Natural materials can completely change the feel of a room. Wood, stone, rattan, wicker, pottery, terracotta, shells and dried botanicals bring warmth, texture and an organic touch that can make a home feel more connected to the outdoors.
And when you choose vintage versions of these materials, you get something even better: character.
Vintage natural materials don't have to make your home feel rustic, farmhouse or overly themed. In fact, some of my favorite pieces are the ones that blend effortlessly into all kinds of decorating styles. A beautifully carved wooden piece, an interesting stone object or a vintage rattan table can add texture and warmth without making your home feel like you've tried too hard to create a particular look.
As someone who sources vintage for my booths and also incorporates these pieces throughout my own home, I've found that natural materials are some of the easiest vintage pieces to decorate with.
Start With Wood and Stone
If you're not sure where to begin, wood and stone are two of my favorite natural materials to bring into a home.
They work with almost any decorating style and don't tend to make a room feel overly decorated or staged. They can work beautifully with modern furniture, colorful collected decor, vintage pieces, plants or even more eclectic spaces.
When I'm sourcing vintage, intricately carved wooden pieces are especially hard for me to pass up. I love seeing the beautiful design and craftsmanship in vintage-made decor. The carving, variations in the wood and signs of age give these pieces a character that can be difficult to recreate with something brand new.
Stone is another favorite. Small carved stone pieces, decorative objects and natural stone accents can add weight and texture to a room without overwhelming it. Marble, onyx and other interesting stones can also bring in an earthy element while still feeling elegant.
The key is that you don't need a room full of natural materials. One interesting carved piece on a shelf or a stone object incorporated into a vignette can be enough to add that connection to nature.
Let Rattan and Wicker Add Texture
Rattan and wicker are natural choices for bringing an outdoor feeling indoors, but they don't have to be limited to patios or sunrooms.
Vintage rattan and wicker furniture can add texture and warmth to dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms and entryways. Smaller wicker baskets and decorative pieces can work just as easily.
One of my favorite examples in my own home is a vintage two-tier rattan plant table in my dining room, sitting underneath a window. The table itself adds that natural texture, but what really makes it work is everything I've layered onto it.
I have plants in vintage handmade pottery planters and terracotta pots, with some of them sitting on wooden carved trivets. There's also a handmade pottery owl, small seashells I've collected from different vacations and little carved stone Buddha plaques.
Above it all, the window becomes another part of the display. I have a large vintage wooden Buddha, a mosaic "Namaste" sign, a brass Ganesha figurine and a few small bud vases that I use for propagating plants.
Below the table, I've added plant accessories, a few books and vintage wooden carved plant stands.
None of these pieces necessarily came from the same collection or were purchased specifically to go together. And that's part of what I love most about decorating with vintage! You can layer things you've found, collected or loved over time and create something that feels personal rather than staged.
Bring In Plants and Pottery
Of course, one of the easiest ways to bring the outdoors inside is with actual plants.
But the containers you use can make just as much of an impact.
Vintage handmade pottery planters and terracotta pots are two of my favorites. They have enough variation in color, texture and shape to keep a plant display from looking too uniform.
Terracotta is particularly versatile. Its warm, earthy color works beautifully with wood, stone, rattan, brass and greenery. Handmade pottery can add another layer of personality, especially when you find an unusual shape or something that shows the maker's hand.
And don't overlook small pottery pieces. A handmade ceramic animal, a little pottery vessel or an unusual planter can become part of a shelf or vignette even if it isn't being used for a plant.
Don't Forget the Small Natural Details
Some of the easiest natural materials to incorporate are the little things.
Seashells from vacations, interesting stones you've picked up while traveling, dried flowers, branches and other natural objects can make a room feel collected and personal.
Dried florals and botanicals are also excellent filler pieces when I'm sourcing for my booths. You can put them into a tiny bud vase, vintage cup or small pottery vessel and suddenly you've added another layer of texture and nature to a vignette.
I especially like these smaller natural elements because they don't require a major decorating commitment. You can tuck a few dried stems into a collection of books, add a shell to a shelf or place a small stone object beside a plant.
These little details can make a room feel like it has evolved naturally over time.
Use Natural Materials With Vintage Brass
Natural materials don't have to stay in the "earthy and rustic" category.
One of my favorite ways to add a little contrast is by combining them with brass.
Larger vintage brass pieces with a beautiful patina can be especially wonderful. I don't automatically think something needs to be polished just because it's old. Sometimes that age and patina are exactly what make the piece interesting.
Try pairing a carved wooden object with a brass figurine, a stone piece with an aged brass candlestick or a collection of greenery with brass and pottery.
The combination of warm wood, natural stone, greenery and aged metal creates a layered look without everything feeling like it came from the same store.
Driftwood Doesn't Have to Be the Whole Story
Driftwood is another natural material I enjoy sourcing, particularly during the warmer months. It can add a beautiful organic shape and texture to a space.
But I think natural materials work best when they're part of a larger collection rather than when you decorate an entire room around one theme.
You probably don't need driftwood everywhere.
Instead, use a piece alongside pottery, books, plants, stone or wood. The contrast between different natural textures is what makes the display interesting.
The same idea applies to almost any natural material. You don't need to fill your house with wicker just because you love wicker. You don't need seashells in every room because you like coastal pieces.
A little goes a long way.
What I Look For When I'm Vintage Shopping
When I'm sourcing natural vintage pieces, craftsmanship is one of the first things that catches my eye.
Intricately carved wooden decor is a great example. When you can see the detail and time that went into making something, it immediately becomes more interesting to me.
But condition matters too.
I will pass on severely chipped or damaged pieces, regardless of how interesting they are. I also generally don't buy wooden pieces that are severely beaten up or require a major repair.
For me, there's a point where the amount of time and money required to restore something simply isn't worth it. Someone else may be fantastic at taking a severely damaged piece and turning it into something amazing, and I absolutely admire people who have that skill. It's just not the type of restoration work that makes sense for the way I source and sell vintage.
I'm looking for pieces that already have something special about them.
A little age, wear and patina? Absolutely.
Major damage that requires a complete overhaul? Usually a pass.
You Don't Need a Perfectly Styled Home
One of the things I love most about decorating with natural materials is that I don't think there are many serious decorating mistakes you can make.
These materials are naturally forgiving.
Wood, stone, pottery, rattan and greenery have variations in color and texture, so they don't need to be perfectly matched. In fact, I think they look better when they aren't.
The biggest thing I'd watch out for is simply too much.
You don't need to fill every available surface with natural objects. Give furniture and decor room to breathe. Be thoughtful about the size of the pieces you're bringing into your home.
That enormous carved wooden armoire might be incredible, but if it takes up half your room, it may not be the right piece for your space.
The same goes for smaller decor. A collection can be beautiful without covering every inch of a shelf.
Let Your Home Feel Collected
The best natural-material spaces don't necessarily look like someone went shopping for "nature-inspired decor."
They look collected.
Maybe there's a rattan table you've had for years, a handmade pottery planter you found at a vintage shop, a shell from a family vacation, a carved stone object, a few plants and a beautiful piece of old wood.
Those individual pieces may not match perfectly, and they don't need to.
That's part of the beauty of decorating with vintage.
You can combine things made from different natural materials, from different eras and from different places, and create a home that feels personal and lived in.
For me, bringing the outdoors inside isn't about creating a perfectly themed room. It's about adding texture, warmth, craftsmanship and little reminders of the natural world.
And sometimes, the best pieces are the ones that make you stop and think, I don't know exactly where I'll put this yet, but I absolutely love it.