Adding plants to a living space does wonders for making a house feel like a home. Regardless of whether you add flowers or simple greenery, the natural elegance of plants make them look great in any space and helps improve the overall vibe of your house or apartment.
Plants instantly make a living space more inviting and can infuse touches of color in an understated yet natural way. This is incredibly useful if you are staging a house for sale, but is also great for decorating your residence.
Staging your home with plants enhances the warmth of the decor and creates a more stylish space.
Plant Staging Tips
Regardless of whether you are decorating the home you’re living in – with no intentions of moving – or staging a dwelling to put on the market, here are some important tips to consider when using plants to stage your home:
Use Real Plants if Possible
Admittedly, not everyone has a green thumb and the thought of adding real plants to your living space can be somewhat intimidating. It is best though to use live plants if it all possible – these can be either a fresh cut arrangement or potted plants.
If you absolutely have to use fake plants, perhaps in the case of staging a home that you’re selling and no longer living in, make sure they are high quality. Fake plants should be new, free of dust and debris, and look as real as they can.
Keep Them Understated
This doesn’t mean that you can’t add beautifully colored plants to your home, but instead, it’s meant to prevent them from detracting from the overall space. You want your plants to highlight areas or design features without being so ornate that people only see the plants and not the rest of your home. It’s also important that you don’t fill the house with plants; less is more in this situation.
Avoid Large, Bushy Plants
In most cases, it’s best to stick to simple arrangements or plants. Look for specimens that are more compact and/or erect, and provide some negative space around them when situating them within the home.
Try to stay away from large plants with a lot of dense foliage, as these types of plants can make an area feel crowded or cluttered.
Mix Fresh Flowers, Greenery, and Succulents
One of the best things about adding plants to your decor is the immense variety available. Just like decorating the rest of the home, it’s most flattering to mix a variety of colors and textures.
Ideas for Specific Rooms
Now that we’ve talked about some do’s and don’ts of staging your home with plants, here are some great ideas for individual rooms.
Front Porch
This is the first space people see when they come to your home, so it’s a great place to make a good first impression. Adding plants to your porch makes the front door seem more inviting and welcoming.
A large pot (or pots) of colorful flowers brings color to the porch while upping the curb appeal. Place them on rolling plant caddies to add an extra decorative element, while simultaneously making the plants easier to move around and take them with you after the sale.
Entryway
The entryway is another spot to make a good first impression, but this time for the inside of your home. Fill an awkward empty corner or flank the doorway with tall, compact plants to add warmth. If you have a console table, add a beautiful orchid to bring some simple elegance to the spot.
Dining Room Table
Without a doubt, this is the spot to put a beautiful bouquet of flowers to create a stunning centerpiece. Pick a bouquet that fits the size and scale of the table to bring the room together and give it a more finished look.
Living Room
If you’ve got an empty corner that looks glaringly bare, fill it with a tall plant like an indoor pine, ficus, bamboo or a palm. Their simple structure will keep them from taking over a space.
Another idea for a living room is to add small plants or flower arrangements on shelves, making sure to leave some negative space to avoid looking cluttered. Floating shelves in classic stainless steel add a modern look to any space while helping to provide that negative space.
Bathroom Counter
Putting flowers in your bathroom or powder room will instantly give it a more luxurious and spa-like feel. If space permits, you can situate a small arrangement in the corner of the tab.
Smaller bathrooms with less space will benefit from a small arrangement or potted plant on the vanity. This is a great place to stick with a neutral colored plant and add an accent color by choosing a coordinating pot or vase to display the greenery.
Bedroom End Table
Your bedroom end table is a great spot to add a small plant like a succulent or a houseplant that helps filter air or adds a calming scent to your sleeping quarters. Some examples include jasmine, lavender, peace lily, pothos, gardenia, or spider plants.
Conclusion
Adding plants to your home is a great way to stage your living space, whether it’s your place of residence or you are preparing it for sale. Plants add warmth, invite others in, and help to make the area welcoming.
To add fresh cut flowers or potted plants to your decor, keep them simple so they aren’t overwhelming. You’re much better off to choose 1 or 2 great plants for a room than to clutter it with more.
