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Call or Email Tracey between 9am & 5pm on weekdays
0404 673 355
Call or Email Tracey between 9am & 5pm on weekdays
0404 673 355
I have a confession. I am completely and utterly obsessed with styling with plants…but I hate gardening! I have 33 plants in total. I think I’ll stick with this number for now…mainly because I make people giggle when I say the words “Turty-Tree” in my Irish accent.
There is nothing more depressing than a space without a plant and when most people ask me why their space feels so dull, it’s often because they don’t have a green baby anywhere in sight! The majority of our beautiful earth is made up from….well earth! Take that away from our view and our subconscious notices instantly.
I first started collecting green babies when I had an awkward curved window in a previous rental property that I lived in. Nothing sat right in the corner so I tried adding a small cluster of plants and they looked amazing! I slowly became hooked on seeing them grow and thrive.I am in no way a plant expert, but I do know a thing or two on how to make your plant babies look good in your home, depending on your own interior design style. This blog aims to help you style your home with plants.
There are a lot of mental benefits from adding greenery to a room. The therapeutic activities of watering, nurturing and seeing them grow new legs (yes I call their stems legs) is incredible.
A huge part of my thesis was dedicated to this topic when I finished my Interior Design course. But I won’t bore you with the 10,000 words I wrote!! In a nutshell and based on a number of studies, here we go:
When I design a room or a full home, it is always with a certain design style in mind. We all know that there are different Interior Design styles which means that certain furniture and decor are necessary to achieve that look. Although you cannot go wrong with adding plants to your interior, it is worth considering the physical style of the plant to ensure you nail the look!
To break that down for you here is an example. Imagine a mid-century living room like the image below. Lots of rich wood tones, olive green and mustard velvets, quirky lighting, and then you add a beachy, dried palm spear to the room. It makes absolutely no sense and is not thoughtful of the design itself. That palm will look stunning in a boho interior though!
Go for simplicity and grandeur in your plants for this style. Chances are, your interior design is quite refined, so now is the time to bring in some drama with big, luscious plants like palms and fiddle leaves.
In a country where natural lighting is so scarce, it is important that you choose plants that feel light and airy within the space to allow natural light to flow through. Stick thin trees work beautifully or “money plants” for your coffee table.
Monstera plants and the “Swiss Cheese” plants have become extremely popular in the 20th century. Their large, split leaves make them feel less heavy and more “carved” which is very complimentary to mid-century furniture design. The deep green tones of their leaves work beautifully with the traditional mustard and olive green materials of this era.
Think big lofts, warehouse vibes for this style! Indoor trees look incredible in a true Industrial style home!
This style is inspired by the coast where we soak up the sea and sun. Birds of Paradise love full sun making them a perfect addition to your fresh Hamptons inspired home.
This style is associated with the hot desert sand. Whatever plants can grow in this condition (cactus, snake plants, succulents etc), are great within a Boho home. Dried pampas grass and spear palms look great in clay vases for that coastal inspired boho look!
Where should you place your plants? In short, everywhere. Aim to put at least one green baby into each room of your home. There is a plant species for every room, you just have to do your research. Tall plants could go in empty corners, cascading plants can fall amongst shelves, big leafy plants fill gaps beautifully, stick-like plants can create beautiful centrepieces on dining tables, perforated leaves (like the monstera) are great in front of windows as they don’t block too much light. There really is a plant for every need. Styling with plants is a must!
It is important that you thinking about your natural lighting of course, as some plants LOVE light (like snake plants), while others HATE it. Just like us humans. I don’t like too much light as I turn into a giant freckle with sunburn! So make sure you are putting your plants in the location it needs to live in to survive.
TIP: Don’t put your Hydrangea in the direct sunlight as I did below!
Planthood is not for the faint-hearted. Plants are not just for Christmas guys, they are for life. If you are struggling to take care of yourself and feel like you would murder an innocent green baby, then hold your horses. You can fake it with faux plants and nobody needs to know. You can even pretend to water them if you like.
I’ll let you in on a secret….I use fakies quite often in apartment fit-outs where the apartment could be vacant for a few weeks at a time. They look just as good (if not better), and nobody needs to feel guilty if they forgot to water them or read them a bedtimes story. Wanna know where I buy my fakies?
In short, plants are a must for your home for a number of reasons. They improve our physical and mental wellbeing, add colour, texture and visual interest and provide a sense of life to our homes! I love styling with plants, so let me know if you want some help bringing some life to your home like the one I did below. Check out my other blogs here.
Thanks for reading!
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Bright Side Interiors is an interior design and styling business based in Forest Hill 3131. I am here to help you design your dream home without the headache. I encourage collaboration and personal involvement in the entire design process, to create a home truly bespoke and tailored to you. Your Melbourne home is your biography and each room is a chapter. Let’s design your next chapter together.
