 Space and light, the twin luxuries of design, are inseparable and supreme. Studying our responses to them in various outdoor settings can give us ideas for using them in our own designs.
Reflective materials increase the perceived volume and luminosity of exterior as well as interior spaces.
Study nature’s color combinations in botanical, animal, and geologic forms.
The earth and sky are perceived by the senses. Combine sight, sound, smell, and touch in order to fully communicate your ideas of comfort and beauty. The sense of taste, regularly stimulated by the foods and beverages we serve in our outdoor living rooms, also enhances pleasure and comfort.
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Nature is strong and soft, quiet and loud, melodic and atonal, ragged and smooth, predictable and spontaneous, methodical and careless, subtle and bold, ordered and random. Follow her lead by embracing variety. Never lock yourself into a restrictive methodology or any one notion for success. Explore first, edit later.
Nature teaches us to adapt to our surroundings, suiting the colors, textures, and layers of our design schemes to our environmental context.
Living things breathe, move, repeat, grow, adapt and change. They take in fuel and eliminate waste. Design, too, works best when it remains a fluid process. So, for example, as your family and work lives change as you move through life, it is essential to bring in new ideas and eliminate those that have become obsolete. Furthermore, during the design process mental flexibility – the ability to tweak, adjust, or alter your design as you go – is invaluable. |
