BRINGING OUTDOORS IN GARDEN CHIC IS ON THE RISE ... IN INTERIOR DESIGN.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

When you bring the outdoors inside, it's spring all year.

Without the hay fever.

Inspired by the Victorians' passion for indoor plants, the newest decorating trend is so nature-driven that boundaries are becoming a blur of green.

The idea of taking colors from the landscape and bringing them inside is what Connecticut architect Melanie Taylor calls ``seamless'' decorating. A recent guest speaker at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, Taylor believes the key to blending the outdoors with the indoors is bigger, taller windows for a better view of the garden or greenbelt.

But interior designers say the garden-room effect can be achieved in a number of ways that don't require a building permit.

``This is the season when one's focal point is the exterior, so focus on the lighter, fresher environment by getting rid of your tchotchkes and clutter, rolling up the rugs and painting the walls a soft green or bright white,'' says Vicente Wolf, the New York interior designer who was recently in town to decorate the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Wolf, who is the author of the new design book ``Learning to See'' (Artisan; $40), suggests slipcovering the sofa in a solid white with sunny yellow pillows or using an English-inspired floral print or French toile fabric that is traditionally an outdoor scene. Then bring in some wicker - he adores white - and make cushions of the same fabrics to give the room a sense of garden.

When Valley Village designer Carol Jacobs decorated the sun room for the Pasadena Showcase House of Design this year, she picked a green foliage print with bits of brown branches and birds. ``It was very natural, not overly flowery,'' says Jacobs, who believes a garden theme doesn't have to be frilly and feminine.

Although dark green is losing its panache, Jacobs says color experts are predicting softer shades of green such as sage, moss and olive will predominate our color palettes for the next three or four years, often punched up with brights such as lilac or rose.

Other ways to brighten the house, she adds, are lamps with soft, low-wattage lighting - 60-watt bulbs or less - which are more like natural sunlight.

While the Victorians were fond of ferns on wooden stands, they've been replaced by potted ficus trees. Back from the '70s, this hearty indoor/outdoor tree is in vogue again, looking new with a twisted or braided trunk, says Jacobs.

If you're trying to create a tropical cabana ambience, she suggests placing a few potted fishtail palms, noted for their shorter leaves, around the room.

That island look hasn't gone unnoticed by manufacturers, who are offering a wide range of decorating tools - from bird-of-paradise fabrics to grass mats for the table and floor. At Pottery Barn stores, you can find rope-weave tables with a cabana spirit, while Strouds offers hibiscus-print comforters and real raffia bed skirts.

``Regardless of your theme, the reason garden style is appealing is because it's so affordable. ... All you need are a few outdoor elements that are weathered and whimsical,'' says Linda Hallan, editor of ``Garden Style'' (Meredith Books; $34.95).

Among her favorite garden icons are a painted bench in the foyer, a birdbath turned into a side table with a round of glass on top, and a pair of wrought-iron bistro chairs pulled in from the patio.

``Wrought iron is such a neutral material that it can go anywhere - indoors or out - and mixes well with traditional or contemporary furniture,'' explains Dana Neillie, designer/owner of Rest Area Home Furnishings. The North Hollywood TV producer-turned-designer specializes in wrought iron with accents drawn from nature. Her signature design is leaf leg accents on chairs and tables with hand-painted tiles and silk cushions with embroidered flowers. It sounds girly, but it's really more whimsical and can appeal to men or women, she adds.

Oh, forget the birdbath and whimsy and go for drama, argues Wolf. His idea of fresh-from-the-garden is a simple bouquet of pink tulips next to a plate of green apples. Or a huge vase stuffed with two dozen limes or lemons - which, he adds, are the decorator's produce of the moment ...

Now, about those windows on the great outdoors.

To get the maximum greenhouse effect, Wolf suggests a Roman shade made of translucent fabric or gauzy curtains hung at the ceiling line instead of the top of the window. If you're fond of traditional draperies (and there are rumors they're making a comeback), he suggests installing them ceiling-to-floor, hanging very straight on each side of the window (without puddling).

Or give your draperies a summer vacation and watch the boundary between in and out disappear through open windows.

Fresh moves

Soft green walls

Wrought iron or wicker

Slipcovered sofa

Nature prints

Fruit and flowers

Airy window coverings

Garden icons (statues, birdbaths)

Potted ficus trees

Sisal or grass rugs

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Bring nature indoors with real twig branches used as drapery rods and lampshades trimmed with silk leaves. Courtesy of ``Garden Style.''

(2 -- 3 -- color) Create a cottage-style bathroom with fresh white furnishings and vases of flowers from Pottery Barn. At top, a wrought-iron chair with leafy legs is a garden-fresh idea from Dana Neillie of North Hollywood. It's available from the new Rest Area furniture catalog; call [phone] or visit www.restareainc.com.

(4 -- color) It's forever spring with botanical prints, slipcovers and wicker accents from Pottery Barn.

(5 -- color)``Garden Style'' editor Linda Hallam suggests a bold tropical print as a way to create a garden ambience.

(6 -- color) Valley Village designer Carol Jacobs used shades of nature - brown and green - for this sun room at the Pasadena Showcase house. Note the use of sisal rugs, bamboo furniture and potted trees.

Box:

Fresh moves (see text)