Natural & Sustainable: 10 Global Interior Styles That Embrace the Earth

A grounded look at design traditions that honour nature, craft, and conscious living

Interior trends continue to move away from fast fads towards meaning and longevity and alongside this, the love for spaces that reflect the natural world. Across continents and cultures, many interior styles have long embraced natural materials, slow living and a respect for craft.

Today, these timeless principles are more relevant than ever. At Stripe Interiors, we believe homes should not only look good but feel good too.

The following 10 design styles are rooted in sustainability, simplicity and beauty — and each offers its own way to reconnect with the world around us. Whether through materials, philosophy, or cultural heritage, these earthy aesthetics help turn homes into calming, grounded sanctuaries for modern living.

1. African Safari Style

Rooted in East & Southern African safari camps, this warm, weathered look blends natural elegance with a love of the outdoors. It draws inspiration from luxury tented camps, colonial-era touches and handcrafted textiles such as Kuba and beautiful basketry for storage. Think leather, canvas, teak, mosquito nets, vintage travel trunks, wildlife accents and cool cotton. 

2. Moroccan Natural

This style is rich in texture and detail, yet grounded in earthy, handcrafted charm. It brings together ancient materials with artisan techniques to create soulful, sustainable spaces that cope with the extremes of mountain and desert climates. 

Key elements include: Tadelakt plaster walls, Berber handwoven rugs, brass lanterns, Zellige tiles, carved wooden screens and cotton, layered seating. 

This sun-washed, earthy style is inspired by arid landscapes and slow, indoor-outdoor living. It’s minimal, warm, and refreshingly unpolished.

Key elements: Reclaimed timber, adobe tones, stone, leather, cacti, desert grasses.

Rooted in: Sub-Saharan Africa
Focused on deep-rooted heritage and raw beauty, this style is rich in craft and material honesty. Expect powerful pattern, hand-hewn objects, and bold, grounded palettes. From mud-cloth designs to Ndebele colour, carved wood, sisal, terracotta, natural dyes, this look can be bold, bright and fun. 

5. Japanese Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-Sabi is an aesthetic philosophy that embraces imperfection and impermanence. Wabi-Sabi interiors are humble, calming and connected to natural cycles. Don't think of imperfections as a fault, think of them as hand-crafted and natural lines rather than factory symmetry.

6. Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is less about a region and more about a mindset—creating environments that deepen our connection with nature. It’s scientifically proven to improve wellbeing. Living plants, daylight, organic shapes, water features and green walls feature heavily but it's more than just overloading with plants. For more on this, click here to read our biophilic design blog. 

7. South American Andean Style

Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador,  with mountainous natural influences, this look is rich in textiles, earthy hues, and raw materials, this style blends indigenous craft traditions with local materials: woven alpaca throws, earthenware pottery, rustic timber, natural wool rugs.

8. Tropical Modernism

With influences from Southeast Asia to the Caribbean and Sri Lanka, this style combines clean modern lines with tropical materials and plant life; it celebrates breezy architecture and local materials in a sustainable way. Key elements include: bamboo, concrete, ceiling fans, leafy plants, cross-ventilation and open layouts to welcome the outside in.

9. Australian Inspired Naturalism

Indigenous Australian culture is grounded in storytelling through nature-inspired patterns, earthy pigments and handcrafted pieces. Ochre colours, earthy reds, yellows and browns, along with muted greens and blues inspired by the Australian landscape are key with bark textures, woven grass and other natural materials that add depth and interest to the space.

10. Sustainable Contemporary

This forward-thinking design approach combines sleek modern aesthetics with eco-conscious materials, processes and long-term thinking to upkeep and maintenance. It’s understated, ethical, and elegant. Recycled and FSC-certified wood, eco-paints, vintage pieces, natural textiles, modular furniture.

These 10 styles each offer a meaningful way to decorate that considers both people and planet. Whether you’re inspired by the windswept deserts of Morocco or the layered heritage of Sub-Saharan Africa, there’s a natural style to suit your home and values and with natural products as your starting point, which direction will your Room Story take? Share your favourite natural design moments with us—we’d love to see how you’re bringing more texture, calm and consciousness into your space.