Bringing the Outdoors into Small Spaces

May 22, 2024

Bringing the Outdoors into Small Spaces

Nature is the ultimate designer. And this has made it a perennial muse for designers of all kinds looking to emulate not only its look but its feel.

Nature is the ultimate designer. And this has made it a perennial muse for designers of all kinds looking to emulate not only its look but its feel. Through colour, courtyards, and even a living moss wall, these designs show how to bring the outdoors in.

Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

Biophilic Bathroom

Plants

Green

Nature

Natural Materials

Before

After

Top

This **Hong Kong apartment** is set among a lush forest, giving Nelson Chow of NC Design and Architecture Ltd. the clever idea of creating his own proper tree house. The cosy, box-loft sleeping area has natural pine cladding and offers a direct view out to the forest.

The 4 sqm balcony opens onto the living room and has a glass railing that allows a complete view of the forest.

Chow selected a deep shade of grey blue as the dominant colour to evoke an appealing contrast against the greenery beyond, which emphasises the exterior view and forms a stronger bond between it and the interior as well. *Images by Dennis Lo.*

A rich moss green shade lines the walls of this **Singapore apartment**’s foyer, giving a sense of cosy and calm immediately upon entry.

“We picked this shade of green for the foyer because it reminds us of the calmness of being in nature and is a respite from the business from the city”.

—Jackie, 401e owner

The same moss green wraps around into the dining area as an accent wall beside the table.

knock knock studio complemented the moss hue with a brighter forest green on the bi-folding kitchen door and the sliding, half-glass door for the bedroom. *Images by Marcus Lim.*

Dan Yang from DFORM PROJECT brought the outdoors in by adding floor-to-ceiling timber throughout much of the 52sqm/560sqft apartment.

Inspired by zen gardens, an artificial bonsai tree made from lifelike materials was placed on the wall of the bedroom. It was strategically situated beneath the skylight so that it would be illuminated during the afternoon.

“The client [wanted] to create a unique Manly experience. When they come home, they want to feel like they are still in a natural space, to detach from work and just relax”.

— Dan Yang, interior designer of The Ryokan

The meditation space got its own zero-maintenance vertical garden to keep with the calm, all-natural theme. *Images* *Pablo Veiga Photography.*

Talk about literally bringing the outdoors in. An interior courtyard inspired by hidden Japanese gardens was added to the first story of this **laneway house** in Sydney by TRIAS.

“It’s somewhat counterintuitive, but we often find that if you have less house and more garden, our homes end up feeling more spacious. And that’s just because you can sit inside at your dining room table or on your lounge and look out and get access to that light and greenery and sky”.

— Jennifer McMaster, co-Founding Director, TRIAS

Landscape architect Kirsty Kendall of Studio Rewild helped to plan the garden, which helps to ventilate and distribute natural light throughout the first story of the home.

Laura, who lives in the home with her partner Aman, handcrafted all of the white glazed tiles in the courtyard.

For the design of his **Tokyo apartment**, architect Yutaro Ohta wanted to “not only experience the Sumida River as a landscape, but also to incorporate it into the interior”.

Ohta’s design translates the natural beauty and industrial aesthetic of the river and its surrounding infrastructure into a peaceful home defined by its plywood and exposed concrete.

Plywood was selected for the floors, walls, and certain furniture because of its interesting contrast to the light refracted by the river.

The Sumida River, which has been one of Tokyo’s main arteries since the Edo period (1603–1868), is visible from essentially everywhere in the apartment – including the shower.

The exterior walls of the bathroom with the exception of the acrylic window were finished in a buffed steel that helps carry the natural light into the deeper recesses of the apartment. *Images Masaki Hamada.*

The **35sqm/377sqft apartment** of Architect Jack Chen of Tsai Design didn’t have any outdoor space. To fulfil his desire of bringing a sense of the outdoors inside, he added a living green wall in the bathroom.

The green wall is made up of real moss being preserved.

For Tsai, the moss wall presented the optimal backdrop for some other plants as well.

Tsai finds it refreshing to stand on timber tiles of the shower, surrounded by green.

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Nature-inspired Design in Small Spaces

Nature is the ultimate designer. And this has made it a perennial muse for designers of all kinds looking to emulate not only its look but its feel. Interior designers who want to bring the outdoors in can draw from an endless well of inspiration in colour, shape, texture, materials – the list goes on. There is good reason to do this, too. The positive effect nature has on people as a stress reducer and mood booster is well-documented at this point, and don’t think that doesn’t apply to interior design as well.

For those of us who are city dwellers, there is an even further appeal to nature-inspired design, as it can offer a mini reprieve from the hustle and the bustle (as well as the concrete and asphalt). Interior design inspired by nature often incorporates earthy tones, organic shapes, and natural materials like wood, stone, and bamboo. In small footprint homes – especially ones without any outdoor space – this can really help to create a sense of tranquillity and expansiveness.

By integrating nature-inspired elements into our living spaces, we can create environments that not only look good but feel good too. Plus, nature's design is timeless, so you don’t need to worry about it going out of style.

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Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

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