Tips For Decorating With Plants
Any home will benefit from a few well-placed plants, whether they’re live or faux.
If you’re about to take a trip to the nursery and are wondering where your plants will go when you get home, read on for some designer tips on incorporating them into a space.
Begin by looking for any unused corners, shelves, or trays where plants could go. For the most impact, you can’t go wrong with putting a large potted plant or indoor tree in your living room corner. Some other great places to display potted plants include balconies and on tables (such as breakfast tables, coffee tables, and dining tables).
My personal favorite containers for plants are blue-and-white porcelain pots and attractive baskets. Keep in mind that your plant containers should match the overall style for your house. While blue-and-white pottery is more traditional, containers made of sleek metal or ceramic are more contemporary. Baskets can go either way.
If you’re intimidated by the upkeep required with live plants, or if you travel often, faux plants make a great alternative.
The most important consideration for choosing a faux plant is its realism. Thankfully, the quality of faux plants has improved dramatically in the past 10 years.
Nowadays, you can buy a faux tree for your home that is made with faux leaves attached to real wooden branches. Manufacturers also have started to vary the size and color of the leaves on these products, which goes a long way to creating a realistic look.
To make your faux plants even more difficult to distinguish from the real thing, try mixing them in with any live plants you do have, or putting them near a sunny window. Don’t put two of the same kind of faux plant next to each other; the uniformity between the two will be too obvious.
Don’t put two of the same kind of faux plant next to each other; the uniformity between the two will be too obvious.
There are just as many ways to decorate with plants as there are varieties of plants, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Find more design advice at chambersinteriors.com/blog.
