You already know houseplants are a great way to soften a space while bringing in color, texture, and even fresh air into your home. Sure, you can just set a plant on a table, but why not style your houseplants? Put these simple houseplant design tips to use to make your home look like it was designed by a pro.
1. Bring the Outdoors In
Wooden planter boxes usually end up in gardens or mounted just under windows on the outside of a home, but they make great additions to an inside space. The warm tones of natural wood bring in character while also providing a surface that can be painted or stained to complement your space. Boxes can be custom built to fit your home, so if you have a narrow nook or an empty entryway you can create the ideal planter box for each area.
2. Seamless Transition
Another houseplant styling tip to bring the outdoors inside is to ease the transition near doorways. Place large potted plants, like a Chinese Evergreen near doors that lead to a deck, patio or outdoor space. Mirror this look by placing outdoor-friendly potted plants on the deck or patio near the exterior of the door. Walking through plants to get outdoors will create an open, airy feeling and softens the transition between inside and outside.
3. Create a Faux Living Wall
A living wall adds a ton of greenery and texture and can make a stunning focal point. If you want the look of a living wall without the work, or if you’re a renter and don’t have the luxury of building a somewhat permanent structure then this hack is the way to go. Fill a bookcase or shelves with vining plants, like Pothos or Hoya. Ferns, like Japanese Painted or Crocodile, are also great ways to fill space while adding texture and dimension.
Make sure to leave enough space for each plant to grow and spread out. As the plants fill in and flourish, you may need to spread them further apart to ensure each one has the space they need to grow while also increasing the size of this statement piece.
4. Team Up Leafy, Tropical Plants with Bold Furniture and Artwork
Go big by featuring eye-catching decor pieces, furniture, and artwork with scene-stealing plants. The large prehistoric-looking leaves of the Monstera are a statement all on their own, but they pair nicely with the vivid colors and stark lines of abstract art, architectural decor, and bold pieces of furniture.
5. Get a Sansevieria
The tall, sleek leaves of Sansevieria instantly add style to any space. The Sansevieria Forest Star, Misty Star, or Black Star are like miniature sculptures that can easily fit onto a side table, bookcase, or even a window sill. Fill a large area, like an entryway or an empty corner with a Sansevieria Black Coral. The striking leaves grow upward and take up a small footprint, making these houseplants a great addition to a narrow space. The leaves come in a variety of greens and yellows, but they are sure to fit into your decor.
6. Go Tiny
Make a big statement in an area tight on space by filling a shelf or table with an assortment of small plants. Calathea Rosy, Calathea Dottie, and Calathea Rattlesnake are all compact houseplants that feature a wide range of color, from deep violet to silver, various greens, and more. A Parlor Palm and compact Syngonium are also smaller options that deliver a big impact. Grouping an assortment of plants together will add varying colors and textures and make a small space feel cozy and expertly styled.
7. Branch Out
Houseplants are common sights in living rooms and family rooms, but every room is potentially a good spot for a houseplant. Bring greenery into your kitchen, bedroom or any other room in your home. Essentially, any area that receives indirect light is a potentially good spot for a houseplant. So look around and test out some new locations throughout your home.
8. Add Levels
Displaying plants at varying heights adds dimension to your space. So instead of grouping together several plants and placing them all on the same table, experiment by displaying your houseplants at different heights. Place an Anthurium on a table next to a Fatsia japonica set on top of a stack of books. Round up several plant stands or end tables in different heights and cluster them together
This tip also ensures smaller plants are not obscured by larger plants. Just by elevating a tiny Syngonium Coral ensures it won’t be overshadowed, literally and figuratively by a much larger Homalomena Selby.
Get Styled
Styling your houseplants will make your home look and feel pulled together and create the right look and vibe. Figuring out how exactly to style your plants can seem like a challenge, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Use any or all of these tips to style your houseplants and capture just the right look and feel you want in your home. Check out our full line-up of plants to find the greenery you need to make your space look amazing.