Decor we desire: How to easily bring the outdoors into your home

Despite the fact the we live in Singapore’s ‘garden in a city’, it’s sometimes hard to bring the outdoors inside when we’re living in a highrise apartment or HDB flat. Here are some handy tips to help you bring the outdoors in.

Once you’ve got yourself a space in Singapore it’s time to personalise it with your own decor, and since we’re living in a tropical, leafy, green garden city it makes sense to try to bring the outdoors inside. Here as some handy tips from one of Singapore’s most popular interior stores ‒ Vanilla Home – and our very own Creative Director, Zin Cattell.

USE NATURE-INSPIRED DECOR

One of the easiest ways to bring the outdoors inside is to use items like nature-inspired sculptures, like this amazing bronze, slightly abstract leaf sculpture (Etienne Moyat Winged Disc sculpture, $1,270, from Vanilla Homes) featured here in the window space. The ‘real’ green of the indoor plants and the trees in the distance are tied together via this nature-inspired piece.

Zin says: More is more! Especially when decorating the entry way. A big impact is created by using a dramatic palm and a collection of pieces.The trick is to scatter the pieces around with other pieces that reference its surrounding with colour, textures and architectural references. It has to look effortless but also curated.

Featured in the shot: Celadon large pot by Vanilla Home Collection, $240; Dragon Jug by Vanilla Home Collection, $160; Low vase by Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen, $210.

Creative direction & styling: Zin Cattell
Photographer: Hazirah Rahim
All items from Vanilla Home as described above or stylist’s own. For more information about Vanilla Home, go to www.vanilla-home.com

USE NATURAL COLOURS

Another way to bring the outdoors inside is to go for nature-inspired colour tones as we did in the bathroom. You don’t have to go overboard but by adding browns, beige and other natural colours you can balance out the more clinical white of most bathrooms.

Zin says: We layered different objects ‒ some decorative and some functional ‒ in the same colour tones, which are nature-inspired, so even if you aren’t a neat freak, your bathroom will still look well curated! Again I added graphic elements, but this time combined with them by choosing the right toiletries to match.

Featured in the shot: Rattan tissue box, $65; Bath sponge with rope, $58; Tall Narrow vase by Vanilla Home Collection, $180; Claus Porto hand soap with almond oil from Vanilla Home, $19; Ortigia Sicilia room essence, $63, & eau de parfum, $152.

FEATURE INDOOR PLANTS

OK, so this might seem like the most obvious of suggestions when it comes to adding some outdoors to your indoors, but you’d be surprised by the number of people who either can’t be bothered to look after indoor plants, or aren’t sure what sort of plant to invest in (there are also the ‘brown thumb’ people who really do kill plants on a regular basis). This is where some beautifully made, oh-my-god-it’s-so-real, artificial plants can come in handy. Gone are the days when fake plants looked horrible. Now you can buy yourself something that looks so real, your friends will try to water it.

Featured in the shot: By Lassen Brass bowl, $840, with Boxwood mini tealeaf ball by Vranckx from Vanilla Home, $135; Alligator Nutcracker by Failli Luciano from Vanilla Home, $123.

USE RUSTIC-LOOKING WOOD

Adding some rustic-looking wooden items to your decor is another easy way to bring an outdoor feel inside. They work particularly well if you have a balcony or terrace area like the one featured here. By adding items like a wooden table and chairs to your space the transition to the outdoors feels a lot more natural.

Zin says: Smaller potted plants help to connect the outdoors in without overwhelming the interior with too many plants. Use bottle green glassware to bring the green in without blocking the view outwards and be inspired by nature with pieces that are handcrafted. Add layers and pops of colour to anchor the space. The graphic shapes bring a lot of character into the space. And always throw in a bit of flair and personality when decorating, we found these feather dusters and used them as a talking piece (and they last longer than flowers).

Featured in the shot: Variety of Zenzulu bowls made of telephone wire from Vanilla Home, $41-320; Zenzulu Telewire chargers made of telephone wire from Vanilla Home, $185; Zenzulu Classic II tall vase from Vanilla Home, $180; Feather duster by Burstenhaus Redecker from Vanilla Home, $32; Sofi water carafe & tumbler set by Joe Cariati from Vanilla Home, $295; GioBagnara Parma playing card holder from Vanilla Home, $367; AA Pashmina ikat pashminas from Vanilla Home, $980 each.

INCLUDE GREEN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, BUT NOT TOO MUCH

It’s fairly obvious that the colour green has connotations of renewal, nature, energy, growth, harmony and freshness, so it’s a great shade to add to your interior decoration anyway. By adding in various different greens you can also add depth and texture to an otherwise bland space.

Zin says: Keep things simple in the bedroom by introducing just a small selection of plants. You don’t want to take away from such a beautiful piece of vintage furniture like this lush green chair. Add a touch off luxury with a stingray covered tray that makes the chair more functional.

Featured in the shot: Faux agave (comes in pot) by Vranckx from Vanilla Home, $45; Rustic round vase by Vanilla Home Collection, $$130; Low oxblood bowl by Vanilla Home Collection, $60; Legs nutcracker by Failli Luciano from Vanilla Home, $82; GioBagnara Defile calfskin printed shagreen round tray from Vanilla Home, $160.

COMPLEMENT THE OUTDOORS WITH GOLD

Sometimes the planting outside your home will come with hints of other shades particularly if your garden is full of bamboo like the home above, or the wood of tree trunks if you live on a lower floor. A great way to tie this into your home decor is to use touches of gold as a complementary colour; this living room is a great example.

Zin says: Green would be an obvious colour to always pick if we want to ‘bring the green in’ so I pulled out the yellows from the bamboo to create more depth ‒ from deep green to yellow. The gold also adds a bit of richness and adding textures with vintage velvet pillows and layering throws keeps things visually interesting. Don’t forget to add interesting conversational pieces like these brass birds, the crocodile and the ceramic hand ‒ a quirky way of storing your iPhone.

Featured in the shot: Etienne Moyat Eternity Disc sculpture from Vanilla Home, $810; By Lassen Brass bowl, $840, with Boxwood mini tealeaf ball by Vranckx from Vanilla Home, $135; Alligator Nutcracker by Failli Luciano from Vanilla Home, $123; Ceramiche Dal Pra small Urchin tealight, $160, & Hand jewellery holder, $98, from Vanilla Home; Failli Luciano swallow nutcracker (on window bars), $123 each from Vanilla Home; AA Pashmina ikat pashminas from Vanilla Home, $980 each.

Vanilla Home is located at 3 Club Street, Singapore 069437. p. 6324 6206. Open: Mon – Fri 10am to 7pm; Sat 11am to 6pm; Sun Closed.

Looking for some more home decor tips? Read our stories Second-hand furniture in Singapore: Where to buy pre-loved sofas, dining tables, and other beautiful furnishings for your home; Furniture shopping in Singapore: Guide to Tan Boon Liat building on Outram Road and Gardening services in Singapore: Recommended companies for gardeners, landscaping, fish ponds, pest control and more.

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