Organic modern interior design is rapidly becoming a favorite among discerning home decorators. This style is fresh, timeless, and emphasizes nature and sustainability, providing a grounding counterbalance to our increasingly chaotic, technology-driven world.
Organic modern style beautifully blends boho, eco-friendly sensibilities with high-end, modern aesthetics. The result is a serene, comforting look that, when executed well, exudes chic sophistication. A key tastemaker who really pioneered and popularized this style is Athena Calderone of EyeSwoon. She masterfully mixes organically shaped furniture, natural materials and textures, and unique artistic accents. The result is always a homey yet impossibly chic space with her characteristic organic modern style.
While Athena’s taste leans towards the high-end, you can achieve the coveted organic modern look at any price point. Keep reading to discover 12 interior design tips that will help you recreate the stunning organic modern look at any budget.
1. Look for furniture with curvy, organic shapes.
A key feature of organic modern interior design is furniture that reflects the curvy, rounded shapes found in nature. Angular furniture with harsh straight edges usually define man-made, artificial structures. Choosing softer, rounder furniture creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere that is homier than pure modern spaces.
Sofas are the most obvious place for curvy, organic shapes, but you can also look for coffee tables, stools, sculptures, and vases in these shapes. Choosing curvy versions of furniture that typically come straight edged can add an element of surprise to your space.
2. Bring the outside in.
Organic modern interior design complements inside-outside living perfectly. Although this might be more of an architectural feature, you can invite the outside in via interior design by maximizing natural light wherever possible. Add mirrors, and bring plants found outside in your natural environment indoors. If possible, install airy, large windows and skylights to expose your indoor environment to as much of the outdoor visual environment as possible.
Look at some of these striking examples of indoor outdoor living below for inspiration.
3. Choose colors found in nature.
Organic modern style is distinct from modern minimalism in that you don’t need to stick to a stark neutral color palette. In fact, this style embraces the abundance of colors found in the natural world. From rich forest greens, to deep ocean blues, to all the hazy purple pinks and oranges of a dreamy sunrise, you can freely borrow colors for your space from the vibrant palette of nature.
You can paint one accent wall a colorful hue to create a focal point in your room, or add color through decorative elements like art pieces, rugs or vases. If you want to go even bolder, choose colorful central furniture pieces, like a green sofa, or terracotta coffee table.
Colors breathe life into a space, and prevent a space from feeling too cold or clinical (which can be a downside of overly modern spaces).
4. Focus on contrasting textures.
Great interior design is all about creating visual dynamism for the eye to feast upon, and one great way to do so is to use a variety of textures. Pair a soft, matte 100% cotton throw blanket with a smooth, buttery leather couch. Add terracotta clay vases to a jade, stone coffee table. Mix beautiful green plants brimming with life with furniture made from discarded driftwood. The variety and contrast can add chic sophistication to any space.
5. Incorporate sculptural art pieces, made from natural materials like clay, stone or metal.
Adding decorative vases and 3D sculptures can add an artistic yet rustic touch to your organic modern space. Choose pieces that vary in size, shape, color, and texture to create a unique, eclectic collection that reflects your personal style. However, keeping one recurring element throughout the collection, like a repeating color, shape or texture, can tie the disparate elements together and create visual harmony.
Athena Calderone is the master of mixing sculptural pieces to complete the look of a bookshelf or storage space. Check out some of her work below for inspiration.
6. Embrace the wabi-sabi philosophy and choose natural materials that age gracefully.
Some things – like 100% high quality wood furniture, clay sculptures, and pure linen curtains – just get better with time. Most of these things have one feature in common – they’re all made from naturally occurring materials. There’s enough plastic in the built environment outside. No need to bring those potentially toxic materials into your home. Opt for natural elements that will age gracefully with loving wear and tear over time.
7. Incorporate at least one stone or marble element.
Stone or marble contrasts beautifully with the soft shapes and textures of organic modern interior design. A stone or marble element can ground a space full of otherwise fluid, soft elements. The inherent durability and timeless appeal of these materials convey a feeling of permanence and gravitas.
Whether it’s a marble coffee table, a stone fireplace, or even a mixed concrete side table, incorporating at least one of these marble or stone elements will bring harmony and balance to your space. Much of successful interior design is about creating contrast and balance. Too much of anything can make a space look tacky and cheap, so be sure to break up the softness of your interiors with some harsher stone surfaces.
8. Feature plenty of greenery and plants.
Adding a variety of plants not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of a space but also brings a sense of tranquility and freshness. Opt for a mix of tall, statement plants like fiddle leaf figs or monstera, along with smaller potted plants and hanging planters to break up the visual monotony of furniture. Plants not only purify the air but also foster a calming environment, making them an essential component of a harmonious, organic modern design.
9. Use natural fabrics.
Did you know that the fabric industry is one of the worst polluting industries in the world, in large part due to the excessive manufacturing of synthetic, plastic based fabrics? These fabrics are ubiquitous in home products. There are even bedsheets made from plastic fabrics!
Choosing natural fabrics is not just good for design reasons – it is also the better choice for the health and safety of your home. Opt for natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk, bamboo, and hemp. Curtains, rugs, sofa covers, and blankets are all good places to pay attention to fabric sourcing and quality.
I love these 100% cotton throw blankets from Bien Mal, an artsy, blanket creator based in Los Angeles.
10. Choose abstract paintings or photographs that depict nature for your wall art.
Artwork that is reminiscent of nature can really bring an organic modern space to life. Choosing pieces with natural imagery can evoke feelings of serenity and peace.
I love Maja Dlugolecki‘s visually stunning abstract masterpieces, many of which evoke natural imagery like oceans, sunsets, and forests. Choose similar abstract artworks to add beautiful energy to your space through the color and composition of the artwork. For ideas on how to easily DIY your own abstract art, check out this other Room Salad article: 12 easy abstract art ideas to DIY for Airbnb decor.
Photographs of natural imagery such as landscapes or even humans doing things in nature like swimming can also complement the natural vibe of an organic modern space perfectly. I love the photographs of people swimming naked in crystal water hanging above this bed in a hotel room in The Slow, a boutique hotel in Bali.
11. Don’t neglect smell. Choose a natural, woody scent.
If you’ve ever visited a One hotel, you’ll understand the incredible power of scent in enhancing the beauty and ambience of any space. All of these hotels have a signature scent of cedar, sandalwood, and amber, that is very close to Le Labo’s infamous Santal 33. I used to do yoga at a studio right by the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Park, and I would take the long way home just to pass through the stunning hotel lobby, complete with a live green plant wall, just to catch a whiff of this beautiful, intoxicating scent.
A natural, woody room scent can elevate your organic modern living room with an air of sophistication and elegance. Here are a few of my personal favorite room scents:
Palo Santo Reed Diffuser by Brooklyn Candle Company
This is a pleasant, subtly sweet scent that I consider to be universally appealing. I had one of these Palo Santo reed diffusers in my Brooklyn apartment going for half a year and used to get many compliments on this clean, cozy scent.
Santal 26 Home Fragrance by Le Labo
Yes, this scent is literally ubiquitous now, but I honestly wouldn’t mind an even greater percentage of planet earth smelling like this. Le Labo really brought sandalwood into the mainstream consciousness and maybe we should all be grateful for that.
1 Hotels Signature Room Spray
You can buy the original secret sauce from the 1 Hotels themselves! Bring a loungey, chic, hotel vibe to your own home with this incredible scent.
12. Embrace minimalism.
Part of the organic modern ethos is embracing sustainability and nature, in all of its beauty and imperfection. Hence, embracing minimalism and minimizing one’s environmental footprint should be at the forefront of any organic modern interior designer’s mind.
Choose furniture pieces that are informed by necessity, function and timeless appeal. Take your time with decorating. You don’t have to buy everything all at once. Sometimes, the most beautiful treasures take time to be discovered. Empty spaces leave room for mementos to be collected from your future trips and design adventures.
I hope these 12 organic modern interior design tips have provided enough inspiration for you to begin designing your own organic modern abode. For more interior design inspiration, check out this section of Room Salad.
