Decorating your home with houseplants

Decorating your inside space with houseplants can be a great way to add some extra colour and vibrancy to a room. Not only does bringing the outdoors-indoors provide some great benefits (which we’ll cover shortly) but it also means you can still enjoy your plants over the cold winter months.

See how you can continue to make use of your garden furniture throughout winter

Decorating with houseplants

As the weather starts getting colder and the darker nights slowly draw in, we lose the appeal of spending time outside in the garden. Fortunately, there’s still a way you enjoy the beauty of plants by bringing the outdoors-indoors.

Many people will think of decorating their home with wall fixtures and fittings, but very few will consider decorating with houseplants. Decorating your home with houseplants helps add vibrancy to brighten up any indoor space, and it works just as well as any art piece.

Many people are put off from decorating with houseplants, fearing that they are either overpowering or require too much maintenance and upkeep. The reality is you can get different-sized houseplants and low-maintenance houseplants too.

And with so many different varieties, you can get creative in adding some extra life to your indoor spaces. You could even dedicate an entire room and set up an indoor creative if you wanted to get into the spirit of things.

Benefits of houseplants

There are lots of great benefits to decorating your home with houseplants:

• - Green is a very relaxing colour, helping to create a tranquil and calming environment.
• - A large variety of different sizes, varieties, colours, and textures are available, allowing you to get creative.
• - Houseplants remove toxins present in the air and help purify an environment (see below)
• - Some houseplants can provide a nice aroma to a room.
• - Adds vibrancy and life to a space and can be a great way to visually bring a room together.
• - Houseplants can provide mental health benefits similar to those from water features, including improving your mood and reducing stress.
• - Improved productivity, attention span, and reaction speed.
• - Also helps to reduce blood pressure and fatigue. Also helps increase pain tolerance.

Houseplants and air quality

The World Health Organisation estimates around 3.2 million people worldwide die prematurely because of poor indoor air quality (indoor air pollution). Indoor air pollution is usually highest indoors as a result of:

• - Outdoor sourced pollution, including carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides, that travel indoors
• - Indoor-sourced pollution, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitted from furnishings, paint and detergents, alongside fungal spores, and bacteria.

Over time, exposure to these pollutants can lead to symptoms of sick building syndrome, such as nasal passage irritation, headaches and fatigue, chest tightness, and skin dryness or irritation.

While opening windows and naturally ventilating a space will help to resolve some of these issues, indoor pollution levels are at their highest during winter. With fewer windows and doors open, indoor pollution, such as VOC, builds up alongside people spending more time indoors.

Decorating your home with houseplants helps to remove some of the VOC present in indoor spaces. The greater the number of houseplants you decorate a room with, the better for helping to improve air quality in a room.

Check out these tips for picking a healthy plant

Tips for decorating your home with houseplants

Consider your room layout

Houseplants will need sunlight just the same as any other plant, but some houseplants will require more sunlight than others. When planning where you’ll put houseplants, consider your room layout, and make sure you put light-loving plants near a window.

Make use of empty space

Houseplants provide a great option for decorating a room and filling up an awkward empty space. Whether it’s an empty corner or a space on your shelves, a houseplant would make a great compliment to ‘fill’ any empty spaces.

Use any space available

The beauty of houseplants is you can add them to any available space in a room. From climbing up the walls to perching on a windowsill, you can get your creative juices flowing by creating a space that will make you feel better. Don’t forget to layer at different heights too.

Add houseplants to any room

Houseplants can be added to any room in the house. You don’t need to just place houseplants in one room, you can add them upstairs and downstairs. In the living room, kitchen, bedroom, hallway or even in the bathroom.

Arrange them around furniture

Another great tip for decorating your home with houseplants is to place them around your furniture. If you are placing houseplants in the bedroom, place them around the bed. In the kitchen, place them around the dining table. Doing so helps create a much more relaxing environment.

Don’t stop at a couple

For the beauty of houseplants to really come alive, you need to make sure you don’t hold back. Adding a couple of houseplants here and there will fail to create a botanical theme. Abundance is important to get the most benefit from houseplants.

Create a focal point

Houseplants can help to make a feature stand out and create a central focal point. Carefully positioning your houseplants and choosing a plant with a large statement can create a striking focal point that is sure to catch the eye. Consider the banana tree, elephant’s ear, or pygmy date palm.

Create a cluster

On the subject of focal points, grouping a variety of different houseplants together in one place can help to create a cluster that will also serve as a focal point. Using different varieties at varying heights on a table is a great way for creating a focal point in a room.

12 houseplants to consider for decorating your home

Here are 12 houseplants to bring the outdoor-indoors, including some ready for winter and beginners:

1. Spider Plant

Probably one of the most well-known houseplants, spider plants are a great houseplant for beginners. Spider plants prefer indirect sunlight and only need watering around once per week.

2. Kentia Palm

Kentia palm is a great houseplant that is ideal for beginners. Only requiring a once-weekly watering and medium light, the Kentia Palm can provide a great focal point. If you want to truly experience an indoor jungle, this plant is ideally suited.

3. Aspidistras

Another popular houseplant, Aspidistras are commonly referred to as a ‘cast iron’ plant for its toughness. Able to survive in temperatures as low as -5ºC, Aspidistras are a great houseplant for winter. Requires direct sunlight and regular watering.

4. Devil’s Ivy

This houseplant is not as bad as the name might suggest. Devil’s Ivy is a great houseplant for trailing and adding to indoor hanging baskets. These plants prefer direct sunlight, with only liberal watering during the warmer months.

5. Peace Lily

If you are someone who frequently overwaters your plants, Peace Lily may be perfect for you. Providing beautiful spade-like shaped flowers, Peace Lilies make a great choice for placing near a window as it requires sufficient light. However, this plant is toxic for pets.

6. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is another widely known houseplant, in part for its medical properties. It’s another great houseplant that’s small but a firm favourite. Great for those who are forgetful at watering their plants, but it requires a nice warm spot in the sun.

7. Parlour Palm

Parlour Palms are a great choice for adding some height and variety to your houseplants. Easy to care for, Parlour Palms are one of the best tropical plants for adding indoors. Due to its tropical nature, it needs a place in the sun, keeping away from any cold draughts and regular watering.

8. Red-edged Dracaena

Red-edged Dracaena is a houseplant you should consider for helping to clean the air. A study by NASA found it removes air pollutants found in solvents. Requiring moderate sunlight, this houseplant can grow 8ft tall. Can be toxic to pets though.

9. Calathea

Calathea (sometimes known as peacock plant) has a unique and striking leaf design that is sure to make an impression. Thrives best in humid conditions requiring misting regularly.

10. Orchids

Orchids provide some great indoor plants for adding a touch of colour and vibrancy. Some are put off by Orchids thinking they need lots of maintenance. Some Orchids, such as Phalaenopsis, can take a bit of neglect. Prefers a nice spot away from direct sunlight.

11. Kalanchoë

Kalanchoë is a great houseplant for also adding some character to a room, coming in a variety of different colours. A tropical houseplant, Kalanchoë can adjust to different temperatures. Requires one weekly watering.

12. Chrysanthemum

Another houseplant that can help to remove some toxins from the air, Chrysanthemums. Coming in nice bright colours, Chrysanthemums are a great addition to the living room. Requires direct sunlight for its anti-pollution magic properties to work best.

Houseplants provide many great benefits, alongside providing a great alternative for your gardens over winter. Bringing the outdoors-indoors can help to add vibrancy and provide some great mental health benefits. Consider adding a couple to begin with!

Check out these 6 tips for making the most of your garden this autumn