Having plants in your home not only enhances the visual appearance of a space, it’s proven that indoor plants improve concentration, productivity and reduce stress levels – making them the perfect addition to any home. The only thing left? Learning how to style your indoor plants to maximise their appearance and your space.
We teamed up with Plant Expert & Stylist Ryan Klewer, aka The Plant Charmer to talk through the fundamentals of plant styling. Ryan has recently opened up shop right here at East Brunswick Village and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it! The Design Files even did a write-up about the new shop, which you can read here: The Dreamy New Retail Space Of A Professional Plant Charmer.
The Rule Of 3
Some people tend to glaze over the importance of plants when it comes to plant styling and focus their attention on the pots. Most designers will suggest the rule of ‘3’ (yep, you guessed it) this means clustering pots together in sets of 3, although I feel there is more freedom when styling with plants because of the vast range of shapes and forms that they come in.
The form and colour of a leaf must be considered when trying to nail down a specific look. If you’re got a light coloured wall, a bold coloured leaf, such as those on the Ficus elastica ‘Burgundy’ (Rubber plant) will contrast and create more of a pop.
Choosing Plants That Look Good Together
Generally speaking, the easiest way to create a highly aesthetic plant grouping is by sticking to leaf colour and form. Match dark coloured leaves (Monstera + Philodendron ‘mojo Congo’) together to create a moody vibe, or long, spindly varieties (dracaena marginata + Snake plant) to achieve a bohemian style. Once you become more adept at these techniques, try experimenting with height and depth.
What plants grow best in an apartment?
The list of readily available plants that will thrive in both apartments and homes has grown quite a lot in the last few years. If you’re just starting out, an Epipremnum aureum (Devil’s Ivy), Monstera deliciosa (Fruit Salad plant) or Spathiphyllum sensation (Peace Lily) will reward you with lots of new growth and are generally quite easy to look after.
If you’re more experienced or looking for a challenge, Alocasias and hoya varieties are stunning houseplants.
Can you have too many plants?
It all depends on the look that you are trying to achieve. If you’re going for a modern, minimally designed apartment feel then the space would be approached much differently, say to an eclectic, 1970’s designed home. If you’re trying to recreate a particular style in your home, research similar spaces for inspiration. Sometimes all a room needs is one feature plant to bring it to life.
Will Big Plants Crowd My Space?
Big plants can definitely become over burdening in a space and demand too much room and attention. Bigger is not always best. You should always consider the space before you pick the plant. I generally approach my jobs with the intention of offering a variety of sizes to accommodate all potential aspects of a design.
What if You’re Short on Space?
Hanging plants are a great way to elevate a plant in a space without having to use a larger floor plant. To avoid the tops of the plant going bare, you want them ideally to be in a position where they still receive light from above. The ideal space is below a skylight.
There you have it; Plant Styling tips from plant phanatic and expert, Ryan Klewer.
Now, we’d love to hear from you.
What plant styling or care tips do you have for Ryan?
Have you just moved into a new apartment?
Or are you interested in becoming a plant stylist yourself? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
