Natures Contours – Trend & Design Mood Board

Natures contours have fascinated me since London Design Festival about five years ago, so this mood board is dedicated to the innovative designs that celebrate this natural topographic trend.

Natures contours create form through curves and lines in mountains and lakes, as well as undulations in the ground. Although not from nature, I also love the structure of how cities, towns and estates create shapes too.

I love how linear designs can be made to look like 3D structures, even when they are two dimensional, and this is a beautiful feature of contour lines that add extra depth to a designers work.

Adding structural elements means light relief is created through weaving or the layering of materials. I particularly love this when used in paper or fabric due to the tactile nature that is formed.

Listent to the natures contours trend on the Elevate Your Curiosity Podcast for more information too!

Contour (noun) 1. (usually contours) An outline representing or bounding the shape or form of something.

1.1 An outline of a natural feature such as a hill.

Contour (verb) 2. Mark (a map or diagram) with contour lines.

Key natures contours design styles to be inspired by:

Creating light relief by layering materials or drawings that create depth or the illusion of this
City grid shapes create a new take on the geometric trend to update this popular theme
Mixing natural and man-made materials to represent city and nature (such as wood and resin) in furniture and home accessories
Repeated linear patterns. Using lines in an irregular way to create uneven repeats.

Does the lay of the land inspire your work, and if so do you prefer natural or man-made contours? Let me know in the comments or over on Insta!