To really finish off a room and bring it to life, add plants. Including live plants in your decor brings the outdoors in, creates visual interest, adds color and cleans the air. Below are 5 tips for decorating with plants.
Five Designer Tips
Photo by Durstan Saylor for Archetectural Digest.
Photo hgtv.com.
1. Pick Plants to Fit the Decor- Use plants that coordinate with your room’s decor. Select sleek, clean lined plants for a contemporary room. Soft, frilly ferns would be at home in Victorian decor. Succulents and cacti suit a southwest style while palms work for south seas or beach decor. Consider size, shape, texture and color when pairing a plant with your decor. The lush, blooming plant in the golden pot on the dresser in the top photo suits the room perfectly, as does the delicate orchid sitting on the table. In the bottom photo the simple, straightforward structure of wheat grass fits the the contemporary lines and color of the room in the lower photo.
Photo hgtv.com
Photo hgtv.com.
2. Fill a Space or Accent with a Plant - Use a plant to fill a space in the room that looks empty. Try a tree on a tall bare wall. In the photo above a tree breaks up and softens a wide expanse of glass and helps extend your eye beyond the windows to the tree outside. Group plants that have similar light and water needs and choose their heights and fullness based on the available space and the height of the room’s other elements (windows, armoire, bookcases, doors, etc.). Add a plant to a coffee table vignette, also seen above, or to a side table as an accent. A small plant or terrarium, like the ones in the lower photo, would work well on a bookcase shelf or display shelf.
Photo hgtv.com
3. Match the Location and the Plant – Pay attention to a plant’s light requirements – placing it near or away from a window or skylight as needed. The fern shown above seems to love the filtered light shining softly through the indoor shutter. Make sure to avoid a location too close to a heater, fireplace, or cold draft.
Photo bhg.com
4. Beware of Toxic Plants- When selecting plants, if you have children or pets in your home, be concerned about a plant’s potential toxicity. Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Poinsettia and Crown-of-Thorns (shown in the photo above) are common plants that can be toxic to children and pets. Ask for professional input at the nursery regarding details about the plants in which you are interested.
Photo bhg.com
5. Pot Them Perfectly- Choose a pot that’s big enough for your plant and one that fits your room’s color scheme and decor. There’s a wide variety of colors and materials available so you’ll find something to suit your room’s style. The pot in the photo above is perfect for that vignette as it picks up the green from the design on the yellow vase next to it. The green pot also works with the blue beneath it. There is warm green in the art, plusthe dark hues on the dog tie to the pot’s dark edges. After potting your plant add decorative moss or stones if the dirt is visible. If you potted a tree consider under-planting it with short plants to cover the dirt and add further interest.
Using Your Green Thumb?
Have you put your green thumb to work in your home? What types of plants are you using and where did you place them? What are your favorites? Are there plants that haven’t worked for you or you don’t recommend? Share your input by using the Comment link below or emailing solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com.
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Where did you get the wire basket?
Marilyn:
Sorry, but I’m not clear on what wire basket you’re referencing?
I’ve had begonias blooming in my bathroom window over four months…I enjoy them EVERY day. Plants bring smiles when they’re as easy as this. Excellent photo displays! Thanks! franki