5 Tips to Styling Your Plant Collection
Whether you're a long-time houseplant collector or you got bitten by the houseplant bug during lockdown, at some point you may look at your indoor jungle and feel overwhelmed. We know all too well that the urge to collect every type of plant (and every variety of every plant) is very real. But now your space looks like if David Attenborough narrated an episode of Hoarders.
Fear not, Fronds! Here are 5 plant styling tips that will help you to integrate plants into your decor to keep your home cohesive and stylish.
Image by @stefyplants
1. Stick to a colour palette
You may have plants in many different sizes and shapes. Some may have colourful leaves, patterns, and unusual textures. Some are trailing and some grow upright. Overall, it may be a big mishmash to look at. So tie them all together through pot colour. This will create a through-line to unite them visually.
You may choose neutrals, darks, a or even specific colours like pink or green. Or you could select pots with similar textures, patterns, or shapes, or even finishes such as matte vs glossy. As long as they tell a similar design story, your collection will look curated.
Bonus Tip: stick to odd numbers when grouping plants together. Three or five will always look more dynamic than an even number.
2. Location, location, location.
Integrate your plants throughout your home instead of having a forest in your window. Many Toronto homes only have windows at the front and the back of the house, leaving the interiors of our home a little bit darker. So it makes sense that we would cram all of our plants into our limited window space.
But why not invest in a few lower-light tolerant plants like snake plants, ZZ plants, aglaonemas, cast-iron plants, and pothos? These options are perfect to place on tables, shelves, and in corners that are further from your windows.
Or consider installing a grow light to supplement lower light so you can place the plant of your choice into any spot. Grow lights have come a long way and there are many available that look chic, such as Mother Light and Sol Tech Solutions. We carry them in our shop and cannot recommend them enough!
Bonus Tip: many grow lights are bulbs that can go into any standard light fixture so you never have to compromise your design aesthetic.
3. Go vertical
It doesn't take much collecting to realize that horizontal surfaces are a dwindling resource. Go vertical to reclaim your space!
Macramé hangers are back in a big way and they have been updated to reflect modern design trends. Look for ones with vibrant colours, or gorgeous neutral cording that you can pair with your favourite pots. Try staggering your plants at different heights to achieve a more interesting look.
You may also go for gorgeous planters that have built-in hanging mechanisms. We love the light-weight resin hanging planters from Capra Studios.
Bonus: if you are unable or unwilling to drill into your ceiling try a decorative wall bracket to hang your plant from.
4. Plants as wall art
Plants are beautiful and are natural works of art. Why not use them to spice up your walls?
A great wall-mounted option is the Wallygro Eco Planter. Available in many colours, these planters are easily mounted onto your wall with a drywall anchor and screw. They look amazing staggered or arranged symmetrically and are the closest you can get to a living wall without spending thousands of dollars or time. Plant your trailing vines in them and let them cascade down to fill your space.
Bonus: There are also many epiphytic plants that grow on trees in nature that adapt very well to being wall-mounted on a wooden board. Staghorn ferns, air plants, hoyas, and many orchids can make gorgeous and sculptural living art pieces.
5. A little self-reflection
Think about why you need so many plants in the first place….just kidding. We mean mirrors!
Adding a mirror is the fastest and easiest way to double your plant collection. It will make the space feel bigger and reflect more light into the room which your plants will love. Lean a floor length mirror against a wall or try mounting one horizontally above a sofa. Now you'll be able to appreciate your plants from any angle!