Living indoors in many areas of the country like Bethesda, MD for an extended time due to the ongoing pandemic has led to an increased interest in one of the most popular hobbies to date: gardening. More people are gravitating toward houseplants as a way to keep themselves busy and calm in the midst of these trying times. Moreover, the lack of outdoor space or the need to bring the outdoors inside has led to new and popular chlorophyll-infused interior design trends.
Listed below are tips for boosting the home’s general atmosphere with indoor plants.
Garden nook
A corner of your home where natural light comes in is a great place for transforming into your cozy garden nook. The idea here is to do some indoor “landscaping” by arranging your plants with the largest ones at the cornermost area and the smaller ones at their fringes. Make use of planters in a common neutral shade so that these won’t overpower the plants.
Shelf life
Ever considered integrating small plants like succulents with your books in your bookcase? It’s a great idea to give a pop of color to the typical dull detail that most bookcases are known for. In fact, open wooden shelves can be great display areas for small plants.
Pet precautions
If you live with pets, make sure to choose the kind of plants to display in your home. Some of these may be toxic to your canine or feline companion.
The following are some common house plants that you may want to avoid for Fido or Misty’s sake:
- Begonia
- Easter lily
- Aloe vera
- Jade
- Elephant ear
- Pothos
- Asparagus fern
Green windows
Windows are ideal spots for displaying many of your house plants, primarily because these are where they can get the most sunlight. Moreover, these plants can serve as a visual link between the outside and the inside of your home. Combine hanging and floor plants in unique or bold-colored vessels (think rattan baskets!) for an interesting window spectacle.
Decorating with vines
The beauty of vines as indoor plants is that they can serve as eye-catching frames for windows or mirrors, or as air-cleaning alternatives to drapes.
Table centerpieces
Those with large dining tables can make use of plants in small terra cotta pots as centerpieces to liven up the view during mealtime. The same can be done for large coffee tables in the living room.
Trees in the house!
Take some relatively large planters for displaying indoor trees in all their glory. Not only are they great conversation and accent pieces but they also do a lot of good in purifying the air indoors. Some examples are:
- Rubber tree
- Corn plant
- Dragon tree
- Bird of Paradise
- Fishtail palm
- Parlor palm
- Tree fern
“Green” home office
One of the most welcome sights in any home office or workstation is plants. Whether these are big-leafed beauties placed beside your table or a small potted plant alongside your pen holder and paperweight on top of your desk, they serve as relaxing visuals after some grueling face time with your laptop or mobile phone screen.
Talk to the team of Heller Coley Reed of Long & Foster Real Estate for great insights into the home you’re moving to in Washington D.C. Call 240.800.5155 or send an email to hellercoleyreed@gmail.com[/mail_to to start. You can also send a message here.