Can’t enjoy the outdoors this summer? Bring it inside with natural lighting, water
features, earthy colors and easy-to-care-for plants.

Nothing relaxes and refreshes us like nature. Running water, lush plant life and nature’s pleasing hues engage our senses and evoke a sense of freshness. “I think very subtly or subliminally, when people take a deep breath and connect with nature, it has a re-balancing, re-centering effect on them,” says Susan Lindberg, of Lindberg & Associates Interior Design in Chandler.

So why not bring it all inside?

From architectural touches such as enlarged windows to the use of natural colors, you can invite Mother Nature in to stay. Here’s how.

Invite Natural Light
First and foremost, allow natural light to permeate. For some, this might mean scaling back on heavy draperies, which tend to draw visual interest inside rather than outside.
 
For others, it might be time to knock out some drywall. What if you replaced the window overlooking your water feature with French doors? Or lightened up a dark game room with a skylight? Solar tubes also work wonders in dark hallways or small, enclosed rooms.

Finally, if you’re building a custom home or remodeling, moveable glass wall systems, or “disappearing walls,” can create a dramatic open-air entrance from your kitchen or great room to your patio.


 

Blend your garden with your great room by bringing in live indoor plants.

Get a Green Thumb
Now that you’ve lightened up, it’s time to work with live plants. “When you see a house without plants, something is missing. They give a feeling of peace, quiet and relaxation,” says Maureen Voloudakis, owner of The Potted Plant, a Scottsdale interior plant company.
 
A well-grouped bamboo palm, aspidistra and spathiphyllum ensemble can complement traditional and Tuscan looks. Nothing says Southwestern like cactus, yucca and spiky, linear plants. And contemporary goes all over the place, so have fun. Whether you’re adding a few potted plants or an entire interiorscape, here’s a how-to checklist:

• Choose plants well. Start with hearty, simple, low-light plants such as dracaena, aglaonema or philodendrons. Plants requiring more light include palms, ficus and cactus.
• Let them be. Moving or re-potting your plants stresses them. “Every time you move a ficus tree, it will shed 50 percent of its foliage,” Voloudakis says. Similarly, resist the urge to re-pot. “Interior foliage likes little pots. You can re-pot when it can’t hold enough water or it’s so tall it’s falling over. Until then, leave it alone.”
• Do the little things. Prune your plants as needed. Wash dusty leaves with soap and water. Add fertilizer once a month.
• Develop a watering calendar. A predictable watering schedule can help plants overcome challenging desert conditions. “Arizona is considered one of the toughest growing environments for interior foliage. We have no humidity in the air at all,” Voloudakis says,  so plants’ dual-moisture gathering methods of absorbing water through roots and leaves is rendered half effective.