How to Bring the Outdoors Indoors

Bring the outside into your new Kitchen

Ever been into a kitchen and felt it had a fantastic feeling, but you can’t work out why? The Chinese have practised Feng Shui for thousands of years, they believe in architecture in terms of ‘invisible forces’ (or chi) that binds the universe, earth, and humanity together. Many top interior designers incorporate Feng Shui to create perfect energy for a room or space, and your kitchen is no exception.

Live plants have their own chi and draw chi to them. Surrounding yourself with nature has proven to have benefits far beyond aesthetics. Nature can actually help reduce stress levels and increase happiness. While nothing beats spending time outside, with these changes you can bring the outdoors into your kitchen.

Light

Let natural light invade your kitchen, It’s important to have a bright home with lots of sunlight if you want it to feel cheerful. Providing ample access to sunlight and fresh air can also add a feeling of spaciousness too. If you can, add skylights or a roof lantern to a single-story building. What could be better than cooking breakfast, looking up, and seeing the sky? Skylights provide a gorgeous view and brilliant light - which can be especially significant in kitchens where adding more windows isn’t possible.

Plants

The most common way of including nature in our home’s décor is with potted plants and fresh flowers.

• Start an indoor herb garden - There’s nothing better than cooking with freshly cut herbs. They are easy to care for, add greenery to your kitchen and provide a delicious culinary benefit.
• Start a new habit of buying or picking fresh flowers for your kitchen each week.
• Add a tropical twist to the décor - Bring in a little tropical beauty with elements like large potted orange or lemon trees.
• Add potted and hanging plants in places where they won’t be in the way.
• Not green-fingered? Keep it simple with succulents. They’re green, gorgeous and low maintenance.
• Decorate with fruits, vegetables - Decorate an area such as the dining area or kitchen island with fruits and vegetables. You can use these as centrepieces or in a variety of other ways. It would be like enjoying a picnic indoors!

Space

Open your kitchen up to the dining room (or another adjacent room). Removing walls is a great way to allow more light to flow into the kitchen, creating a feeling of being more connected to the outdoors. You’ll gain openness along with the added views, light and airflow from the other room.

Use Mirrors - Mirrors reflect energy, so position them in places where you see beautiful reflections of your garden. Large mirrors placed strategically will not only make your kitchen seem larger, but it will bounce light around the room too.

Open your doors to the garden

Energy flows through open doors. An open and inviting pathway allows positive energy to flow into your home, whether it be an open stable door or full-length bi-folding doors. Opening a full wall to the garden really brings the outside in. But remember to keep the outside neat and clear of clutter to create a positive chi.

Feng Shui

To take advantage of Feng Shui, make sure you have something representing the five elements — wood, earth, metal, fire, and water. The aim of this is to stay grounded, centred, and balanced in your life and your environment. Adding these natural materials will give you the outdoors-in feel.

Research shows that viewing nature reduces anger and anxiety and enhances feelings of pleasure. So flood your home with natural light, open windows and doors to let fresh air inside, and bring plants indoors. Decorate with bamboo, wood, or wicker, and use stones, sheepskin and chunky natural materials to add texture. But above all enjoy your kitchen!

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