Here, we reveal how you can welcome the great outdoors in, whatever the weather, from layering your lighting to green dining room ideas and incorporating organic shapes.

Lean Into the Light

Bounce plenty of natural light around even the smallest or darkest of dining rooms by adding mirrors to as many walls as you can manage, as well as free-standing in open-plan spaces. The bigger the better, we say, while circular styles and light colours such as Varuna nod to natural forms and offset dark palettes. Because natural light isn’t the strongest during the winter months, you’ll also need to layer your scheme with more artificial lighting sources than you might need in summer, from table lamps to pendants and floor lights – as well as portable lamps for where natural light doesn’t exist at all – to create a warm and soft glow. Try the wireless Purdy Table Lamp with vintage-inspired details.

Put On a Seasonal Display

It sounds obvious, but incorporating flowers and foliage into your interiors this winter is a simple way to get closer to nature. But who wants to traipse out into a soggy garden to forage for stems that might lack the colour, vibrancy or abundance of summer? Instead, curate a bunch of faux blooms to create a seasonal display that nobody will ever guess isn’t real, while showcasing them in a decorative vase on tabletops and surfaces in need of a lift. Elsewhere, why not brighten up dark corners and add colour to spaces with faux plants and trees in statement pots? This Faux Potted Olive Tree in our Fenghuang Planter – depicting typical Chinese scenes in a jade colourway – certainly brings the outdoors in and taps into the trend for making a feature of indoor trees. A real conversation-starter around the table.

Embrace a Natural Colour Palette 

From the deep blues of the sea to the emerald greens of rolling meadows and the earthy reds of the ground beneath us, natural colours make us feel calm and connected to the bigger picture. Why not set the scene with a forest green dining room paired with our Stafford Velvet Dining Chair upholstered in a spruce colourway and the Lastura Sideboard in a dark and dramatic midnight blue? Contrast with earthier tones in natural wood finishes, antique-gold accents and neutral textiles like floor coverings and curtains. The result is a fresh and natural-feeling green dining space infused with natural warmth.

Incorporate Organic Shapes and Motif

Lastly, when you’re thinking of ways to incorporate nature in the absence of being able to get outside, look to organic shapes with fluid lines and curves as well as motifs that take their inspiration from living things or the landscape. Ahead of a Sunday roast, we’ve laid the circular Magnus Dining Table with handmade pieces from our collection of Nephele crockery featuring cloud-like forms and scalloped edges. Alternatively, our Lastura Sideboard evokes the energy of crashing waves with its white detailing on a squid-ink base.