Brazilian Rainforest
Lush indoor & outdoor concept with exotic plants
Rainforest in the city
Word goes fast when people are happy. We got this assignment through satisfied clients who persuaded their friends to get in touch with us. With this design we wanted to move away from the concept of a garden with straight lines, concrete planters and a maple tree in the centre. So instead we went for something completely different.
Subtropic chaos
There’s a view on the garden from every window. In fact, the garden is the heart of the home. We had to made sure the garden looked interesting from every angle. We played around with the differences in levels and created a small hill with a slowly growing moss. We also added perennials and grass against the windows to accentuate the feeling of a terrarium.
Exotic flowers
What makes the garden really lush is the combination of exotic plants and flowers, such as tree ferns, Kangaroo paws, African trees, bamboo, Persicaria and a bright mix of colors and textures. Some plants are very delicate and sensitive and must be kept inside during winter season. But what makes the garden really remarkable is the path, which consists of pieces of slate, reminding you of a dried out river bed. Most gardens have a seating area. As you can see the owners rather preferred to use all available space for greenery, although they have a little white elevated niche where they toss in pillows and chill out in the sun.
Tree inside
We really wanted to blur the lines between the interior and the exterior. The indoor color palette flows outside, but it’s the gigantic Mediterranean Dracaena tree in the concrete floor in the kitchen that does the trick. The tree is about 40 to 60 years old and was brought in by a crane. We installed a steel ring in the floor and concrete was cast afterwards. Next step is to arrange the roof and continue the eclectic and lush atmosphere upstairs.
Indoor room with an outdoor feel
In this home the connection between indoors and out looks seamless. Here are three ways to smooth the transition. Try to use the same flooring material for in and out and opt for a level transition without steps. Hold in mind a sense of continuity by painting the indoor walls in the same color as the outdoor walls. If you have the means, go for a more structural solution: install accordion, hinged or pocket doors that may be pushed aside to eliminate entire walls. Blurring the lines between inside and outside has never looked so good!
Text by Magali Elali — Photography by Bart Kiggen