Tired of seeing Barbiecore everywhere and want to dial it back to the soothing neutrals? There's a new home decor trend making the rounds with the goal of bringing the outdoors into your interiors.
It's no secret that nature-themed decorating has laid the foundation for several of this year's hottest interior trends. We've had Coastal Cowgirl and its former counterpart Coastal Grandma, characterised by natural materials and rustic accents set the tone in our homes as of late – not to mention the splash of Mermaidcore that's hard to miss.
However, a new spin on this coastal aesthetic is emerging and experts are saying it's the must-have look for the summer, following a surge in popularity of seaside neutral tones and woodland shades. Cue, Nature Luxe.
Nature luxe interior trend
'The Nature Luxe trend brings the great outdoors inside. Combining colours such as green and blue with soft brown and gold furnishings, creates a luxury feel to any space in your home, whilst also bringing the outdoors in,' says Sarah Lloyd, paint and interiors specialist at Valspar Paint.
'When looking at the rising trend, a popular colour choice that brings the outdoors in is green. Green is a natural stress reliever because of its associations with nature, and when paired with natural materials such as brown wood, linen and bamboo, it can really help to complete that connection with the outside world.'
Back in 2022, it was predicted that we'd see the rise of calm blues in our interiors come 2023, however, greens continue to reign supreme as per the current paint trends. This comes as no surprise, considering the interior world has had a huge focus on biophilic design, and rich, verdant botanical patterns making the rounds.
This is reflected in Dulux Heritage sales data, where its deep Mallard Green paint colour tops the chart for the range's best-selling colour, after having been sat in second place in 2022. Meanwhile, Sage Green has rocketed from 13th place to 2nd favourite, while Midnight Teal takes the 5th spot.
There's definitely a trend we can spot here, which is one we've long been behind as we've previously shouted about green being the new neutral.
In support of this, Marianne Shillingford, colour expert and creative director at Dulux Heritage comments, 'Many of us head out to the coast and countryside when we need to feel refreshed, uplifted and at peace.'
'Spending time immersed in the natural beauty of a wild, unspoilt landscape is one of the simplest antidotes to the challenging fast pace of our lives, so it is instinctive for us to turn to the shades of nature when we want to capture the same feeling of tranquillity in our homes.'
Matilda Martin, trend specialist at Lick adds, 'These colours will encourage you to slow down and be more mindful of your environment, to look out the window and take a moment to reconnect with the natural world that surrounds you. After all, nature is a source of healing, energy and stability. As we become more and more mindful of the way we treat nature, we predict people will be making more conscious, sustainable decisions about how they design their homes in a way that lasts.'
Therefore, it's no wonder that Natureluxe is the trend emerging in our homes as of late – and even better yet, we think it'll blend seamlessly with the brown paint micro trend we predict will be everywhere this Autumn.
How to incorporate Nature Luxe into your home
'Green works particularly well in living spaces as it tends to be a colour that most of the family approve of, and one of the easiest to live with – so consider pairing green hues together for a layered look, or with a beautiful warm neutral if you wanted something a little more subtle but still sophisticated,' advises Stephanie King, DIY paint expert and creative lead at Dulux.
In addition to using these nature-inspired hues for your living room colour scheme, there's also scope to further explore a green bathroom idea, even more so as green-tile bathrooms have been sweeping social media.
'When you want to breathe some life into your bathroom, use green paint to achieve a fresh and natural feel. One green that works especially well in a bathroom space is emerald green, as it provides the space with a vision of Mediterranean seas and lush marine life,' adds Sarah Lloyd at Valspar Paint.
'These shades combine perfectly with plenty of natural wood on flooring, cabinets and doors, and you can finish off the holiday vibe with a range of exotic house plants such as palm, jasmine, small olive or citrus trees.'
If you want to bring that natural vibe to your sleep sanctuary, you've also got some options you can consider if you want a calming paint colour for your bedroom.
'Coastal shades are calming and serene – transporting us away to distant shorelines with shiny pebbles and washed-up shells. Choosing a sea-inspired paint colour, behind your bed will ensure you soak in this tranquillity each time you get in so that you can start feeling relaxed and ready for a peaceful sleep,' advises Sarah.
However, on the flip side, you could even go for something a little more dramatic for your bedroom colour scheme while keeping the Natureluxe vibes high and bright.
Stephanie King at Dulux suggests, 'Consider using the ceiling to add your colour and a shade with the depth and mystery of Midnight Teal could be wonderful for adding that feeling of staring up at the night sky.'
'Blues work incredibly well with pinks, but if pink isn’t your thing then consider a burnt orange, auburn-coloured contrast through your wall accents and accessories to add some warmth and dynamism to your scheme.
All in all, blues, greens, and browns are colour schemes that we predict won't be going anywhere anytime soon, so it's definitely a palette worth investing your time into so you can transform your home into a haven of tranquillity all year round.
