A Beginner’s Guide to Decorating with Houseplants

Pictured above: Create a bedroom oasis with our Modus Furniture City II Gray 4-Piece Queen Bedroom Set.

[Updated 12/18/2018]

Spring is creeping in and we’re longing for some greenery! If you can’t wait for the warmer season to arrive, you’re not alone. You can beat the winter blues until spring officially begins by bringing the outdoors inside – with plants!

While decorating with houseplants can be daunting for those without a green thumb, Homemakers is here to help. Our beginner’s guide has everything you need to know to decorate every room in your home with plants.

[Updated 12/18/2018]

Spring is creeping in and we’re longing for some greenery! If you can’t wait for the warmer season to arrive, you’re not alone. You can beat the winter blues until spring officially begins by bringing the outdoors inside – with plants!

While decorating with houseplants can be daunting for those without a green thumb, Homemakers is here to help. Our beginner’s guide has everything you need to know to decorate every room in your home with plants.

Benefits of Decorating with Houseplants

Style this Flexsteel Gemini Round Chairside Table and similar coffee table with flowers and a terrarium for a chic look.

Decorating your home with botanical life is about more than just beauty – though that is a pretty big bonus. They also provide a number of health and well-being benefits.

According to Andrea Metzler, owner of Art Terrarium in Des Moines, Iowa, “The materials used to build homes and offices often emit toxins into the air that can be bad for your health. NASA conducted a study to determine if plants can help remove some of the toxins and it turns out they can!”

Other houseplant benefits include:

• Natural air purification
  • Plants are powerhouses for purifying the air. They remove carbon dioxide and add oxygen. They are also able to filter toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene and ammonia. Metzler recommends spider plants, English ivy, peace lilies and the Chinese evergreen to get the cleanest air in your home or office space.
• Better focus and less stress
  • By increasing the oxygen in the air and removing pollutants, plants are able to improve your concentration and decrease your stress level. According to a Texas Agriculture and Medicine University study, caring for plants can also boost your mood and improve your relationships.
• Natural humidifiers
  • Plants breathe moisture into the air, which helps prevent dryness in the skin, throat, nose and lips. During the winter and early spring, when the air is typically drier, this can help relieve or prevent cold symptoms and even the flu.
• Noise reduction
  • If you live on a busy street, in an apartment or simply have a louder home, plants are your ideal fit. Houseplants, especially larger ones, can absorb and reflect noise.
• Trendy style and visual interest
  • Decorating with plants is one of 2018’s biggest trends! According to the Pinterest 100, patterned plants saw a 533 percent increase in saves on Pinterest. Plus, saves for air-purifying plants went up by 270 percent. They also add unique appeal and visual interest to your space, making it one-of-a-kind and chic.

Houseplants for Every Room in Your Home

Functionality and benefits aside, decorating with plants is one of the easiest and most stylish ways to make your house feel like home. With a little creativity, plants can even transform an urban, yard-less space into a jungle oasis. From the bedroom to your dining space, Homemakers has tips and decorating inspiration for every room in your home.

PRO TIP

Metzler has helpful advice for those trying to choose the perfect plant. “Ask yourself two questions: What kind of light does my house have and am I more likely to water my plant a lot or forget to water it? If you can answer those two questions, then you can pick out a plant that will easily thrive in your home.

Lots of direct light and a neglectful plant parent? A cactus or succulent is for you!  Not much light and like to water? Then try a fern!”

Decorate your living room with plants

A tall floor plant highlights this beautiful  Ashley Brise chaise sleeper sofa and Ashley Brise chair, creating a welcoming look.

Is your living room a contemporary haven? Have you mastered the Moroccan look? No matter your taste, lifestyle or your living room’s design style, houseplants are the perfect way to upgrade and refresh your space!

To determine which plants would work best in your living room, look at the amount of natural lighting available. If you have a large window, a backyard or patio space, look for plants that prefer bright, direct light. If your living room has a variety of windows, but you’re looking to decorate the far side of the room, search for plants that tolerate moderate or low light conditions. Every houseplant is different and the amount of light it needs will dictate where in your home the plant will thrive.

Once you know the lighting requirements, make sure you research every plant you bring into your home. If you have pets or children that frequent the space, check the ASPCA’s toxic and non-toxic plant list to ensure all your plants are safe to have or keep them out of reach!

From there, decorating your living room with houseplants will be a breeze. For small spaces, place your potted plants in macramé hangers or mount them on the wall to save space. Include a plant or two when styling your coffee table. You can even decorate your fireplace mantle with plants by layering them with candles, photo frames and décor for a magazine-ready look.

PRO TIP

Mount your plants! “I love mounted staghorn ferns,” said Metzler. “They are a type of fern that grows on trees in the wild, so you can mount them to a piece of wood and hang them on your wall like a piece of art!”

Style houseplants for your dining room

Our similar sideboard can be surrounded by lush houseplants to add visual interest and style to your dining space.

Plants in the dining room? We don’t see why not! Plants add flair to any space and look fantastic in all your entertaining spaces. Decorating your dining room with houseplants inspires table talk and creates a look you’ll adore.

While placing a vase of fresh cut flowers on the center of your dining table is a tradition for some, purchasing flowers every week can get expensive. Plus, you only get a few days to enjoy the perfect blooms before they wilt. Opt for a flowering houseplant, like a gerbera daisy, and you’ll have beautiful blooms all year round without having to constantly replace them!

Mount plants on the wall beside your table or highlight your beautiful foliage with floral wall art that ties the whole space together.

You can also add greenery to your dining space by selecting a leafy plant for the top of your sideboard, placing herbs on the windowsill and styling floor plants in the corner of the room. If you have a coffee station in your dining room or kitchen, you can add a pop of color by arranging a succulent on your bar cart.

Plants for your bedroom

Placing potted plants alongside this Greenington Currant solid bamboo 3-piece queen bedroom set adds vibrancy to your bedroom.

There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night only to have your alarm go off just as you were starting to fall asleep.

Luckily, transforming your bedroom into a magnificent jungalow can help ensure you get a better night’s sleep. Not only do plants look great and breathe fresh life into your space. They also have relaxing and air-purifying benefits that can promote a healthy sleeping pattern.

Whether you style them on your dresser, nightstand or in the corner by your bed, you’ll love the life plants can bring to your bedroom. To create a cohesive look, find décor and bed accessories with floral elements that can tie the whole room together.

Turn your bedroom into a calming oasis with plants that encourage relaxation. Put lavender on your windowsill to slow your heart rate and lower your stress. A potted snake plant beside your bed cleans the air of common household toxins. A beautiful peace lily can boost your room’s humidity. The combined result? Clean air that helps you breathe easy and sleep better.

PRO TIP

“I love putting vining plants, like ivy and pothos, on a tall bookcase,” said Metzler. “They grow fast and look beautiful vining down to the floor. Snake plants are also wonderful in a bedroom. Not only do they look great, but they release oxygen at night, which leads to a better night sleep.”

Placing plants in your home office

Decorate this Aspen Villager Corner Desk with houseplants for a productive home office.

Plants increase oxygen, add a pop of joyous color and improve your mood. They are powerhouses that clean the air and reduce your stress. According to a study published by the American Psychological Association, plants can even improve your productivity. All these benefits mean that a houseplant is essential for your home office’s décor!

Decorate your home office with air-purifying houseplants by styling an English ivy or aloe plant on your bookshelf. Place a peace lily or nerve plant in the corner of the room. Find a small snake plant, gerbera daisy or ZZ plant to place beside your computer monitor. You can even hang a spider plant from your office ceiling.

If you don’t have a home office, you can add colorful flair to your office at work with houseplants too! Even if your day is spent in a windowless cubicle, some low-light plants can survive on florescent lights alone.  These darkness dwelling plants, like lucky bamboo, a snake plant, or a ZZ plant, ensure any space can reap the benefits of rewards of cleaner air. Decorating your office with plants will make you look forward to work.

Houseplants for Bright, Moderate and Low Light Homes

Every plant is different and requires a different amount of light, water and fertilizer to truly thrive. If you’re decorating a room with large windows that allow plenty of sun, you’ll want to find a plant that loves bright and direct light. However, some plants can burn if they receive full light and prefer moderate, indirect light. If your home or apartment has limited light sources, check out these low-light plants that can survive even in the far corners of your home.

Floral Furniture & Accessories

This similar sofa and similar armless chair feature floral elements that look great in any space with houseplants.

Adding floral elements to your home with patterned furniture and accessories helps you tie your houseplants in with the rest of your home décor. When you visit our Des Moines furniture store or shop furniture online, you’ll find the perfect furnishings for your plant-filled home!

Show Off Your Home’s Houseplants

If you don’t possess a green thumb, browse our showroom for artificial plants and foliage. Our seasonal marketplace is filled with faux fiddle-leaf figs, succulents, flowers and other plants that will look great in your home without the added maintenance.

Have you styled houseplants in your home? Have some tips and tricks to share? We want see and hear them! Show us your plant-inspired home using the icons below. Then, be the first to know about the latest furniture trends and home solutions when you subscribe to Hm Etc. today!