I love the idea of escaping to a beautiful cabin in the mountains whenever life gets overwhelming.
My bank account has some concerns about this plan.
Fortunately, creating a place where you can get away from everything for a while doesn’t necessarily require leaving home.
A nature-inspired home retreat can be as simple as creating a few spaces that are comfortable, personal and connected to the things you enjoy about the outdoors.
You don’t need to redecorate your entire house, either.
Start with one room—or even one corner.
Figure Out What “Retreat” Means to You
Before buying anything, think about what you’re actually trying to create.
When you picture somewhere you’d love to escape to, where is it?
Maybe it’s a cabin surrounded by trees. Maybe it’s the beach. Maybe it’s a garden, a lake or somewhere in the mountains.
Then think about what you like about that place.
Is it the colors? The quiet? The view? Natural wood? Water? Plants? The fact that nobody there knows where to find you?
That’s your starting point.
A home retreat should reflect what makes you comfortable rather than somebody else’s idea of relaxation.
Work With the Nature You Already Have
Before bringing anything new into the house, look outside.
If you have a window overlooking trees, make the most of it. Move a chair where you can enjoy the view instead of arranging every piece of furniture around the television.
Open the curtains.
If privacy allows, use window treatments that don’t completely block natural light.
And don’t dismiss an ordinary backyard just because it isn’t a national park.
Birds, changing seasons, trees, gardens and even the weather can give you something interesting to watch.
Bring in Natural Materials
Wood, stone, linen, cotton, wool, pottery and woven materials can add texture and character to a room.
You don’t need all of them.
A wooden table, woven basket, comfortable blanket or piece of handmade pottery may be enough to introduce some of that natural texture.
I’m a big believer that homes should look collected over time rather than purchased all at once.
Use what you already have first.
Then add things because you actually like them.
Choose Artwork That Takes You Somewhere
This is obviously the part I’m going to care about. I’m an artist.
Nature-inspired artwork can give you a view that doesn’t exist outside your window.
Maybe you’d rather look at mountains. Or the ocean. Or a forest. Maybe wildlife is what catches your attention.
I think the best artwork for a personal retreat is something that makes you stop for a second when you walk past it.
It doesn’t have to be quiet or neutral, either.
A dramatic sunset, colorful northern sky or powerful wildlife painting can belong in a relaxing space just as easily as a soft landscape.
Choose the place you want to escape to.
Use Color Without Getting Trapped by a Palette
Nature gives us considerably more than brown, beige and green.
There are deep ocean blues, brilliant autumn oranges, soft spring colors, stormy grays, snowy whites and some absolutely ridiculous colors in the sky when the sun decides to cooperate.
Use whatever part of that palette appeals to you.
You can bring those colors into a room through artwork, blankets, pillows, rugs, plants or smaller objects without committing to repainting everything.
And you don’t need every color to match perfectly.
Nature certainly doesn’t.
Give Yourself Somewhere Comfortable to Sit
This may be the most practical advice in the entire article.
If you’re creating a retreat, you need somewhere you actually want to be.
A beautiful reading corner with an uncomfortable chair is just decoration.
Find a comfortable chair or sofa. Add a table where you can put a drink. Make sure there’s enough light to read. Keep a blanket nearby if you’re always cold.
Then use it.
A retreat doesn’t do much good if it becomes another perfectly arranged part of the house nobody is allowed to disturb.
Include Things With Memories Attached to Them
Nature-inspired decorating doesn’t have to mean buying nature-themed accessories.
Some of the best things to include are objects you’ve actually collected from your own life.
Maybe you have shells from a vacation, photographs from a favorite trip, an interesting rock your child handed you ten years ago that you’ve inexplicably kept, or something handmade that reminds you of someone.
Those things make a space yours.
They’re also considerably more interesting than buying a box labeled Nature-Inspired Home Accessories.
Make Room for Real Life
This one matters to me.
Your house doesn’t have to be spotless before you’re allowed to enjoy it.
There can be laundry somewhere.
A kid can leave something on the table.
A cat can completely ignore the expensive bed you bought and sleep on the blanket you were planning to use.
That’s a home.
Creating a retreat isn’t about eliminating evidence that people live there. It’s about carving out spaces within real life where you feel comfortable.
Appeal to More Than Your Eyes
Think beyond what the room looks like.
Open a window when the weather is good. Bring in fresh flowers. Grow herbs in the kitchen. Use a blanket that actually feels good. Put on music you enjoy.
If you love candles, light one.
If you hate candles, don’t buy twelve of them because somebody on Pinterest said you need them.
The point is to create an environment you enjoy being in.
Start Small
You don’t need a renovation budget.
Pick one spot.
Move a chair near a window. Add a lamp. Bring in a plant if you can keep one alive. Hang a painting you love. Put your favorite blanket there.
Then sit down.
Congratulations.
You have a retreat.
No contractor required.
Create a Home You Don’t Always Need to Escape From
I think that’s ultimately what I like about this idea.
We spend so much time dreaming about getting away that sometimes we forget how much of our lives happen at home.
No house is going to feel like a vacation every day. There are still dishes to wash, bills to pay and things that need fixing.
But we can create little places that remind us of what we enjoy outside of all those responsibilities.
Bring in some nature.
Hang things you love.
Make yourself comfortable.
And create at least one place where you’re allowed to sit down without immediately noticing six things you should probably be doing instead.
The six things will still be there later.
I promise.
Discover More Original Artwork
“Every painting in my collection is inspired by the places, memories, and moments that remind us to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world.”