If you look through any interior design magazine, you’re sure to see beautifully styled spaces featuring indoor plants. Sometimes it’s the plants which take centre stage.
We have some tips for you which we’ll share right after these two crucial points.
Don’t buy anything until you know where you want to place your plants. There’s more to design than just putting a plant on a shelf. It needs to complement the space and fulfil a function. It would be best if you had a plan. Before you go shopping, decide which area you are buying for and what type of plant will meet your needs. See how we’ve used plants as a style element in our recent project with Gro Urban Oasis.
Before you buy your plant, make sure it will thrive in the selected position. If you’re not sure, speak to the nursery worker for advice. There’s no point buying a plant which won’t be happy where you want it to go. A store of droopy plants doesn’t suggest you offer great care or service.
Match your indoor plants to your design purpose.
Dark spaces: Philodendrons grow well, even in low light. They have trailing branches so they look great in a hanging basket or you can train them to grow up a little trellis.
Boring shelves: Shelves can look bare or harsh, and the right plant can soften them and break up the sharp lines. Something like a maidenhair fern with its lacy leaves would add softness to space.
Empty corner: A beautiful palm is a statement plant which is large enough to fill a corner and dramatic enough to add interest. A parlor palm will add height or a Monstera will spread out to cover a wider space.
Match your indoor plants to your brand personality.
Classic style: Choose an elegant plant such as an orchid or peace lily and place them in beautiful china pots with clean lines. For a larger space, add some symmetry by using two identical planters, one at each end. The classic style is well suited to homewares stores.
Arty style: Plants are more affordable than artwork, and to add a sculptural touch to your space, choose a plant like a dragon tree. It stands tall with dramatic but often slim form and looks fabulous in a streamlined statement pot. If your brand is edgy, look for plants with unusual shapes or dramatic colours.
Going retro: Remember the rubber plant and the weeping fig? Plants like these go beautifully with retro styling and mid-century modern furnishings. You can mix and match your pots, too. The good news is that you’ll only need a couple of plants to have a big impact.
Going casual or boho: Hanging baskets and a rambling assortment of plants gathered in one place will beckon to customers who value the earth and nature. Use natural and earthy materials for their pots such as cane or pottery.
The indoor garden: Make a style statement with plants by creating an indoor garden. Choose one or two feature plants – tall or showy - and layer smaller plants around them, just as you’d do in an outdoor garden. This style works well when you have a large space to fill or when you want to break up the starkness of a shopping centre storefront.
Personality: Your choice of planter pot is a form of self-expression. Choose quirky or colourful; choose handmade or artisan. Choose plant stands or pots on the floor. Let the pots speak as loudly as the plant. Creative businesses can create vibrant and exciting backgrounds for their work or go all green and let the work speak for itself.
These tips will help you design a beautiful space using indoor plants. You’ll enjoy the feeling of peace and tranquillity they bring, and you’ll benefit from their ability to purify the air, which is important in a retail environment.
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