Indoor Plant Ideas

Bringing the outdoors in can help make your space feel more like a retreat; after all, your home should be a space where you can relax and recharge. Plants help add ambience and complement every area by adding colour and energy. One of the best added benefits of indoor plants is that they complement and strengthen every interior design theme. No matter if you need to cater for a small or large space, there are plants to suit every need, from hanging plants to potted. 

Many indoor plants are low maintenance and do well in most spaces, including bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms. For example, in a small unit bathroom, I had a maidenhair fern, as they require little light and thrive in high-moisture environments. If you’re a novice indoor plant owner, opting for a low maintenance plant is a great start. 

When it comes to interior design, another added benefit of having plants in the house is selecting the pot design to help support the theme of your home. There are various pots, from stone, terracotta, and ceramic to plastic and quirky handmade pots. Even self-watering pots make your already low maintenance plant even less effort and are a good solution if you go away often. 

Indoor Plant Benefits

There are many indoor plant benefits from both a design and a health perspective. Plants help absorb toxins and filter the air; they also radiate relaxing energy. Plants complement a space and effectively ‘fill’ awkward and even useless spaces in your home from a design perspective. Some people use unique plant stands to bookcases to display their plants. There really is no limit on how creative you get with your indoor plant collection. Other people opt for a minimal approach. 

A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that plants in your home or office can make you feel more comfortable, soothed, and natural. In the study, participants were given two different tasks: repotting a houseplant or completing a short computer-based task. After each task, researchers measured the biological factors associated with stress, including heart rate and blood pressure.

They found that the indoor gardening task lowered the stress response in participants. On the other hand, the computer task caused a spike in heart rate and blood pressure, even though the study participants were young men well-accustomed to computerised work. Researchers concluded that working with plants could reduce both physiological and psychological stress. 

Indoor Plant Negatives

Although indoor plants have many positive benefits, they can also have negatives. It’s important to do your research on which plants you plan to add to your space and purchase them disease-free from a reputable source. I had a spectacular (and expensive) indoor plant collection that unfortunately succumbed to disease when I bought a new plant home that was infected; the infection spread to every other plant in my house. And the Maiden Hair Fern I had growing in the bathroom that I mentioned earlier didn’t have adequate drainage. Even though most indoor plants are low-maintenance, they require some attention, and even over-attention can be detrimental. 

Pets can hinder plants also; my puppy at the time not only destroyed a succulent my mother had grown for over a year for me; he also chewed my cane pots. No matter where I positioned my plants, he thought they were a great chew toy; thankfully, he has now grown out of that phase. 

Another issue with combining indoor plants and pets is plant toxicity. Unfortunately, many pets have died due to chewing on and consuming certain houseplants that their owners didn’t realise were toxic to plants. Ensuring the plants are suitable for your space and any pets you own just in case the plant becomes a chew toy is essential. 

Fake Indoor Plants Benefits

If tending to a plant collection makes you nervous, or you feel like you won’t have the time for any maintenance or challenges you may face, fake plants might be a good alternative. Faux plants and flowers have come a long way in terms of realism; I swapped my living plant collection for fake plants and flowers some years ago, and not only found I saved a lot of money and time; they really do impress my guests, and unless I tell my visitors they are fake, everyone thinks they are real. 

Like living indoor plants, fake plants come in various types, from hanging plants to succulents, flowers and even trees. The bonus is, if you love Peonies, you can have them year-round in a faux version. Quality does count, and although fake plants and flowers are getting more realistic in general, investing in quality faux plants really makes a difference. Generally, with higher-end faux plants, they look even more realistic that it can be hard to distinguish them from their living counterparts, plus they have more substance than cheaper versions. 

Buy Fake Indoor Plants

There are many different places to buy faux plants; you can generally purchase them online or in-person, depending on store locations and availability. Another bonus of having a fake plant collection is that you don’t have to worry about disease, soil quality or watering. 

Other Accessories 

You can add many other accessories to your space to enhance your indoor plant collection or add to the natural theme as plants bring their own colour and ambience to a room. Some people create a space dedicated to their plant, with a reading chair lamp and throw blanket, while others choose to scatter different plants around the house, seemingly blending them with the existing furniture and decor. 

Some accents you can use to enhance the space further and compliment your indoor plant collection include throws, cushions, candles, diffusers, rugs, coffee table books and wall art. 

We hope our indoor plant tips help you navigate your entrance into the world of indoor plants and help you avoid any costly mistakes. It’s important to do your research, plan ahead and if in doubt, perhaps consider faux plants instead.