Squad Goals: How to Arrange Indoor Plants Like a Pro
If you’re longing for an Instagram-worthy plant set up but feel that it’s out of your reach, remember that practice makes perfect and with a few tricks of the trade, anyone can create a space that looks and feels straight out of an interior design magazine. Things like height, texture, and layering are simple tools that you can use to create a plant-filled living room or other space of your dreams. Read on for some interior design tips that will allow you to display your prized houseplants to their full effect.
The Rule of Three
A common rule of thumb for styling a space is to avoid even-numbered groupings as paired items tend to look a touch formal. A classic combination is a group of three, but so long as you keep the number of plants in each grouping an odd number they should look great. Here are some things to keep in mind when arranging a cluster of plants:
Try to avoid grouping of a uniform height, as this can make all of the plants blend together. Incorporate at least one plant in each group that is noticeably taller than the rest.
When creating a collection of plants try to group them based on some commonality, such as whether they have dense or spread out leaves or their primary hue. So long as all the plants in a grouping share at least one trait they will look natural next to one another.
Play with Textures
Textures play a big role in creating visual interest, and this isn’t just limited to furniture or room decor. Plants can play a big role in establishing variation within a space with their differing textures in foliage. When playing with texture it is important to think in terms of contrast, like pairings such as rough and smooth or minimal and detailed.
If you favor minimalistic decor, a plant with a more a detailed appearance like the Zanzibar Gem will keep things from looking one-dimensional.
If your home is already full of texture like layered rugs and knit throw blankets then a plant with refined glossy leaves, like as the Red Congo or Bird of Paradise, can balance things out.
Use Height to Your Advantage
When arranging your plants don’t forget to explore areas at eye level or higher. While taller plants such as Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees can usually only be displayed on the ground level, smaller plants give you the freedom to explore new heights. Here are some styling tips for getting plant off the ground:
Get the most out of trailing plants like the Cascading Pothos by placing them on shelves and letting their vines grow out to create a lush jungle feel.
If you have a medium-sized plant that is too big for a shelf and too small to serve as a focal point on its own try using a plant stand or end table to make it stand out.
Look For Leading Lines
When looking at your plants, ask yourself what direction their foliage naturally grows: utilizing the leading lines of a plant’s leaves can be the perfect way to draw attention to a certain area of the room. Typically you it is easiest to accomplish this with plants whose leaves point upwards or trail down, here are some examples of both types:
Some plants whose leaves draw the eye up are the Snake Plant and the Zanzibar Gem. Use plants that point upwards to draw attention to the art on your walls or an interesting architectural feature on your ceiling.
Plants whose trailing vines draw the eye downward are the those within the Pothos or Philodendron families. These sorts of plants can be artfully displayed on mantles or bookshelves to bring attention to your fireplace or can be placed on top of a shelf above key furniture pieces.
Keep It Colorful
While it can be tempting to perfectly color coordinate the wood of your plant’s stand to your coffee table variation is admittedly the spice of life. A way to play with color without things looking modge podge is to follow the Rule of Three from above. Typically you want to choose a primary color, a secondary color, and an accent color. Here are some other ways to make your space more colorful:
Switch up planter colors, if you usually go for a simple white or black planters, try incorporating another color, even if it’s a neutral one like terracotta.
Try a variegated plant for a splash of color directly on the leaves themselves. Some popular variegated varieties are the Philodendron Brasil or the Pink Rubber Tree.
Design With Your Plants’ Needs In Mind
And finally, don’t forget! No matter how beautifully you arrange indoor plants, things will start to look pretty ugly if their basic needs like light and humidity aren’t met. Make sure your plants get adequate light where they’re placed, and aren’t too close to air vents, heaters, or ACs. Now go off and arrange those plants like a pro!
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