With houseplants becoming such a popular household decoration, we thought we would share a few decorating tips! Now we all have that one friend with that special skill for decorating, where everything they touch magically and effortlessly looks beautifully and naturally arranged. And then there’s the rest of us. I know half the time when I go to arrange my decorations, I stand back and think, “Something just doesn’t look right.” How is it possible for other people to simply throw a bunch of junk in a corner and have it look good without even trying? If this has stumped you in the past, then here are some tips that may help!
1. Consider the Placement
Plants make for lovely accents around any home, and placement is a huge part of this. Whether they are filling an empty corner, serving as a backdrop behind the sofa, or placed on top of cabinets to fill that awkward empty space, arranging them in such a way that they will fill space or frame an object is what makes them so pleasing to the eye. So, my first tip to you would be to look for spaces in your home that look a little empty and pick a plant suitable to the available space. Tall leafy houseplants such as Chinese Fan Palms or Areca Palms make lovely fillers for big empty corners or behind living
g room furniture, as they stand tall and fill space with their broad, leafy fronds. Trailing plants such as Pothos or Ivy make great hanging plants. They are wonderful at filling space from above, bringing a different dimension to your decorating, and they bring a lovely, tropical feel to any corner. They also are lovely placed on kitchen shelves or on top of cupboards in the kitchen, filling the empty space with vivacious greenery, and framing any shelf or cabinet with their long, trailing vines. Other upright plants such as Snake Plants serve as the perfect decoration for end tables or narrow spaces, as they stand tall, grow slow, and don’t invade space that is not their own. They also do not require a lot of light, making them great for corners that most other plants won’t do so well in.
2. Group Plants in Clusters
Throughout the past, houseplant placement in homes has primarily consisted of a single houseplant placed here and there in this corner or on that shelf. While this is still a great look in any home, a rising theme in decorating with houseplants consists of grouping houseplants in clusters. While this is easy for some people, arranging a group of houseplants together in a group is not easy for everyone. If you are struggling with this, here are a couple of aspects to keep in mind!
Height/Size When organizing your plants, take height into consideration. Placing three plants that are all tall and skinny next to each other is going to detract from the beauty that each plant has to display and is also going to leave an awkward empty space near the base of the plants. Grouping plants of varying sizes will help show off the beauty of each individual plant, keeping one plant from detracting from or overshadowing the others. This will also help fill empty space and give you the lush, jungle-like look that everyone loves! Different pot sizes also do a lot to create some variation.
Variety Not all plants are created equal. Some are tall and skinny, while others are round and plump. Grouping plants of varying shapes will also create a display that is pleasant to the eye. This will also help all your different plants stand out from each other, as their different shapes will keep them from blending into each other. The same goes for leaf shapes, patterns, colors, textures, etc. Pairing tall plants with short plants, or vining plants with plants that grow upright is also always a good practice, as the combination of different varieties complements each other well.
Levels Organizing your plants at different heights can also add a lot to the visual appeal. Using things like shelves and plant stands is a great way to do this. When arranging your plants, it is generally best to think somewhat symmetrically, placing one or two plants at the tallest point, and arranging the rest in a sort of pyramid shape from the top down. This keeps all your plants visible, making sure none are overshadowed by their neighbor. If you have many plants that are similar in size, acquiring a couple of plant stands that are different heights will help create some distance between your plants. If you have a lot of plants of varying sizes, you may not need any plant stands. Simply arrange your plants with the tallest/biggest in the back and the smallest/shortest in the front!
Odd Numbers This is a trick known by decorators everywhere! Odd numbers are pleasing to the human eye. A set of three candles in a centerpiece, three pillows on a couch, etc. The same goes for plants! Arranging them in groups of three, five, seven, or more creates a nice visual appeal.
3. Coordinate Your Containers
Having some sort of theme in your choice of containers also helps bring cohesion to your groupings, whether it is having pots of a similar style in different colors, or similar colors in different styles. Keeping one aspect of your pottery selection common among them all will really help tie in all the different aspects of your display.
Indoor Plant Decor Ideas
These are just a few general suggestions that we hope will help in your decorating endeavors. Apply one of these ideas or all of them! And if you are still struggling with coming up with a houseplant display that you really love, we are here to help! Take a photo of your space and provide us with some details about the area, the lighting it receives, or where you hope to place your plant, and we will respond with a list of houseplants that we think would grow well in your space, as well as a list of recommendations and ideas from one of our houseplant professionals! Fill out our contact form to get in touch with us. You can also give us a call or come into the Garden Center. We look forward to helping you create your very own houseplant jungle!