Nature is at the heart of Hans Blomquist's decorating philosophy, and in his brand new book, Inspired by Nature, he explores the connection between our environment and emotional wellbeing - harmonious textures engage our senses and earthy tones create a sense of tranquillity where we need it most. We've picked some of our favourite homes and still-life displays from the book to give you a taste of Hans' perfectly imperfect styling.
Burnt & earthy Nature is the greatest source of colour inspiration for any interior you want to decorate. Whether you are designing a colour scheme for a whole room or just adding in some textiles or creating a still life, if you take your inspiration from tones found in nature, you will achieve great results and create an interior you can live with for a very long time.
Natural gatherings Walking along a beach, in a forest, through fields or even in a city park, you will always find something that nature has created that you can incorporate in an existing still life or use as the inspiration for a new one... There is always something worth bringing home to use in a picture or add to a still life, so I always keep my eyes open and collect everything from bleached driftwood, a shell or a pebble on the beach, to a branch or dried plant on forest walks.
Soft linens Every day should feel special and every meal should be treated like a celebration, even if you are just eating a bowl of pasta or a boiled egg. Easy-to-wash linen makes it easy to create an inviting and festive everyday table setting. When we lay our table at home for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we always use a tablecloth to make the meal feel more special. A large linen tablecloth is very simple to make from linen fabric or can be bought ready-made, while inexpensive linen napkins are easy to find.
A place to hide At the end of the garden at the Camellas-Lloret B&B near Carcassonne, France, stands a small house that owners Annie and Colin Moore call ‘the apartment’. Attached to the apartment is a greenhouse-like space overlooking the garden. It’s a chilled hideaway where you can hang out on cooler days or when it’s raining outside while still enjoying the garden views. Simple, timeless perfection.
This extract is from Inspired by Nature by Hans Blomquist. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.