ECO STYLE (Greek eikos - house, habitat) - an interior made of natural materials, giving a feeling of unity with nature. One of the most popular styles at the moment.
General characteristics of ECO STYLE
ECO STYLE is a combination of natural materials, colors and shapes with modern processing technologies.Ecological design is the desire to recreate the natural environment indoors. Only in an ecological space can a person truly take a break from the city and at the same time feel all the benefits of natural materials.
Basic elements of ECO STYLE:
Feeling close to nature, lots of light,
The main materials used are wood, stone, clay, glass, fabrics made from natural materials,
The main colors used are white, beige, brown, delicate pastel colors, pale
green, pale blue, the color of soil, wood, grass, water, stone.
History of ECO STYLE
ECO STYLE borrowed methods and forms from other styles, so this style does not have a turbulent history of development and famous architectural monuments.
ECO STYLE appeared at the end of the 20th century, when people were tired of environmental problems and decided to create their own ecological world in the house. The design of ECO STYLE is dictated by nature itself. People strive to preserve nature and reproduce it.
An appeal to nature was found earlier in other styles. It was expressed in painting, murals, textures, architectural elements and sculptures. The natural theme was most clearly reflected in Art Nouveau, but Art Nouveau borrowed elements from classical styles. ECO STYLE is based on modern styles using technology and electronics.
The founders of ECO STYLE are considered Scandinavian designers, who combined the naturalness of the material and innovative forms.
ECO STYLE carries positive energy and promotes relaxation - therefore it is very popular in the design of residential premises.
Nowadays, you can quite often find interior stylization (mixing ECO STYLE with other styles).
Features of ECO STYLE
When creating an interior in EKOSTILE, you can use only natural and harmless materials. The created interior can reflect everything - character, habits, and age. At the same time, the interior’s belonging to ECO DESIGN will be obvious.
The main principle of ECO STYLE is naturalness in everything. Consequently, chipboard, plastic and chromed metal are not used in furniture and decorative items.
A very important advantage of ECO STYLE is the opportunity to realize any fantasies. When creating an interior in ECO STYLE, you can use any natural materials of various colors in decoration and furniture. Natural materials such as reed or other leafy wallpaper, river stones, which can be used as wall cladding, are perfect.
ECO STYLE helps to appreciate the beauty of wood, stone, wicker, cotton, flax, wool, baked clay. And you should not overload the natural texture of natural materials with patterns, bright colors and reliefs. Everything should be simple and natural.
When designing ECO STYLE walls, wooden panels, cork, simple paper wallpaper with a barely noticeable plant pattern (preferably without a pattern), wallpaper made from natural plant materials, ceramic tiles (plain or with a plant pattern), finishing stone, white plaster are used.
A good solution for an ECO STYLE ceiling is wooden panels or a combination of a light ceiling (stretched, whitewashed) with wooden beams.
The floor in ECO STYLE is laid out from terracotta tiles in a natural shade or from stone. Wooden parquet is also in demand in ECO STYLE - both from European species and from cork and bamboo. It is possible to combine dark and light wood species.
ECO STYLE furniture is always made only from natural wood, preferably solid wood (solid wood without joints). Tables and stools are made from solid wood trunks and saw cuts, countertops are made from natural stone or marble. There should be little carving - in a modern interior the figures are simple, the shapes are rectilinear. Rattan furniture will make the array lighter. Of course, furniture in ECO STYLE is expensive. Scandinavian-style furniture can be a budget alternative.
For doorways, lightweight solid doors or doors covered with wood veneer are best suited. Interior doors can be glass in a wooden frame, you can use curtains made of shells and bamboo sticks.
For curtains and fabric finishing of furniture in ECO STYLE, chintz, linen, canvas, and matting are used, which symbolize rural life. Curtains made of matting and matting are considered the height of sophistication. For decorating an ecological interior, gray unbleached canvas, which can be purchased at an inexpensive price in an art salon, will be very effective. Wicker blinds-mats are suitable for window decoration. Those who prefer an ecological style claim that natural, undyed fabrics have positive energy.
Decor items in ECO STYLE - vases made of clay or glass, fresh flowers, wicker baskets, chests, tree branches, linen and cotton products, decorative fountains, wooden and straw salt shakers and fruit vases. Bunches of dried herbs and bunches of onions add a special coziness to the kitchen. Absolutely every item in an ECO STYLE interior should bring you closer to nature.
Dishes in ECO STYLE - simple, plain, muted colors, without complex patterns (in extreme cases, a pattern in an ethnic style is possible). The dishes should be made of ceramics or colored glass. You can use wooden utensils and cotton napkins.
The interior in ECO STYLE can be diversified with an aquarium. ECO STYLE implies not only the presence of flowers in pots, which brings us closer to nature, but also the creation of a winter garden (which can be decorated with stones).
The lighting in the room should be good; for this you can use fluorescent lamps, which, in addition to performing their main function (lighting), will also save energy.
In order to decorate a house in an ecological style, it is not necessary to cover the entire apartment with wood. You can make at least one thing out of wood - the floor, walls, doors or windows. Or you can work with wood yourself, purchased inexpensively in its unprocessed form - this is also a kind of communication with nature.
Do not confuse ECO STYLE with country style. In country style there is a large amount of lace, painting, and carving. ECO STYLE reflects the modern interior, its minimalism, functionality and simplicity.
The best source of inspiration for creating an interior design in ECO STYLE is, of course, nature itself. ECO STYLE is the embodiment of nature and peace, a kind of protest against environmental pollution.
Eco-style in the interior is a fashionable trend. See how to decorate a room, a table, make vases, compositions, and decorations from natural materials.
The content of the article:
Eco-style is now very popular. After all, it is impossible not to love nature, and if you make panels, paintings, set the table in this style and make household items from natural materials, then you will receive moral satisfaction. Being close to such things is useful, as they are environmentally friendly and made from natural materials. Many of them can simply be found by going for a walk.
How to set a table in eco-style?
When you relax at the dacha in the summer or go out into nature, see if there are intricate driftwood or logs lying around that you can take with you. At home, you can make various items for table setting from them and set it so that those present will feel as if they are in a forest corner.
Take a birch twig and cut it into several pieces. Then such blanks will need to be fixed in candlesticks and the table decorated with these attributes.
You can put fresh flowers here. It will seem that the wooden table is located on the edge of the forest. This perception will also be helped by a table made of wood and tree stumps, which were turned into chairs.
If you know how to carve wood, then turn this material into such a beautiful dish.
It has compartments, in each of which you can put a specific product. Add different types of nuts and seeds here to have a tasty and healthy snack during the day. Also, logs can be turned into amazing environmentally friendly dishes.
You will need to bring them from the forest, wash them, and dry them. After this, the workpieces are cut into pieces, remove the core of each workpiece and nail a wooden circle as the bottom.
Here are some other wooden utensils you can make with your own hands.
The main thing is to sand it well so that it is smooth.
If you need environmentally friendly vases in which you will serve fruit on the table, then take this:
- several branches;
- sandpaper;
- white acrylic paint;
- brush;
- glue gun;
- saw.
Use paint that is environmentally friendly. So that the finished product can store food products.
Watch this tutorial on how to make eco-style napkin rings. The simplest thing is to remove birch bark from fallen trees. At home you will wash and dry it. If it is uneven, then place a weight on top when drying.
Now you will need to cut it with a stationery knife into strips 5 cm wide. Connect each piece into a ring, fastening the opposite edges with a stapler or glue gun.
You can also make napkin rings from logs. Remove the bark from it, cut it into circles 5 cm wide. Then remove the core. This can be done using a chisel. Draw a circle inside the block of smaller diameter than the workpiece itself. Place the chisel on this mark and hit it several times with a hammer. Moving along a small circle, proceed in the same way, remove the core, leaving only the wide sides.
You can make the outer part of the rings zigzag using a hand jigsaw. If desired, paint the items with varnish. But it must be environmentally friendly. You can simply sand them with sandpaper and leave them that way.
You can decorate the logs with artificial moss so that the guests who come will find themselves at an ancient feast. Roll the napkins into rolls and tie them with green thread. Then these accessories will look like scrolls.
You can decorate pieces of logs with artificial or real moss and place them in the center of the table. Please ensure that no living creatures settle in these environmentally friendly materials, otherwise they may crawl out at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, rinse the natural moss in hot water in advance and dry it, and decorate the logs.
You can make wooden candlesticks. To do this, you need to cut the log into sections 10 cm high, make a blind hole in each, in which you will place candles. Therefore, the diameter of the hole should be almost the same as the diameter of the spark plug.
If you have scraps of branches or pieces of bark left over from your handicrafts, then use them to make such an environmentally friendly vase. First, take another one made of plastic or metal. Turn it upside down. When placing natural material here, fill the outer part of this container. The elements are glued using a hot gun. Then leave the silicone to harden. When this happens, carefully remove the wooden vase from the base and you are ready to use it.
Here are some environmentally friendly wooden utensils and serving items you can make with your own hands. Decorate a celebration place or just a room with wall panels, also made from natural materials.
Eco-style panels: master class, step-by-step photos
You will keep pleasant memories from your summer walk all winter long if you bring some natural materials with you. Here are what, as well as auxiliary items, you will need:
- wooden sticks;
- twigs and leaves of rowan;
- palette knife;
- synthetic brush;
- canvas on cardboard;
- acrylic paint;
- relief paste;
- acrylic lacquer.
If natural materials are dirty, then wash, dry and let them dry. Using a spatula or palette knife, apply the paste to the easel.
Where larger and more voluminous objects will be located, the layer of this mass should be slightly larger, about half a centimeter. It is better to draw a sketch of the future canvas in advance, so that you can then glue natural materials to it in the right order.
Lightly press them into the paste and attach. The leaves need to be smoothed with movements towards the edges from the center to remove air from under them.
The work should dry overnight, and in the morning you can paint the composition. Use ivory first. It must be applied with a wide synthetic brush. After completing the first layer, after 20 minutes move on to the second.
Let this layer dry too. Then paint your masterpiece with brown and blue paint. Dilute the paint slightly and pour it into the recesses and cracks that are on the canvas.
Once the paint is dry, you can add brighter accents. First, apply a little white to a slightly damp pile and walk it over the most prominent parts of the landscape. Then cover some elements with gold paint in the same way. Again you need to wait for this layer to dry, and then you need to move on to mechanical processing. To do this, take sandpaper and walk it over the surface of the sky and water.
All that remains is to do the final work and the panel will be ready. Walk over its surface with a wide brush on which acrylic varnish will be placed. If you want the work to be more shiny, then you can apply it in 2 or 3 layers.
Eco-style in the interior - design ideas
In general, this word has Greek roots. Eikos means "dwelling place, home." In the modern world, this style involves filling the home with natural materials that give a feeling of unity with nature.
No wonder another name for eco-style is naturelle. Here are the materials used to decorate a home according to this principle:
- tree;
- glass;
- clay;
- stones;
- natural fabrics.
- beige;
- white;
- brown;
- soft pastels.
Against this background, brown furniture made from natural materials looks great.
In order to feel the unity of man and nature in the home, when decorating such a room, designers offer to embody the customer’s imagination. You can make a fireplace or decorative stove and decorate them with natural materials.
You can make chandeliers from twine yourself. To do this, you need to inflate a balloon, coat it with PVA glue and wind the thread here in a chaotic manner to fill most of the space. This material is also smeared with PVA glue on top, and the ball is hung. When the glue dries, the ball is deflated by puncturing it and taken out.
Now you need to cut a small hole on top where the light bulb and wires are inserted. All this is fixed and suspended from the ceiling.
When decorating walls in eco-style, natural materials are also used. This can be cork, wood panels or ordinary paper wallpaper with or without a discreet pattern. You can cover part of the wall with ceramic tiles.
To make an eco-style floor, use terracotta tiles or natural-colored stone. It would be great if it is possible to lay wooden parquet here. Nowadays, cork or bamboo floors are in great demand.
Eco-style furniture is made from solid wood, and the countertops are made from marble or natural stone.
If you need a lighter environment, then rattan furniture is perfect.
The arch can be made of wood and covered with veneer. If possible, you can lay it out of brick. If there are no doors in the opening, cover this area with curtains made from bamboo or shells.
Fabrics for eco-style use the simplest ones, which were previously popular in rural life. But even now they are valued and considered exquisite objects. These are curtains made of matting or matting, linen, coarse wool, or canvas.
Unbleached canvas is also popular; not only curtains are sewn from it, but also furniture upholstery and tablecloths are created.
Pay attention to cute accessories too. Arrange wicker baskets, clay or glass vases in which you place fresh flowers and tree branches. You can also put a wicker chest, arrange a small decorative fountain, place salt shakers and straw fruit bowls on the table.
In the kitchen, hang onions woven into a braid and bunches of aromatic herbs.
Add a pop of color by hanging hot red peppers. Place wooden or ceramic napkin holders containing cotton napkins.
If you love animals, then install a bird cage, terrarium or aquarium.
Particular attention should be paid to lighting. Use halogen or fluorescent fluorescent lamps. These will harmonize well with a glass tabletop. And you can put it on a base made of birch logs.
You can cover the most ordinary folding chairs with a cover made of white transparent material, and they will transform before your eyes.
If you have an old sideboard, don't throw it away, but restore it. This one will need to be sanded and painted. Look at the unique style such antique pieces of furniture and interior design create.
Don't forget about plants. Even a few branches will make the interior more rainbow. And if you sew pillows with a plant pattern, these will also fit perfectly into the created eco-style.
Decorate your room for the New Year with a garland, also created in eco-style. After reading the following master class, you will be able to make such items to decorate rooms with them not only for this holiday, but also for others, using this idea.
How to make a garland for an eco-style interior?
To create it, you need to stock up on the following:
- thick paper;
- beer cardboard;
- craft paper;
- black acrylic paint;
- spruce or thuja branches;
- decorative items, such as a chipboard negative;
- lace napkins;
- tracing paper;
- knitted snowflakes;
- wood texture.
First you need to make elements for the garland in the form of flags. To do this, you need to cut out triangles measuring 11 by 10.5 cm. These blanks need to be cut out of craft paper and cardboard.
Print or hand-draw the phrase: “Happy New Year!” You can write what year is coming. Then cover these letters with black acrylic paint and let them dry.
Also prepare the items you will use to decorate the garland.
Apply some white acrylic paint to the branches to make them look like they are dusted with snow. Place pieces of slightly crumpled kraft paper on some flags, place twigs here, tied with twine. You will place a napkin on the other flags. Place twigs or decorations here to match the wood texture.
On each such blank you need to place your own letter on top.
Also an excellent element for decorating a garland in eco-style will be scraps of burlap and negatives from a chipboard. Glue them onto triangles of beer cardboard.
Tie the flags to the branch at a distance of 10 cm from each other. You can attach the twine itself to beer cardboard using paper clips.
It is necessary to arrange the elements so that as a result they form a Christmas tree.
You can dust the wall behind which the garland will be with artificial snow. Now you can enjoy the result of your work.
Where to plant flowers - ideas for eco-style
Plants are an indispensable element of eco-style. Let them accompany you everywhere. If there is nowhere to put flowers in the room, and you really want to surround yourself with them, then you can use various other places for landscaping.
In summer, flowers can be located directly in the open air. Place them near the shed, and if possible, right on the roof. To avoid spending money on pots, you can place plants in the most unexpected containers. Use:
- drawers from a closet or buffet;
- wicker boxes;
- carton boxes;
- basins;
- old pots;
- and even a broken guitar.
If you want to feel like you are in a fairy-tale world and at the same time update old furniture, then you can use the following eco-style idea. In this case, the saying that everything is overgrown with moss applies. Let it occupy the entire space of the table, chairs, benches. It will be soft to sit on.
You can also glue artificial moss here.
If you don’t have a lot of space at home, but you want to have fresh herbs on hand, then you can plant them directly in the shell. Such a container will nourish the plants and will not take up much space.
Also, egg shells will turn a small space into a thriving one. Plant violets and succulents here and you can decorate the room this way for Easter.
If you don't have suitable vases, place flowers in glass jars. To decorate these containers, wrap them with birch bark.
If you want to feel, even in a dream, that you are in the forest, then you need to draw trees on plywood and cut them out using an electric jigsaw. You will need 4 pieces. Attach each tree to the corner of the bed and you can make your dream come true.
If you want unity with nature in the summer at the dacha, intend to get a good night's sleep in the fresh air, then you can arrange a sleeping place right in the circle of plants.
To prevent midges from bothering you, cover your makeshift bed with gauze or a piece of tulle.
Some manage to build a mini-home right in the greenhouse. Flowers in pots can be placed in the corners of this structure. And if you are lucky, the site is located on the river bank, then you can admire the water surface at any time.
But it’s still safer to relax not in a greenhouse, but on the glassed-in veranda of your own home. This one is simply flooded with light. This is what eco-style requires. And you can always please your eyes by admiring the plants located behind the glass.
If you don’t have your own home, then you can arrange a resting place right on an environmentally friendly wooden window sill. To do this, you need to put a pillow made of natural material here and place flowering plants. You can sit here to relax.
If the windows of your house face a wonderful natural corner, admire such landscapes already on a massive window sill, which you will turn into a bed by placing a mattress here.
Even in winter, such landscapes will delight you if you don’t have an ordinary wall, but a glazed one.
Lovers of original shapes can arrange their home in an original way and use tiers not only for beauty, but also for landscaping.
If you work in your own home on a laptop, you may sometimes be able to take your eyes off the screen and look up through the top of the wall and ceiling. In this case, you need to glaze this part of the space.
But it is necessary to carry out the glazing correctly so that precipitation does not flow in during rains and snowfalls.
Give the room a blooming look. You can do this if you sew flower pillows. Look how wonderful they look on a plain sofa.
Take a look at how to make a natural composition from almost nothing.
Here's everything you need:
- snag;
- light soil;
- succulents;
- brush;
- electric drill with a round nozzle;
- glue gun
The composition will decorate the room in eco-style. But first you need to create it. Clean the driftwood from any dirt. Taking an electric drill, make several indentations in this piece of wood.
There may be larvae and insects in the driftwood. First, get rid of them by soaking the piece of wood for an hour in a bowl of soapy water.
Glue pieces of sphagnum moss to the bottom of each indentation. This natural material will maintain comfortable humidity for plants. Now fill the holes with succulent soil and plant the plants there.
Pour sand here. If you have white, use it. This one looks wonderful in similar compositions.
Now you need to put a sand cushion and hydrogel, drainage pebbles and coal in the center.
Place plants here. Fill the space between them with pebbles and beads.
All that remains is to decorate the surface with shells and admire the glass composition to your heart’s content.
Water the soil periodically to keep your succulents thriving. If they grow over time, then you need to carefully remove them and plant small ones in their place.
In general, such plants are now in great demand. They are unpretentious. But you can create the most unexpected things from them. Such plants will always be with you if you make decorations from succulents.
Your earrings will have a blooming appearance if you use such plants to decorate them. You can make a whole set, also consisting of a necklace and a bracelet.
Decorate your finger with a succulent ring. This item would also make a wonderful gift.
That's how much they do in eco-style. You can take on all the ideas at once or use just a few of them. An educational video will help you decide on a new passion. From it you will learn how to decorate a room in eco-style using wood chips.
The decor of flowerpots and flower pots in eco-style is described in the second video review.
The third video will teach you how to make decorations from succulents.
Quite a long time ago, people began to decorate their homes with different materials, such as plastic, paint, concrete, iron, metal, glass.
We have known for a long time that they do not have a very good effect on the human body, especially plastic and paint, but we still continue because we have no other option.
But not long ago, in search of ideas for improving the living space, the eco style appeared, which is what this article will be about.
The peculiarities of the style are that it consists of natural materials that are combined with everyday life.
Eco-style is needed more by those who live in big cities, since it is there that there are not enough natural elements.
Let's take a closer look at how to decorate a living room in eco style. After all, it is a room for rest and relaxation.
Color palette
So, if we talk about eco style in general, then it should be noted that the main color is green.
It can also be combined with colors and shades such as: beige, light green, yellow, blue, pale pink - all these colors can be found in nature. Often they create the background for the living room interior.
But if you want to highlight the room and fill it with contrast, then choose a rich green color.
You can combine it with brown, which can easily be classified as a natural shade, and that’s what we want.
Choosing materials for decorating the living room
Adhering to eco style, we need to choose natural materials for the floor. The best options are balsa wood boards, parquet boards or ceramic tiles.
To increase comfort, the floor can be covered with natural wool carpets, which will make the overall interior soft and cozy.
For walls made of environmentally friendly materials, you can choose panels made of wood or bamboo. Despite its simplicity, paper wallpaper is also suitable in this case, but it would be better and more environmentally friendly to use tiles made of natural stone.
The ceiling can be lined with wood or covered with wallpaper. The tree itself has a dark shade, which, in general, can make the room gloomy, so you will need to take care of the lighting.
Wallpaper has the advantage over wood that it can be chosen in any color.
The choice of materials is yours, the main thing is to remember that you need to give preference to natural materials that will preserve your health in the future.
Furniture selection
Furniture in an eco-style living room interior plays a very important role, so we must take care of its materials so that they are very strong and durable.
All furniture is selected exclusively from natural materials, mainly such as: bamboo, rattan, natural wood. Chipboard is not suitable here, since this material is the opposite of natural.
It is also allowed to use stone and glass in the design, which can be combined with other previous materials.
When choosing upholstered furniture, pay attention to their covering. In eco style the following materials are allowed: linen, cotton and ecological leather.
But you shouldn’t overload the rooms, as there should be more plants than furniture and other items.
Decorating a living room in eco style
As for decoration, the materials are similar to the previous ones - natural. The room should be decorated using plants, tree branches, moss, grass or straw. All decorative items must be natural - live plants, woven carpets, vases with dried flowers.
Another rule of eco style is as many flowers as possible, any: dry or live.
The design of your living room depends only on your own imagination. After all, having developed it, you will get a completely unique look for the room, which you will admire for a long time.
To summarize, we can say that eco style can bring a person closer to the surrounding nature in his home or apartment, where he will feel completely free while enjoying the view.
Photo of a living room made in eco-style
Eco-style in the interior has become a logical continuation of the recent trend of paying increased attention to protecting the environment and one’s own health. Ecological style in the interior provides scope for the designer’s activities and self-expression of the owner of the house. For example, if you have certain skills, you can decorate your apartment yourself using various natural materials, which gives the interior an indescribable spiritual atmosphere. You can see examples of eco-style in the interior of an apartment in the photo.
Distinctive features
- Eco-style in the interior, like other modern styles, requires maximum free space and sunlight in the room, a minimum of necessary functional furniture, large windows and laconic decor.
At night, fluorescent lamps should be used to imitate natural light.
- The color range of eco-style includes mainly calm natural shades: sand, straw, wood, earth, shades of natural greenery, gray tones. White combines harmoniously with all these colors, bringing freshness and light to the room.
- It goes without saying that eco-style in the interior implies the use of natural materials. Plastic furniture or, for example, wall panels and other artificial materials in decoration and interior design should be avoided.
Finishing
For walls, eco-style in the interior welcomes wallpaper made of paper or other natural materials, wooden or cork panels, bamboo, and decorative stone.
Advice: look impressive. This way you can highlight one wall to create a bright accent.
The walls can be finished with wooden boards or parquet, cork, or stone. The ceiling does not need to be left as usual white, but can also be sheathed in wood. The main thing is to understand that in this case the room will visually decrease in size.
An interesting technique is zoning a room using a partition made of branches or thin tree trunks. This original design can be additionally decorated with soft lighting.
Furniture
If the renovation budget does not allow you to furnish your home entirely with solid wood furniture, high-quality chipboard or MDF, which are as close as possible to natural wood, is acceptable.
Bamboo or wicker furniture, such as rattan, will also look harmonious. For variety, countertops can be made of glass or natural stone.
Curtains, bedspreads, upholstery, bed linen must be made of natural fabrics: cotton, linen, leather, fur and others. Also, eco-style in the interior welcomes prints on natural themes, for example, plant or floral motifs.
Decor
An excellent option for decorating an eco-style interior is fresh flowers. It is important to choose plants that will be comfortable in a particular apartment, because some love shade, others need bright sunlight. If you carefully consider the assortment of plants, taking into account their flowering schedule, blooming flowers will delight the eye in your apartment all year round.
It is a very good idea to purchase an aquarium, but live fish, of course, require more care than plants. If the dimensions of the apartment and the renovation budget allow, you can have the entire height of the room in the living room or even use it for zoning.
You can easily decorate the interior of an apartment in eco-style even with your own hands. Accessories and small pieces of furniture made of wood look very warm and cozy: tables, bedside tables, frames, candlesticks, and so on. This decor can be complemented with accessories made from branches, wicker dishes, and baskets. Bouquets of dried flowers would also be appropriate.
In decoration, you can and should use natural materials such as shells brought with you from vacation, pebbles, cones, and so on. In particular, from pebbles you can make mats that are really pleasant and beneficial for your feet. Another interesting idea would be a rug made of natural fibers that imitates grass. The best source of inspiration for creating a unique interior design in eco-style is, of course, nature itself.
Rapid technological progress has given humanity many benefits of civilization, and at the same time fundamental environmental problems. There are fewer clean rivers and green forests, the air is saturated with the smog of city highways. But while Greenpeace is waging a global fight for a green planet, interior stylists are already offering environmental solutions for everyday life.
Anyone who is looking for salvation from the negativity of the environment can create a corner of life-giving nature in their home. One has only to master a number of simple rules of modern design - a trend whose name is “eco-style”.
Classic features of eco-style in the interior
Living up to its name, the style combines natural materials and advanced technologies. Gravitating towards everything natural, “eco” gives a lot of light and space, categorically rejecting the clutter of furniture and interior items. Soft colors in the decoration are a consequence of the use of stone and wood, glass and paper, plant stems and cork, linen and cotton.
Put cute trinkets and decorative items away in the closet. A person in an “eco” interior finds harmony with himself, with the air and nature, and is freed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Minimalism and maximum functionality are the main style trends.
The style does not accept anything that looks artificial. Therefore, PVC windows and panels, linoleum and chrome steel will be alien in such an interior.
How to decorate walls in eco-style
Natural finishing materials are used for walls. But not necessarily very expensive. You may prefer paper wallpaper or unglazed ceramic tiles to natural stone and cork. Wall paneling with wood panels is suitable.
Very often the main finishing technique is simple plaster. And at the finish, some parts of the walls are decorated with wood, glass, and textiles. For example, bamboo wallpaper will be an excellent interior accent. Canvases made from the outer part of the stem, as well as varnished, polished or horizontally stitched - each variety provides walls with its own interesting texture and color background.
Before you decorate the interior of a small living room, check out our tips that have been collected for you
Have you decided to combine the kitchen with another room? In this case, you need to know how to organize
How to decorate a ceiling in eco-style
The ceiling in an “eco” house is simple, light, creating additional “air”. It is better to avoid multi-tiered structures or use them sparingly. Simple whitewash or matte stretched canvas - the base can be any, but the ceiling should look natural.
Wooden slats or beams are allowed for decoration. Tensile structures allow the use of photo printing techniques. And in the living room, instead of a ceiling covering, a “starry sky” or “snow-white clouds” appear.
However, you should not get carried away with such decor. A photo drawing that is small in area and laconic in plot is sufficient.
How to create an eco-style floor
The royal flooring for this style is, of course, wood. Parquet, parquet or solid boards - this noble material is preferably chosen in warm light shades. Today's popular cork covering would be appropriate. Its soft texture creates a strikingly cozy atmosphere and immediately invites you to walk barefoot.
For finishing decoration, small carpets with high, coarse pile in natural colors or with a hint of green lawn grass are suitable. Mats made from natural ingredients look harmonious: bamboo, straw, hemp, jute - just what you need!
What should eco-friendly furniture look like?
The furniture is sparse and functionally thought out. All items have simple shapes, without intricate decoration. However, the furniture is good quality and elegant. Wooden beds, rattan sofas, wicker chairs, bamboo tables with glass tops are typical items in eco-style. Upholstered furniture has leather or textile upholstery, and there are often wooden inserts on the backs and armrests.
How to choose eco-decor
Air and space are the main values of the “eco” environment. “As little decoration as possible! " - this is the main motto of the style. Here, all the interior elements are necessary to complete the image of a real corner of nature. Fountains and indoor waterfalls, aquariums and phytowalls serve for zonal decor.
Little things - floor-standing clay vases, glass and wooden dishes, ikebana and bonsai - only emphasize the unity of man with the world around him.
Ecological style in the interior: secrets of the masters
3D floors can give an unusual effect in the interior. This modern technology allows you to create a “green meadow” in the living room, and a “sea surface” in the bedroom. Polymer raw materials are environmentally friendly materials, and are fully compatible with the interior “eco” orientation. Autumn foliage, cheerful dolphins, blue waterfalls, river sand - you can choose absolutely any pattern for the self-leveling floor. There is plenty of room for your designer imagination to run wild!
Cork finishing materials are eco-style favorites. They are available in different technological options. When choosing flooring for the kitchen, it is better to choose adhesive slabs. They are more airtight than HDF-based cork and will last a very long time if they are coated with a couple of layers of a special matte varnish.
There are interesting solutions for decorating the coating. Cork inserts of various configurations, which are offered by the industry, allow you to intricately inlay the main fabric. This enlivens the interior and gives scope for design ideas.
It is recommended to decorate the joints of bamboo wallpaper with large elements of the stems of this plant. The final result is a spectacular wall covering. It will serve for a very long time if you cover the entire structure with varnish and periodically treat it with furniture polish.
An amazingly beautiful element of eco-style is a water wall. Special devices, prosaically called “distribution manifolds” in the market, uniformly supply jets of water from a variety of nozzles onto a wide glass sheet. Living moisture flowing with a soft rustle is a fascinating sight in the interior of an apartment or in the atrium compartment of an office, especially if halogen lighting is provided.
A brick wall with a strip of living greenery in the center will look like part of an ancient castle. Interior phytowall is a special vertical structure that allows plants to take root and grow freely. Such a wonderful garden of Babylon can be ordered from master florists or created independently using a wooden pallet, burlap and floral soil. A patterned fern or tenacious ivy will cover the wall with a continuous carpet, and in addition to elegant decor, they will give the house a life-giving breath of oxygen.
Interesting history of style
Ecostyle is a young direction in design, fully formed at the end of the twentieth century. The name of its founder is not known for certain. But certain decoration techniques were used by architects at different times, and were organically included in design projects of different stylistic trends: minimalism, modernism, ethnicity.
There is conflicting information about the origins of the name of the style.
According to some data, it goes back to the Greek eikos - dwelling, house. According to others, it is based on the word “ecology” - the science of the interaction of living and inanimate nature. One way or another, today the style justifies both versions of its origin, since an “eco” house creates a harmonious living environment for people with the help of every interior element.
The Scandinavian and Japanese schools of design had a huge influence on the development of style, due to their national-traditional craving for minimalism and naturalness. This especially affected the techniques of decoration and furnishing.
The famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, one of the founders of the “school of modern design” in Europe, was a passionate supporter of natural materials. And, in fact, he stood at the origins of the emerging eco-style. The memory of the master is preserved by the amazing examples of bentwood furniture created by his company.
The designer himself jokingly called them “wooden pasta.” And international exhibitions applauded these creations, which amazingly combined original compositional solutions, progressive technologies and traditional canons of folk architecture. Today, the Aalto company operates under the Swiss flag, but still produces eco-furniture models designed by the famous architect.
Bottom line
Eco-style today is a popular design direction, suitable for those who love and appreciate nature. An eco-style interior is suitable for almost everyone, because there are a huge number of options for using the main features of this design. Be that as it may, a house, apartment or room in such an eco-friendly style will look unusual, original and practical.
