House plants are super popular for good reason. Not only do plants have health benefits, they purify the air, and boost your mood, they make your home look beautiful too. They can transform a space into a green oasis. Collecting house plants has been an interest of mine for a few years. Tending to my plants brings me a lot of joy and so does styling them in my home. It's important they don't just clutter up my shelves but are intentionally used as decoration.
Whether you want a few plants or many, there are plenty of ways to incorporate house plants into your home decor. These beginner tips for growing house plants will steer you in the right direction when choosing the right ones for your home.
Choosing A House Plant
Most plants are sold in plastic nursery pots. Ideally you want to keep it in that for as long as possible; these pots are ugly so you’ll want to cover it with a cachepot, which is a decorative container or overpot. There’s lots of options from pots and planters to window boxes and hanging baskets. You could opt for plain white ceramic or terracotta pots even terrariums if you pick the right plants. I like to thrift plant pots, you can find some really unique planters that way. Classic terracotta pots are a lovely way to add warmth to a minimal home; I’m a fan of these terracotta half pots. Baskets are a lovely way to disguise ugly nursery pots, this seagrass basket is great for large specimens while little wicker pots are better for smaller varieties. I tend to stick to plain pots mostly in white, baskets, and handmade pottery. What you choose depends on the look you’re going for; what colours you want to add or avoid.
The pot (or container) you choose can have a huge effect on how a plant looks in your home and even how you feel about the plant itself. Some plants just don’t look great in terracotta, others look bland in white ceramics; it can lead to you feeling lackluster about your plant collection. Choosing the right pot, basket, or container is really important when styling with plants.
Decorating With House Plants
Providing there’s light, you can put plants in most rooms of your home. The kitchen and bathroom are the most popular spots but don’t overlook the bedroom and dining/living room. I can’t tell you which plants to put where because it all depends on what direction your home faces and what the conditions are of each room. If you have large rooms and decent sized windows, you’ll be able to style a variety of different house plants.
The best thing about decorating with house plants is you can move them around to find fresh new combinations. I like to move my favourite plants into high traffic areas so that I can admire them more often. At the end of my bed I’ve put my favourite plant, the Strelitzia nicolai so I can see it as I wake up and fall asleep.
Shelves
The most obvious choice for where to position plants is on a shelf. There are countless ways to liven up bookcases or kitchen shelves with a plant or two. Trail them down from the very top or strategically place them around a bookcase or shelf with a mix of prints, books, or objects of interest. You’ll need to pay attention to spacing, texture, and shape to get the perfect shelfie.
Grouping
Grouping plants together create a visually pleasing focal point. Depending on their size, texture, and colour, pair plants that complement each other and be sure to use a mixture of plant stands and baskets to vary the height and draw the eye. Be mindful of clashing colours and competing patterns; if you want a cohesive look, group together plants that complement each other and will create cohesion with your plant styling.
Surfaces
Tables, side boards, ledges, steps, and trays are all great places to add a variety of plants to; whether grouped together or stood alone, plants add colour and texture to an otherwise empty space. It’s an obvious choice yet one with lots of opportunity to share your home decor style. Style the surfaces of your home by making a feature out of treasured belongings alongside beautiful plants.
Terrariums
It’s important you pick the right plants if you’re keen to make a terrarium. I use them as miniature hot houses to help fragile plants grow stronger; I don’t plant directly into these open terrariums, instead I place the pot (or pots when housing smaller varieties) inside. If you prefer, you can plant up a closed terrarium creating a miniature eco-system that looks beautiful on display.
Plant Stands
Stools, chairs, pot stands, benches, and ladders can all be used as plant stands to showcase your collection. Even a cake stand or wire bin flipped upside down can become a functional stand on which to place a plant or several. Raising plants up a little off the floor, particularly if they’re grouped together with others, draws the eye and makes the display a lot more interesting to look at.
Window Sills
By far the most popular spot for plants is the window sill. Plants can either distract from ugly window frames or enhance the beauty of them. It’s also one of the best places with plenty of sunshine; just be wary of south-facing windows otherwise you may end up with burnt leaves. A nice idea for kitchen window sills is to pot up herbs in old cans
Ceilings and Walls
If you have limited floor space or want to make use of empty vertical space, a solution is to wall mount plants or hang them from the ceiling. You could use macrame hangers, hooks, or wooden plaques to showcase your interesting plants; upside down planters and kokedama balls are beautiful alternatives that are interesting in their own right.
Stem Vases
If you enjoy propagating your plants, use the cuttings as decoration around your home. If you accidentally snap off a stem or leaf, don’t throw it away; use it to decorate. Pop cuttings, leaves, or stems in a jar or vase and place them somewhere they can be seen and enjoyed. You might even like to create a propagation wall or rack to make a focal point out of your collection.
Solitary Plants
Some plants are gigantic, their structural appearance makes them more appropriate to display on their own. They deserve the space they need to show off their beautiful foliage or flowers. If your plant has striking foliage (like the Dieffenbachia Reflector) or big leaves (like the Strelitzia nicolai) consider displaying them apart from other plants so they stand out.
Hiding Ugly
If you have ugly features in your home you might be able to hide them with plants. I hate the boiler in my kitchen and I don’t have the DIY skills to box it in so I’ve placed a couple of fast growing trailing plants on the top of it so the leaves will cascade down and hide the ugly boiler. If you have cracks you can’t fix, exposed bricks, tiles you can’t remove, or other features you’re not so keen on; try hiding them by placing plants in front of them or trailing plants over them.
