Are you looking for a simple, affordable way to spruce up the interior of your home? One recent trend in interior design makes use of something available to almost anyone: plants.
Besides providing an attractive addition to any room, plants come with many benefits, like improving your mental health, boosting energy levels, welcoming guests, and bringing a personal touch to your space.
If you’re ready to deck out your house in greenery but don’t know where to begin, design experts and homeowners have a host of tips to share to get you started on your interior design journey. Even for those unaccustomed to decorating their spaces, greenery presents an easy and valuable way to add some pizzazz to your home.
In this article, we’ll further explore the benefits greenery offers to your home, as well as providing some decorating tips to encourage you to make use of the power of plants in interior design.
Benefits of Using Greenery Inside
Myth: plants are just another form of decoration. Fact: greenery can help enhance the air quality of your home, your mental health, and more. But how is that possible?
Improved Air Quality
Plants reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the air, which can help improve indoor air quality. Too much carbon dioxide can make you drowsy, but plants ensure carbon dioxide levels are kept at a minimum.
Many homeowners are shocked to discover the number of pollutants and toxins contained in indoor air is greater than those in the air outside. Interior plants mitigate this issue by absorbing dust and filtering chemicals. They’re constantly generating oxygen and adding moisture to the air, allowing you to breathe easier in your own home.
Mental Health & Cognition
Although it may seem unlikely, plants are proven to enhance your cognitive powers, including concentration and memory. Plants both relax and invigorate us, increasing our self-esteem and reducing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
One Japanese study even showed that looking at a desk plant for three minutes could lower work anxiety for nearly a third of participants. Other studies have supported the findings that plants lower stress levels and increase productivity.
When you bring nature indoors, you reap the benefits. In addition to the mood boost offered by plants, many people find tending to the greenery has therapeutic effects. Besides their obvious mental benefits, plants are also an inviting and organic way to decorate your space. Any future guests will be amazed at the tranquil nature of your home. Best of all, decorating with plants is relatively low-budget and high-impact, no matter how daunting it may seem at first.
The Environmental Impact of Green Living
Incorporating greenery into your interior design is just one way of participating in green living. The natural purification and sound absorption qualities of plants make them a great way to incorporate nature into your home design while taking advantage of their temperature regulation abilities. Other eco-friendly upgrades to make your home more sustainable include using environmentally sustainable furniture and products, purchasing energy-efficient appliances, and even installing solar panels.
Tips for Decorating With Greenery
Whether your home is large or small, it’s your sanctuary and should be treated as such. If you’re new to plants or interior design, here are some tips to get you started on selecting and caring for interior plants:
Choose the Right Plants
Different plants have different strengths, so it’s important to choose the plants that can best cater to your needs. Some popular houseplants every homeowner needs include:
- Snake plant.
- Rubber plant.
- ZZ plant.
- Golden pothos.
- Dragon tree.
The above plants are easy to manage for those not accustomed to caring for indoor greenery. Any plant can bring vitality to a room, but depending on the amount of light available and maintenance required, you should choose the plants that work best in your space.
For example, herbs like rosemary can have powerful positive effects on nervous system disorders like depression. Bamboo is another option that’s sustainably sourced. It can also be used as flooring or furniture, and there are several benefits of having bamboo in your living space. You can also take your personal style into account. From tropical to eclectic, there are plants to suit any taste.
Plant Care
Plants give us so much and ask for relatively little in return. Chances are you want to learn proper plant care right off the bat, to avoid any issues down the line.
The first thing you can do is ensure your new plants are well-suited to the lighting of your home. When you select low-maintenance greenery, like the plants on the list above, you can help increase their chances of survival.
You also want to make sure your plants have proper drainage and are in pots that fit their current size. Every so often, you may need to re-pot your houseplants. When it comes to water, more is not necessarily better. The general rule of thumb is to let the soil dry slightly between waterings. After a few weeks, you should get the hang of a good watering routine.
Although caring for and decorating with indoor greenery may seem intimidating at first, low-maintenance plants are a great way to get started. In the end, you’ll probably find that decorating with plants isn’t overly complex and is an excellent way to boost the air quality and positive energy in your home.
