Adding greenery helps to soften this white-and-gray den we designed for a Dallas home.
Thumb through a home decorating magazine, and you’ll probably notice that most of the photos have plants in them. Plants aren’t just beautiful: they can filter carbon dioxide out of the air, grow herbs right in your home, make a room feel bigger, and brighten your mood. 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 either live or faux plants into a space.
Tips for Decorating With Live Plants:
Begin by looking for any unused corners, shelves, or trays where plants could go. You should also note whether your windows are facing north, south, east, or west. Generally, south-facing windows get the brightest light, eastern and western windows get medium light, and north windows receive low light. This information will be handy when you shop, since nursery plants should come with a tag that lists their light and water needs.
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.
Sometimes the only plant you need is a tall potted plant in the corner, like the one we used in this Dallas game room.
Once you’ve found the perfect spot for each of your new plants, you’ll need to keep them healthy and looking their best. If you notice a layer of dust collecting on the leaves, wipe them with a soft, damp cloth. Many plants will lean towards the light, so to keep them growing straight, rotate the pot so it leans back in the other direction. Actively growing plants may need to be re-potted either once a year, or once every two years (depending on the size of the plant) to give them more room to grow.
Tips for Decorating With Faux Plants:
If you’re intimidated by the upkeep required with live plants, faux plants can be a great alternative. The only maintenance they require is an occasional dusting. It’s also a smart idea to have faux plants if you travel a lot—after all, there’s nothing more unattractive for a home than a dying plant.
This living area combines rough textures with smooth surfaces, like the flower bowl on the console and the glass vase.
The most important consideration for choosing a faux plant is its realism. Thankfully, the quality of faux plants has improved dramatically in the past ten years. Nowadays, you can buy a faux tree for your home that is made with faux leaves attached to real wooden branches. Manufacturers have also started to vary the size and color of the leaves on these products, which goes a long way to creating a realistic look.
While shopping for your next faux plant, take a close look at where it attaches to its container. A well-designed faux succulent, for example, might have fake rocks at the bottom instead of foam. 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.
Another low-maintenance option is to buy preserved boxwood topiaries. Boxwood can be specially treated to preserve its texture and color for the long-term. Simply mist the leaves with water once a month, keep them out of direct sunlight, and you’re good to go.
This dining room includes both contemporary and traditional elements. The flower vases are antique porcelain.
Any home will benefit from a few well-placed plants, whether they’re live or faux. There are just as many ways to decorate with plants as there are varieties of plants, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
With every project we do, one of the finishing elements is to add plants and select containers. So, not only do we have a lot of experience decorating with live plants, but we also have great sources for faux plants that are only available through designers. If you could use some help selecting and placing plants in your home, give us a call. We can be reached by email at info@chambersinteriors.com or by calling our Dallas office at 214-232-9501.