For many people, making a house a home involves incorporating natural materials and into their building and design strategies. By creating spaces that have the look and feel of the outside world, homeowners and contractors can bring the tranquility of nature indoors while also maintaining a sense of intimacy.

Taking inspiration from the natural world
When you begin a design or construction project, it's important to find inspiration in all manner of places. In nature, four and a half billion years of trial and error have produced the kinds of concepts that will serve you well when you look for insights into creating a comfortable yet eye-catching indoor or outdoor space.

Whether you're trying to decide which materials to use, or looking for design patterns, the examples you see all around you can be the best place to start your process.

Natural materials and amenities
Hardwood floors are always an excellent place to start when trying to assimilate natural elements into your home or commercial spaces. Among the many options available, bamboo floors provide an option that not only captures the kind of rustic feel you may be looking for, they're also a sustainable alternative to more traditional maple or oak. And if you're going to take your inspiration from nature, shouldn't you also opt for something that returns the favor?

If you want to carry that theme over to other surfaces, bamboo panels are also an excellent option for decorating your walls and cabinets. They can work as extensions of your floors while providing a smooth, attractive finish that will have you luxuriating in your wood-finished oasis.

Outdoor areas with an outdoor feel
Porches, balconies and decks often transpose indoor styles on outdoor areas. But using plastics and metals to build and decorate an outdoor recreation and relaxation area is like eating a spoon with a bowl of soup. Instead, consider molding those spaces so that they complement their natural surroundings.

Bamboo decking is one way to achieve that aesthetic. By giving your deck or patio a wood-finished look, it will become a seamless extension of its surroundings, making it appear as if your home melds into its environment. By using that sort of design concept, you will make your backyard or public commercial space a place where people want to gather to commune with nature, not set themselves apart from it.

Through nature, we are constantly surrounded by an aura only remotely captured by the word "beauty." Do right by yourself and take advantage of it.