10 Unique Decorating and Landscaping Ideas to Transform Your Space

Adding decorations and landscaping are vital to have a space that is easy on the eyes and inviting. The right choices can help remodel the areas inside your home and enhance the areas outside your home. This article showcases ten unique decorating and landscaping ideas to refresh your living space. From indoor oases to outdoor getaways, these ideas have varied, endless and tailored potential to fit your needs and styles.

Indoor Vertical Gardens

Even if you are short on space, vertical gardens are a wonderful opportunity to incorporate the magic of the natural world into your home. It is easy to create an incredible green wall with wall-mounted planters, trellises, or hanging pots. This method improves the interior of your home, and encourages a positive mood. There is also the added benefit of indoor plant varieties that clean the air. Indoor plants come in a range of growth patterns and habits.

The Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) and English Ivy (Hedera helix) will provide the most stunning dangling plants. Both are very durable and withstand a low amount of light. Still, for a greater color pop, the Wandering Dude (Tradescantia zebrina) gives out bright unique purple and silver cut outs. More herbs like rosemary and creeping thyme can contribute to having a fragrant smell and spice greater the convenience of a living wall as well.

Eclectic Mix of Patterns

If you like to art, you might want to consider patterns and tiling. Distinctive impulsive designs, prints and textures create a lively and art visually, for unique designs. The best use of tiles is to choose a good color combination as a single theme.

Having a mat can be a good start as a foundation. You can then be free to choose a hybrid of pillow designs, floral and floral, geo, and abstract, as well as not to be shy to choose a mix of a good amount of scales in a chair, and a few small prints in curtains and light designs.

Solar-Powered Outdoor Lighting

Solar-powered outdoor lighting provides unique opportunities to modernize outdoor lighting. They turn the lighting into eco-friendly, money-saving appliances, processing and absorbing sunlight during the day and turning on automatically to light up the garden, patio, or path after dark. Numerous modern solar-powered appliances such as ambient pathway lights, or decorative string lights can be used to tie through outdoor elements like pergolas, and trees and turn the lights into fun lighting for parties.

Solar stake lights can also be used to outline garden beds or walkways to provide a safe and inviting pathway for outdoor activities at night. Walk lantern solar lights provide outdoor charm to hanging lights over tables to seating arrangements, encouraging a stay. This can amplify the time outdoor areas can be used after dark and be a solar ambient device.

Zen-Outdoors

Designing a Zen garden is a great way to bring the practice of mindfulness outdoors to a quiet relaxing space. Zen embodies simplicity and natural elements that focus on tranquility. This can include a small bubbling fountain that provides soothing white noise, contrasting natural elements like rocks and stones, and dedicated areas for meditation or quiet reflection.

For a Zen garden, choosing the right plants is essential. Look for plants that have soft, delicate foliage, and bring a sense of calm, like Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum). It is best to use bamboo to create a natural screen. However, only use types of bamboo that clump, like Fargesia, so as to not ruin the garden with invasive roots. Ground covers, like moss, and low shrubs, like Dwarf Junipers, round out the gentle and sleek appearance of the garden.

Accent Walls with Natural Materials

Designing an accent wall with natural materials adds a focal point, while also incorporating texture, warmth, and the sense of the outside. Reclaimed wood, for example, is a wonderful rustic and warm wood that can be used to create an entire wall in a bedroom or living room. It brings a lot of character through the different colors and grains.

Another great option is stone veneer, which makes it look like there is a full stone wall, but is a lot lighter and less expensive. It is great for redoing a fireplace or as a backdrop for a dining room. You can also use textured tiles and cork or even grasscloth wallpaper to bring beauty and depth to the wall, making it a full artwork.

Drought-Tolerant Landscaping (Xeriscaping)

For regions where water is scarce, or for homeowners who want a low-maintenance yard, drought tolerant landscaping is a practical, sustainable choice. This approach, also called xeriscaping, utilizes plants that do well after establishment and don’t require much water. Popular choices are succulents, which come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and cacti.

Plants like Agave add a signauture architectural form and flowers with perennials like Lavender, Salvia, and Yarrow. These plants conserve water, and help in the attraction of pollinators. Gradual plants like Blue Fescue also add a signauture touch with soft texture and movement. To cut down water even more, use gravel, mulch, or decorative stones in place of a conventional yard.

Bohemian-inspired decor

Bohemian style decor embraces a free-spirited, artistic, relaxed approach. This style that focuses on the details and the individual. To attain this style use rich colors, and a variety of tin furniture with fabrics and textiles from around the world. Layering is a crucial part of this decor style, so use multiple rugs, floor cushions for relaxed seating, and a variety of different textures like velvet, macrame, and linen.Plants that go in the bohemian style are an important part of the design. Have a jungle full of greenery in the room. For example, The Monstera Deliciosa and Fiddle Leaf Fig have very large leafs and are very bold. Also, tiered, organic looks are created by string of pearls and macramé holder that is a type of hanging plant. There are also vintage and personal pieces to set the room apart.

Multi function Outdoor Structures

Incorporate outdoor space with more structures that work for multifunctions. One of them is a pergola. It can bring shade and also define outdoor living as well. Super great structures can bring great value like adding a patio.

Climbing plants like Wisteria or Clematis are great for making a fragrant and beautiful canopy below the pergola. Built-in seats are also great. Small placed gazebos work great for larger gardens and bring a focus point in an area or can be used for a small reading nook.

Minimalistic Indoor Oasis

Focus on simplicity and a small collection of plants and decor because that emulates a minimalist indoor oasis perfectly. This style of decor gives off the impression of being in an oasis within a peaceful and clutterless space/ each item has its own meaning. Fill the room with neutral colors of white, gray, brown, and tan. This will make the space feel even more peaceful.

To enhance the feeling of being outdoors, pick light furniture materials such as light wood and soft linen. When picking plants, try to pick the ones that are strong in shape and big with architectural forms. A good idea would be a Snake Plant or a ZZ Plant, They are good choices because they are lower maintenance, and minimalist as well.

Repurposed and Upcycled Decor

Incorporating unique and customized repurposed and upcycled items into decor can be a very sustainable and creative process. It will give the space a more unique and customized vibe as well. Old wooden ladders can become stylish shelving units for books or plants, and vintage suitcase stacks can serve as side tables.

While at flea markets and thrift stores, keep an eye out for furniture that has a solid structure and finish. With a quick touch of paint or furnishing, you'll revamp it completely. Also, empty glass jars can hold candles or flowers. There are endless creative options, allowing for a unique and personalized home.

Transform Your Garden with TN Nursery

Want to see your ideas for the garden come to life? First, choose the theme! Would you like to have a peaceful Zen escape area? Colorful bohemian garden? Or a water-wise low-maintenance garden? The choices of plants are endless! TN Nursery has a great selection of trees, shrubs, and plants that are ready to help you with your garden project. Check out the online website!

FAQs

What landscaping adds the most value to a home?

The most valuable landscaping will come from well-maintained plants that are purposefully arranged. This includes lots of clean and low-maintenance grass, well-maintained trees, and colorful flowers. Make sure to also add functional landscaping for socializing like a deck or patio!

What are the seven steps involved in the design of a landscape?

The most important steps involved in the design of a landscape include the following: outline your vision and goals, create a base map of your property, perform a site analysis of your soils and shade, create a functional bubble diagram, select a design theme, choose the materials and plants to be used in the design, and develop the final design.

What is the 3 4 5 rule in decorating?

Groupings of odd numbers, particularly 3, 5, and 7, are most visually pleasing. When staging a shelf, coffee table, or mantel, please vary the height and use different shapes to create a balanced, interesting design within the space.

What is the golden ratio in landscaping?

In landscaping, and almost every other form of art and design, the golden ratio is a great element to have your proportions very well balanced to the eye. It shows the how the different elements of the landscape design are supposed to relate to each other, for example the height of plants and pots you place the plants in.

What is the 80/20 rule in decorating?

The 80 20 decorating rule is the suggestion that 80% of your space should follow a single theme or a main design style, and the other 20% can be used for a style that contrasts your chosen main design style. This should create a cohesive design that does not feel cluttered and chaotic.

What is the 60-30-10 rule of decorating?

This is a well established color rule that helps create a well balanced scheme. 60% of the room should be a dominating color which is often the color of the walls, 30% is a secondary color often the color of the furniture, and 10% is an accent color which can be added through pillows, art and other decor items to add a pop of personality.

What is the golden rule for home décor?

The ultimate golden rule is to create a space that you love and that truly reflects you and your personality and lifestyle. While design principles are great guides, your home should be a joy and a comfort which makes it your own sanctuary.

Tammy Sons, Horticulture Expert

Written by Tammy Sons

Tammy Sons is a horticulture expert and the CEO of TN Nursery, specializing in native plants, perennials, ferns, and sustainable gardening. With more than 35 years of hands-on growing experience, she has helped gardeners and restoration teams across the country build thriving, pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Learn more about Tammy →