A monthly round-up of what we’re reading in the world of plant styling, interior design, and more.

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January may be the official start of the new year, but for many of us, there’s no time like September to feel change in the air. With temperatures cooling down, kids going back to school, and summer vacations a thing of the past, we begin to settle into routine at home (and in a way, we’ve been practicing for it all year). This month, find some helpful and hopefully inspirational material on finding that groove and getting back to work.

Simple tips to add biophilic elements to your home

Humans are instinctually drawn to the natural world, and design that incorporates elements from nature can have a positive effect on our well-being. This is the theory behind biophilic design, a term that is becoming more and more mainstream every day. “But what do you do if the view from your bedroom, living room or home office window is a brick wall, rather than trees, and you’re not able to move or remodel?” This is the question posed in a wonderful Forbes article outlining tips on how to incorporate biophilic design (in small ways) into your home.

The Declutter Cure

Fall refresh, anyone? If you’re using your space for both home and work, you may feel the need more than ever. If that’s the case, roll up your sleeves and tackle step one: declutter. Apartment Therapy is running what they’re calling the Decluttering Cure, a 20-day guided “course” of sorts on how to make your home the calming, tidy sanctuary you’ve always dreamt of.

The Value of Investing in Educational Design

Whether you work in education, are a parent to kids of your own, or simply have an interest in design, there might be something for you in this timely piece highlighting three educational projects that break traditional norms. Though not everyone is headed back to a physical school this fall, some ideas may be easily extracted for distance learning (and working from home!), including bridging the learning experience between indoors and out.

An elegantly curated Work From Home edit

Is decorating ever really complete? Improving your indoors is a bit of a constant in life, so if you’re looking to elevate some elements of your work from home space, our friends at Snowe have curated a small collection of handpicked essentials that “prize productivity while providing more style than the supply closet.” Check out the edit here.

What’s inspiring you this month? Let us know in the comments!

Photo by Hiroyuki Oki for Frame.

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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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Born and raised in the South of France, model and activist Clémentine Desseaux (@bonjourclem) found a feeling of freedom and a lifestyle to love in the lush surroundings of Miami.

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How did you know this home was for you?

As soon as I stepped in it the first day I knew it was it. The original floors, the original fireplace details with gorgeous birds and plants on it. I loved how it was clean and redone but with the original touches that give it all its charm. The light was sooo important for me. I like to wake up and live with a lot of natural light, this place is drenched in light and beautiful palm trees views all around. Perfect for growing healthy plants! I also had a crush on those French windows! How cute!

A bright space that overlooks palm trees, the perfect setting for growing indoor tropical plants like the Bird of Paradise and Red Congo.

What inspires you when you decorate?

I am inspired by nature. I love everything tropical; animals, plants, decor. I have a great flying toucan planter, a jungle leaves wallpaper, a flamingo sculpture, art and images of tropical locations and scenes. Florida is my home and I love its nature, how I can hear the birds in the surrounding palm trees every morning, how I sometimes have a big lizard climbing on my window, or how I can pick up a giant avocado or a beautiful papaya in my friends’ trees. I love the lifestyle.

A Monstera Deliciosa grows in the bedroom with other tropical accents.

What are your plant care secrets?

I give them names. Each and every plant has a name. They used to be all girls, now we have a couple of boys. I talk to them every time i water them, cuddle their leaves and use spray on them in addition to just watering the soil. It’s like a morning dew everyday or so. They love it, I think! I also turn them once a week, so every side of them get some light. That’s about it. I have managed to keep them all alive so far, I went from killing every single one to mastering their growth. I am not sure what happened, I think it’s called quarantine. I needed company, they needed love. We found each other.

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Shop the story

Monstera Deliciosa

Braided Money Tree

Red Congo

Bird of Paradise

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Your bedroom should serve as an oasis – a place where you can unwind and recharge. Considering you spend ⅓ of your life in bed, having a bedroom that reflects your needs and wants is so important! Here are 5 easy steps to creating the ultimate bedroom sanctuary from Parachute.

Make the Most of Your Sleep Experience 

Bringing cozy, tactile textures into your bed creates a comfy sanctuary. Don’t be afraid to mix and match fabrics – linen quilts with percale sheets – to add dimension, warmth and interest. You also can’t have too many pillows on the bed. Not only do they provide for a comfortable sleep experience, they prop you up to just the right angle to enjoy a book and a cup of tea before bed. 

Create an Oasis 

Stick to a natural color palette in the bedroom to create a cozy and calm vibe. Keeping things minimal also helps to make the room look bigger. Soft greys, tan or shades of white provide warmth without being distracting. 

Keep it Cozy

Don’t forget about your bedroom floor! A rug is a beautiful accent in the bedroom and is a way to add more color and texture to a room. A braided wool rug provides the perfect amount of softness for your feet to land upon in the morning while looking incredibly chic. 

Let Outside In 

Bring the outside in. Plants add color and life to the bedroom, plus they clean the air. Snake Plants are excellent plants for the bedroom, and dried plants like lavender make a room feel welcoming while also adding a nice scent to the space. And maintenance is especially easy since dried plants tend to last for months. 

Ready to turn your bedroom into a lush oasis? Check out all the best plants for the bedroom.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mirrors can help make a space look bigger, which can be particularly helpful if your bedroom is on the smaller side. The reflection adds depth to a room and amplifies light. A mirror can also serve as a beautiful piece of art!

Looking for the perfect plant for your bedroom sanctuary? See our recommendations for plants that pair well with better sleep.

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Premium plants paired with stylish ceramics, plus lifetime plant care support. Order online at leonandgeorge.com

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