Inspired by Nature
I've been meaning to write something on this topic for a very long time but today, as we celebrate Earth Day in pandemic lockdown, the timing feels right to share some of my thoughts about finding inspiration in nature.
I find it difficult to be creative if I am stressed or under pressure and this is one of the reasons commuting to work in central London was a drain on my creative energy. Perhaps one of the positives to come out of our current lockdown situation is that it will encourage more businesses to adapt to flexible working hours and working from home, which at least in my case makes me more productive AND it's better for the planet!
I recently shared my thoughts on Biophilic design and creating productive working spaces at home with Claire Gaudion - you can read the article here.
In our fast-paced, stressful and often uncertain world, nature is one thing that is always certain. Seeing nature grow is a reminder that life will go on and nature will find a way - it's this realisation that I find so grounding about nature, and since it's where I'm able to switch off, it's not surprising that it's where I feel most inspired.
My belief is that, as natural beings, humans are deeply rooted to the earth - hence why we are so drawn to natural materials and textures such as wool and linen, animal and floral prints, natural colour palettes etc. I am lucky enough to live in the countryside, surrounded by greenery. My daily dog walk in the local country park is my mindfulness hour, and I make an effort to switch off from my mobile phone on my walk.
Today is Earth Day. Usually on this day, we switch off technology and as much electricity as we can at the end of our working day and enjoy our garden, the sound of the birds and remind ourselves to hold on to our connection with the world around us. We will be doing this again tonight but it seems even more poignant today than ever.
Many of my mood boards for projects start as a collection of leaves, pebbles, a piece of bark, a feather that I picked up on a walk, so I thought I would share some examples of our recent projects and their inspiration and connection with nature.
The Field House
The Field House was inspired by the beautiful Hampshire landscape surrounding the house This was the client's second home and countryside retreat, so we wanted to create a design that would enhance the experience of the seasons. Each room is tailored with a season in mind.
The Field House - Guest Bedroom inspired by spring colours (we called this the ‘garden bedroom’)
Pondwicks House
Pondwicks House, one of our current projects, started its inspiration from seeing the work that award winning landscape designer Rosemary Coldstream had already designed for the client's garden - the views down this long garden, the planting either side, shallow reflective pool and natural stream running down the end of the garden were our inspiration for the living room scheme and the cascading pendant light reminiscent of a school of fish, and the curved shapes in the Rug Company rug (designed by Mary Katrantzou) mimics the movement of water.
Living Room Visual of our Pondwicks House project
Seville House
Seville House is another of our current projects, in Central London, where the client definitely saw eye to eye with us on the importance of nature inside the home. We have focused on making the rooftop terrace an integral part of the house and coordinated colour schemes that draw reference from greenery and natural elements. Our favourite room is the master bedroom, where the client has opted for a beautiful hand-painted wallpaper from De Gournay as the feature wall behind her bed, and plenty of green!
Visual of the Main Bedroom at our Seville House project