple additions give this space all the energy it needs. Hanging vases above an oval table provide a lively entry point to the bath. To get the look, attach hanging vases along a wall panel. Fill each glass with simple floral arrangements or greenery from the garden, your backyard, or a florist.

A Complete Vignette

Sea whips framed against parchment paper and hung in a grid provide a striking arrangement above a bureau that looks like it's been tossed in the waves once or twice. Prop a field guide on a book stand to elevate it to home accessory.

Color and Style 

Decor with natural elements can be streamlined and contemporary, as this shelving display shows. Sleek balls made of woven reeds provide a smooth shape to offset the spiky white coral and industrial gears. Keeping a neutral color palette pulls the look together.

Serene Oasis

Reimagine your living room as a rustic getaway that boasts playful personality. With three identical slipcovered love seats, an antique-cart coffee table, and a chandelier made of driftwood, the room's neutral canvas is infused with serenity. A tall floral arrangement in a salvaged wood vase adds height as a dramatic centerpiece.