Incorporating natural interior building materials into a space can create a sense of visual warmth and authenticity which enhance the overall ambiance and atmosphere of a room. Since we are all about natural materials there is plenty of them in and around our home.

Detail of natural wooden beam ceiling made of spruce — *Image credit: Staying Cosy*

Beyond their absolutely lovely raw look one of the main reasons why we opted primarily for these materials are their health benefits.

Wooden Ceilings

Our house is of natural timber construction. The main load-bearing beams that stretch the length of the house, as well as the timber ceilings, are exposed. Both are made of solid spruce and have been treated with natural oils. This way the wood's natural moisture-regulating qualities are preserved.

Wood also has excellent sound-absorbing properties. It helps prevent echoes and reduces noise — which is a big deal in our house, where we love music. And I mean three different tracks playing in three different rooms. Oh yes, it's a vibe! Just goes to show how little things can make a big difference.

Another 'invisible' benefit of wood is that it doesn’t generate static electricity, which can be harmful to humans - thanks to its non-conductive nature.

Clay Plaster

Absolutely love this one! It’s not perfect, it has its flaws, but it it just so worth it!

We quite literally have sticky, gooey clay from digging our house foundations smeared on the walls. And you know what? It’s actually amazing! Along with the wood, it helps regulate indoor humidity levels — which is super important in a wooden structure, where the air could otherwise get too dry.

And I’ve got proof it works. My husband, a total tech enthusiast, has been secretly tracking indoor climate data with hidden sensors all over the house. Safe to say — the moisture balance is spot on.

“One unexpected surprise feature is our clay living room wall, situated in the middle of our house. It is built of solid clay-non-fired bricks and plastered with clay; it acts as our most important natural indoor air quality regulator. ”

Beige hand plastered clay wall with green plant in banana leaf planter — A full clay wall in our living room. The edges of the hand finished clay plaster are round and soft.
Image credit: Staying Cosy

Given the volume of the building, our clay plaster specialist suggested we keep one of the brick walls entirely made of clay, as the mass of it would better regulate the air moisture levels. The clay plaster alone was insufficient. In addition, by using clay I can also tick boxes for heat accumulation, sound absorption, non-conductivity and another, a rather unique quality.

Have you ever heard of negative oxygen ions?

It’s also known as the air vitamin. I have, but the first time I just didn’t connect the dots. A high concentration of negative ions keeps air clean and helps our bodies absorb more oxygen. Just like outside in a forest, or by a sea side. The fresh, mountain-like air is a healing balm for our soul. It is as important as the water and food we consume. And what do you think help to release negative ions?

“Natural, untreated or oiled materials are able to keep our indoor air high in ions, therefore improving the air quality. ”

This is a win-win solution as you don’t need any additional air purifier! The materials around your home can do it for you. Is this not one of the best reasons to go natural? And if you are still not convinced, the presence of negative air ions increases psychological health, productivity, and keeps dust at bay.

Sometimes I feel this fresh coolness on my face inside my house, despite warm weather. I never knew what it was, but as enlightened as I am now, I believe it is the air ions doing their job.

Cork Floors

When designing the flooring, we knew we didn’t want any tiles. They are made of clay, they are natural, robust and nearly indestructible, and come in a variety of designs. I could go on and on. We don't wear shoes indoors and mainly walk barefoot. I can’t even get my kids to wear socks! Simply put, walking on hard surfaces damages the spine.

Why are flexible timber parquets used for dance floors?

Well, exactly for this reason. When we step outside, the dirt, grass, sand and stones all massage our feet while maintaining our spine's flexibility.

Cork is softer than wood.

It’s not as hardwearing, but as long as you don't poke it with anything sharp, it stays pretty intact. I probably wouldn’t put it in the main pathways and activity areas, and that’s the reason why it ended up being our bathroom and utility floor. I couldn't imagine myself stepping onto a cold, hard flat tile after getting out of a shower or sorting the laundry. Even though we have underfloor heating, in summer the tile floor would stay cold regardless. Unless, we want to waste unnecessary energy to keep heating it despite the warm weather.

I also love the softness of cork underneath my feet. Doing laundry, I have to kneel on occasion and it's extremely nice to touch a soft surface like that. I honestly can’t recommend cork enough. I really think that as a flooring option, it is a little bit underrated.

Hardwood Floors & Countertops

All of the above also applies to our lovely oiled oak floor. It is made of layered solid wood boards with combed surface to give it an uneven texture. The difference between varnished and oiled wood in this case is really to our advantage. Any damage can be easily repaired by filling with wood filler and re-oiling it. In fact, I'll be refinishing and re-oiling our solid wood counter tops very soon. Keep an eye out for this upcoming project.

Wood is one of the most versatile materials. It is

aesthetically pleasing
easy to fix and work with
strong yet durable
electricity and heat resistant
renewable and biodegradable.

Wood Cladding

The cladding on our walls was not really considered for aesthetic purposes, but rather as a wall finish instead of a standard plaster or dry wall. It was meant to be painted, varnished or wall papered. Well, it still is. For now, we’re happy with how it looks and the warmth it brings.

I am considering, however, to wallpaper it in some areas. As it is not a priority number one right now, we’re still going to be enjoying the lovely spruce look for some time. Our cladding has not been treated with any oil or varnish, so it still offers amazing moisture regulating properties and even after a couple of years it sill gives off the unmistakable raw wood smell.

Half of black painting hanging on spruce cladded wall — Solid spruce cladded walls are a joy to look at.
Image credit: Staying Cosy

Wooden Windows

Wooden windows appeal to me because of their timeless look, and the technologies utilised by manufacturers today make them far more robust than they used to be.

I remember having the option of choosing between a wood-aluminium combination window frame, plastic frame, pure aluminium frame, and wooden frame windows. Obviously, the plastic alternative was ruled out right away. Metal, especially on the inside, did not strike me as very appealing. The combination of aluminium and wood was OK, and we were considering it for a while, but in the end, solid wood won over all of them.

“I guess I am a conservative traditionalist in terms of windows, or maybe not just them?”

They are my secret pride and joy. Yes, the bars are permanently fixed, but they do not make cleaning any more difficult. If you love your windows, you will always wash them with love, too. Besides, there are numerous gadgets available to assist us with this task.

Having lived with my wooden windows for almost five years now, I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Two white framed windows featuring potted flowers, with white wooden deck railing in front of them — Image credit: Staying Cosy

Wool Carpets

I am putting the carpets last since we don’t have them yet. They’ve always been planned, it’s just that they haven’t managed to climb up high enough on our priority list, yet. We've only had temporary low-cost synthetic carpets so far. In fact, one of them is a 20-year-old hand-me-down that still looks amazing!

We do however have a lovely wool rug in our living room. It is incredibly comfortable and dense pile and reassures me about my future carpet choice. Though I can’t wait for the real thing, in a way I am glad we don’t have our proper & expensive wool carpets, yet. When the kids were small those floors have seen their fair share of pee, puke and worse.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the materials in and around my home. I tried to focus on the larger wall and floor coverings because they have the most impact on our interior environment. I'll be detailing the properties of raw building materials soon. Stay tuned!

Natural Materials Around My Home