Italtile masterclass with natural style interior

A mini masterclass in achieving a natural style interior with Italtile.

Effortless and elegant, natural-style interiors are coveted by many. 

But how to achieve this stylish, simplistic look without it falling flat?

Here, Melanie Ewing and Italtile share how to achieve the look flawlessly.

“Many looks fall under the natural style banner, including cottagecore with its farmhouse charm, rustic with its raw finishes, coastal with its weather-worn beach house aesthetic, Scandinavian or Scandi with its soothing, organic coolth. All conjure their deep magic that brings about a sense of contentment, wellness and well-being. That magic is ascribed to the philosophy of biophilic design, which centers on masses of research that proves the theory that the great indoors should mimic the great outdoors to improve the quality of our lives,” they explain.

Choose natural hues

“There is a literal ton of colour inspiration in nature, from the lush green of forests to vibrant citrusy tones, to the flame orange of rocky and sandy deserts, to the dazzling variety of blues and the gold and red browns of autumn leaves. Then there are the softer, subtler shades of mushroom, warmer earth tones, sea sand, terracotta, snow white, and soft herby grey greens. 

But how to combine your favourite hues? We always recommend you use a set of harmonising neutral base tones, either warm or cool, and then once you’ve created your canvas (floor tiles, wall tiles) pick your highlights (pops of harmonising colour in accessories, soft furnishings, mosaics and patterned tiles).”

Opt for natural finishes

“Every kind of stone look, every kind of wood look. Woven materials like jute, coir, bamboo and raffia. Cork. Leather. Pure wool, raw linen, silk and cotton. Found objects from nature, like an old tree stump turned into a table base or driftwood, shells, pebbles and sea glass as featured ornaments. And plants. Lots and lots of plants.”

Keep the layout neat and simple – inside and out

“Inside, keep things clean and spacious to allow airflow. Outside, consider adjusting your trad lawn and flower beds into what’s being termed a tapestry lawn, a sustainable trend which is, in essence, a grass-free, waterwise and pollinator-friendly layout with a ‘wilderness’ feel, with random, low-growing indigenous plantings. If you prefer something a bit more formal, you could add pavers laid in a checkerboard pattern in between your plantings. Then, of course, for those who’ve really been bitten by the Biophilic bug, how about transforming your chlorinated pool into a natural swimming pond.”

For a wide selection of wood-look and stone-look tiles as well as wallpaper print tiles with floral and botanical motifs, visit your nearest Italtile store.

Italtile’s Natural Starter Pack. When it comes to tiles, literally any of Italtile’s vast collections of wood looks tiles and stone looks. Then for Biophilic appeal, we suggest you take a loving look at our exclusive range of Ceramica Sant’Agostino Wallpaper Print Tiles. Very beautiful, very on trend, with their exquisite floral and botanical motifs. Jardin 01 and Jardin 02 are evocations of tropical fronds, while Jardin 08 is a romantic meadow floral with duck egg blues and warm honey caramels. All three are super-sustainable, carrying both Sant’Agostino’s EcoQuality certifications and Italtile’s LiveGreen label. Then you might consider enhancing the Natural Style of your bathroom sanctuary with the organic fluidity of our exclusive Palomba range from the LAUFENMasterCraft Collection. This designer range has been conceptualised by award-winning Italian duo Ludovica+Roberto Palomba and hand-finished in Saphirkeramik by LAUFEN. High design, high tech materials and processes, along with exceptional craftsmanship make the curated pieces from the Palomba range proud centrepieces in our LAUFEN MasterCraft Collection.