Bringing the outside in

No matter the size of your outdoor space, be it a small inner-city courtyard or a sprawling suburban block, the ability to use outdoor elements indoors can help you make the most of your space year-round.

Seamless flooring

Seamless flooring, the modern flooring alternative, provides a chic, clean and easy-to-maintain surface for your floors. Whether you choose polished concrete or epoxy coating over a flake floor, you can use it anywhere from the garage to living areas. It’s particularly effective when you use it for an indoor/outdoor entertainment area, such as a lounge room that opens onto a deck or pool patio.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors

Incorporating windows or folding/sliding doors that run from floor to ceiling and open completely to the outdoors is another great way to bring the outside in. They can also make a small room seem much bigger and can reduce the need for air-conditioning on a warm day.

Plants

Plants are a lovely way to introduce a touch of nature. From large pots and planter boxes to teeny-tiny glass terrariums, there’s something to suit every household and gardening ability.

If you’re not confident in your abilities to keep indoor plants alive – and let’s face it, many of us aren’t – pick a plant that is almost impossible to kill: yuccas, peace lilies, snake plants and figs are all easy to grow and (relatively) difficult to destroy.

For those on a larger budget, and with more room to renovate, why not consider adding an outdoor space in the middle of your home? Internal courtyards that play host to atrium gardens or even small trees create a wonderful sense of magic and calm. Treehouse, anyone?

Need some fresh ideas? Why not lose yourself for a few minutes – or hours – in these Pinterest pages full of inventive home-decorating ideas using a range of flora.

Water

Water features, traditionally found outdoors, are also working their way indoors in a variety of ways, thanks to improvements in technology and materials. From an artfully arranged bowl of floating water lilies to a full-blown wall fountain or pond, the options are limitless – well, as limitless as your budget. A quick search of the internet is all it will take for you to be inspired and to find stockists in your area.

Mementos

This is a quick and easy tip for those short on space and time. The next time you are away on holidays at the beach, bring back some keepsakes of your trip, such as a small selection of shells and rocks, some sand, sea glass or driftwood. Arrange these in a box frame or a glass-topped coffee table so you can enjoy them long after the tan has faded.

Sometimes, particularly during the cold winter months, we can find it hard to incorporate outside activities into our everyday lives. But all it takes is a bowl of flowers or a scattering of shells to remind us that, even when we’re tucked away inside, we’re still connected to the great outdoors.