Mother Knows Best: Home Design Inspired by Nature

(Page 4 of 4)

March/April 2008
By Deborah Coburn 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

By imitating these cycles, we can overcome linear thinking—and the linear path of material goods from cradle to grave, from manufacture to landfill. In your home, give objects a second life: An old birdcage can become the base of a side table, a fireplace surround can become a headboard; a lace tablecloth can become a window curtain.

RELATED CONTENT

Think locally. In nature, organisms adapt to their environment and develop a place in their unique ecosystems: Think cacti in the desert and broadleaf plants in a riparian area. Picture shorebirds with their elongated legs and narrow beaks—perfect for feeding at the tide line.

When designing your home, allow products and styles to stay in sync with their surroundings. Use local materials, designs and craftspeople to save shipping costs, connect you with your bioregion and sustain your local economy. Look to the colors of the region for inspiration. For example, when choosing an exterior color palette, match the paint to the soil, plants and landscape; use nature’s local know-how to make the buildings part of the place.   --NH

"Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there’s no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done."
—Rudolf Flesch

For the beauty of the earth
Because of nature’s beauty, we search out special places for hikes, vacations and the rejuvenation of our souls. The seashore in summer, a meadow in spring, the woods in autumn, the mountains in winter: These landscapes sustain and inspire us. Beauty is not ecologically irrelevant: We work to save what we love.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • Kristin 4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM

    Hi, Can anyone tell me how to find out the colour and supplier
    of the paint used in the "white room" in the "Mother Knows Best"
    article (natural home, Mar/Apr, 2008)? Thanks!

  • Teresa 4/3/2008 12:00:00 AM

    I just found your website a few days ago. It's very interesting.
    I really enjoy it! My husband and I are in our mid-forties and are
    getting ready to build. So I am getting some wonderful ideas. We
    are hoping to build a strawbale house and barn in the near future.
    We are getting into gardening, chickens, alternative heating (my
    husband just built a boiler system that uses motor oil)and just
    being more self reliant and healthy. Thank you for all your hard
    work and intersting articles. Have a good day......
    Teresa

Add Your Comment

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Natural Home readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Natural Home Magazine?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe today and save 50%
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Subscribe to Natural Home

Welcome to Natural Home, the authority on green lifestyle and design. With an up-to-date outlook on current trends in sustainable building and wholesome living, Natural Home gives today’s eco-conscious homeowners the information they need to live in nurturing, healthy homes. Subscribe to Natural Home today to get inspired on the art of living wisely and living well.

Save money and a few trees by paying with your credit card now. Take advantage of our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You’ll save an additional $4.95 and get six issues of Natural Home for just $15! (Offer valid only in the U.S.)

Or, choose Bill Me Later and pay just $19.95