Add Life to your Windows with Decorative Plants

Houseplants aren’t just a trend millennials picked up to feel in control during the pandemic. They are also a component of major home design trends in 2022.  Adding greenery and plants is a great way to add life and energy to your home and windows, and there are a multitude of ways you can go about incorporating plants and greenery in your interior design to fit the rest of your design aesthetic.

Practical benefits of indoor plants

Plants in interior design bring more than just a pop of refreshing green and a reminder that nature can be as accessible as you’d like. They also offer many practical benefits for homeowners to enjoy that go well beyond aesthetics.

Noise reduction/absorption

Noise from everyday household activities like cooking, talking, or children playing can become overwhelming at times. If you live on a busy street or in a larger city, noise from outside may be bothersome as well. Plants, especially larger plants, can actually absorb, diffract, and reflect noise.

Indoor herb gardens offer fresh food

Many cooks like to have fresh ingredients on hand. Growing herbs like rosemary, thyme, or mint in a sunny place indoors can provide you with a supply of fresh herbs for use now or can be frozen for later.

Adding visual color and interest

House plants look great next to neutrals and natural textures like linen, jute, or rattan. Psychologically, having live plants indoors is a way of bringing the outdoors in, and the benefits of this are extensive. Many professional home designers and home stagers already know the benefits of adding houseplants to a home’s decor, but not all homeowners know the tips to bring living plants into a room as an accent piece. Here are a few tips from some pros.

How to decorate with houseplants

There isn’t a right or wrong way to decorate with houseplants. It all comes down to your personal preference and the look you want to achieve. If you’re trying to lean into the biophilic design (a trend in the building industry to encourage occupant connection with nature by bringing it into the internal environment), your best bet is to focus on a single room and pack it with plants. If you’re looking to incorporate a little bit of green into each of your spaces, you can easily choose a plant or two for each room and call it a day. When you bring plants into your home decor, the most important thing to remember is that they are living things that require sunlight, water, and adequate care to continue bringing their natural beauty to your home for years to come.

Consider your natural light sources

Indirect light from windows lends itself nicely to many popular houseplants that are accustomed to tropical forest floors where light is filtered through the trees. Direct light near south-facing windows is great for succulents or aloe plants. Think about the placement and direction of your windows when choosing houseplants.

Staking out the perfect place in your home for your new houseplants is all about knowing your green friends’ lighting requirements and going from there. Some plants should be hung directly in front of a window for optimal growth, and some larger plants might require a stand placed as close to a window as possible without flattening the greenery. Others will thrive best a few feet away from a window or happily exist on a semi-shady counter. Use your home’s natural lighting to plan out which plants will go where based on their individual needs. 

You can go big in your home

For rooms that are in need of a little more life or are missing a design focal point, big houseplants make an excellent choice. Whether you’re in the market for a big-leafed and sprawling monstera, or want to dive into plants that require a little more care like a fiddle leaf fig or a mature elephant mask alocasia, there are many show-stealing plants to choose from. 

Small details matter (and small plants, too)

Small details make for a cozy home. Terrariums with living succulents or cacti are a popular choice in modern design and can exist and even thrive in small areas. Living plants are often a great addition to modern decor as they can soften the angular lines, and the color provides a welcome complement to neutral color schemes.

Deep window sills can also be a cozy home for small plants that require direct sunlight. Make sure to put a saucer under the plant to protect your woodwork from any dripping that may result after a good watering. Bay and bow windows make a great area for indoor plants because their depth provides a larger surface area that’s perfect for small groupings of plants.

Popular home decor plants for 2022

Whether you’ve been eyeing plantsagram for a little too long or you’re ready to rectify your lack of green thumb with some easy-to-care-for plants that will brighten your home, there are suitable choices for you. Unsure where to start? Here are a few popular favorites that are typically easy to find at your local greenhouse. 

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Fiddle leaf fig  

This plant has been featured in decor magazines for years, and continues to be a fan favorite for new and seasoned houseplant owners alike. Known for its large beautiful foliage, this plant can be fickle and requires indirect light and a fair amount of space. Learning how to best manage a fiddle leaf fig is a labor of love, but if you’re willing to put in the time, the result will be a stunning piece of living decor that almost guarantees commentary from all your household guests. 

Aloe plant

This plant is a windowsill staple. Its beautiful fronds feature soft spikes containing medicinal gel that can be used for minor scrapes or burns. Bonus — aloes can develop small offshoots commonly referred to as “pups.” These can be split and repotted to create a new plant. Cared for well, you might be surprised at just how many aloe plants you wind up with from your initial purchase of one. 

Rubber plants

This plant can be kept on the smaller side in a smaller container, or it can be encouraged to grow big and tall if you so desire. They can grow to an impressive size fairly quickly with the right amount of light and a large enough pot. Rubber plants come in a number of varieties and offer beautiful colors to match most color palettes in your home. These require a lot of natural light, but not will not tolerate full direct sun.

Philodendron

An interesting rainforest plant, the philodendron is a new home blogger favorite because it can add just as much drama to a room as the fiddle leaf fig, but it’s easier to maintain and comes in many different varieties with unique leaf shapes. The split leaf and heart leaf varieties are both extremely popular.

Beginner-friendly houseplants

Some people love the idea of adding plants to their home decor, but just don’t have the time to monitor soil moisture, keep track of humidity levels, and tend to misting or pest elimination as often as some of the plants listed above may require. For beginners or those strapped for time, hardy plants like the snake plant and spider plant are extremely tolerant of low light levels, temperature, and watering schedule. In short, these plants can thrive in almost any environment, making them a solid choice as starter plants. Cacti are another drought tolerant plant choice, but require bright light to survive and thrive, so busy homeowners interested in trying their hand at cacti and succulent care should be sure to place these plants in south or west facing windows for your best chance at success. 

Get creative with plant placement in your home

Everyone loves the classic locations for houseplants. Atop bookshelves, in window sills, and as the focal point of an open, airy room with lots of natural light. However, there are just as many unique and creative locations you can incorporate plants into in your home as well. 

Shower plants 

One of this year’s plant trends is to use greenery in unexpected places. Some homeowners even choose to keep plants in their bathroom where the moisture and humidity from regular showers create a great environment for some plants like a boston or birds nest fern.

Macrame plant hangers 

This 70s-80s staple is popping up in modern designs to add a cozy vibe and a touch of “hygge.” They look especially unique with a cascading plant like ivy or golden pothos, and serve well in homes leaning toward maximalist or cottagecore design trends. 

Air plants everywhere

These unique plants do not require any soil, making them a fun choice for decorating in addition to being one of the easiest indoor plants. Choose a container that matches your decor, and mist your plant once a week, or give them a solid soak every two weeks. Air plants come in a variety of interesting colors, shapes, and textures, making them extremely versatile choices for nearly any room. 

Shelf, shelf baby

Install a window plant shelf to make the most of your natural light. Having plants in front of your windows can draw attention to them, enhancing the view. Plants residing on a window shelf are also more likely to thrive thanks to the proximity to natural light, making them the perfect complement to their outdoor counterparts on the other side of the glass.

Whatever plants you choose, the right window can have a major impact on the longevity of your houseplant decor. Schedule a consultation with Pella experts today to find the right windows for your home design.