Happy Plants for The Home and Office
Plants make people happy.
No, really, dirt and gardening scientifically makes people happy. Maybe it’s because I’m a tad obsessed with my plants and garden at the mo’, but while leafing through the 2015 IKEA Catalog, I couldn’t help but notice their smart use of plants to serve a purpose. For tips on how to decorate using plants in your home, read this article on Real Simple.
Here’s a few spreads from the catalog broken up into sections where plants were used as decor, to balance or add interest to a space, for functional purposes or for fun.
1) Plants To Add Visual Interest & Texture
There’s nothing more stunning than a crisp, clean, bright room accented with some green-thumb-ery. Plants add variety and bring life to modular, simple pieces and visual interest to sparse or one-note spaces.
One larger plant or a cluster of smaller plants punctuates any simple, minimal space. The stand-alone, bold topiary tree in this clean white space is divine.
Products: DALSKÄR Faucet | GODMORGON/ BRÅVIKEN Sink Cabinet | FÄRGLAV Towel | ENUDDEN Towel Stand | RAMSKÄR Bathroom Mat | STORJORM Mirror Cabienet
As mentioned above, clusters of a variety of smaller plants with lots of organic foliage compliments more modular, boxy units or furniture pieces like this one. And I don’t know about you, but I could never fill every space in a large cabinet unit like this with my own stuff, so might as well fill it in with greenery!
Product Links: VEJMON Side Table | EKTORP Armchair | HEMNES Glass Door Cabinet | ARÖD Floor Lamp
Use plants to fill in sparse areas or “elbows” in storage modules. Put them on stacks of books, use as bookends, mix and match! I love the see-through vase on this Jenga-like unit.
Product Links: IKEA PS 2014 Green Storage Module | IKEA PS 2014 Dark Red Storage Module | IKEA PS 2014 Storage Module Top 1 | IKEA PS 2014 Storage Module Top 2
Placing a single twig, flower or plant stem in a transparent vase adds mega-drama to this room. I’d never think to use green tinted glass in a yellow and dark-wood room, but I quite fancy the bold combination.
Product List: STOCKHOLM Vase | SAMTID Floor Lamp | NOCKEBY Footstool | ÖRSTED Rug
Large leafy plants such as fiddle-leaf figs, Monstera, philodendrons or palms make spaces charged with bright pastels and geometric patterns feel homier. Try using more organic greenery in a room with structured, modern decor to create a feeling of comfort and closeness over “geometric” greens such as succulents or grasses.
Product Links: LOCKSTA Chair | SÖDERHAMN Corner Sectional | IKEA PS 2014 Storage Table | IKEA 2014 PS Rug
One large plant offset by a few small plants does wonder for this modern, stainless steel, white glossy kitchen.
Product Links: RINGSKÄR Faucet | OBEROENDE Exhaust Hood
2) Functional Plants
Plants are good for us, for the air and for our moods. And we can eat them too! Here’s some spreads with plants that look good and serve a purpose – what more can you ask for!
I love the idea of growing seedlings in your kitchen on a storage cart by a window such as this one. Perfect for propagating — and how cute are the mug planters? Just be sure to fill the bottom with stones and pebbles for drainage.
Product Links: GRUNDTAL Rail | FÖRHÖJA Kitchen Cart |LUFTIG Exhaust Hood
Cooking with your own counter-top herbs and using them as a decorative element or centerpiece is pretty luxurious — without the price tag.
Product Links: DÅTID Exhaust Hood | FÖRHÖJA Kitchen Cart
Put Palms, Philodendron, Boston Ferns, Cacti or Ivy in the bedroom. They purify the air and remove allergens and don’t require lots of sunlight so you’ll wake up breathing easier and feeling more rested.
Product Links: HEMNES Mirror | HEMNES Chest | HEMNES Bed Frame | BJURSTA Bench | EMMIE RUTA Bedding | KOLDBY Cowhide
3) Window Sill Plants
This children’s bedroom looks like a jungle in the best way possible. I’m not a mom yet, but getting kids to take care of plants in their room seems like a great way to teach responsibility and foster a green-thumb early on.
Product Links: IKEA PS FÅNGST Hanging Storage | SNIGLAR Change Table | KYRA Reversible Bed | KURA Bed Tent | STUVA Storage
Imagine waking up to these lovely little ledge plants! Squeeeee!
Product Links: SELJE Nightstand | MULIG Clothesrack | ALGOT Shelves | MALM Storage Bed | IKEA PS 2014 Bedding | ENUDDEN Wall Shelves
Ledges or deep sills make for the perfect home for plants that love sunlight. I have a few Kalanchoe’s in my windows and they do beautifully! They got so big I had to separate and propagate them. Here’s a list of flowering houseplants for sunny spots.
Product Links: NORDLI Dresser | STÄLL Shoe Cabinet | IKEA PS 2014 Hat/Coat Stand | ENUDDEN Towel Rack | GUNNERN Mirror Cabinet
Love the subtle but oh-so-necessary foliage on this little ledge. If that’s planted in an empty used can, then heck, that’s adorable.
Product Links: KORKEN Jar | IVAR Shelves | SORTERA Bins | BEKVÄM Step Stool | PRUTA Food Containers
Layering plants and blooming flowers behind a feminine banquet or loveseat. Need I say more?
Product Links: INGATORP Drop-leaf Table | AGEN Chair | SVELVIK Daybed | RANARP Pendant Lamp
Tropical plants love the humid, moist environment of a shower. Try hanging dried eucalyptus from your shower head; it’ll purify the air and give off a fresh scent. Double-duty cleaning.
Product Links: STRAPATS Bins | GODMORGON/ODENSVIK Sink/Cabinet | STORJORM Mirror | IMMELN Mirror Hook | LUNDSKÄR Faucet
4) Hanging Plants
If your space is limited, if you have lots of empty walls to full, or if you have a lot of vertical room and want to bring some warmth and natural elements into your home, hanging plants are your pal.
I love the idea of using hanging plants to divide a room up. Hang from a clothes rack or even the ceiling. Just be sure to take down and water over the sink so you don’t waterfall plant-juice onto your lovely furniture or floors! I’ve learned the hard way 😐
Product Links: SVARTÅSEN Laptop Stand | GURLI Pillow | KLIPPAN Loveseat | EKENÄS Footstool | FRIHETEN Sofabed | IKEA PS 2014 White Storage Module | IKEA PS 2014 Dark Red Storage Module
Stacking plants up the wall on a ladder or side unit such as this has big impact with a tiny footprint. The geniuses at IKEA cut water or pop bottles in half, filled with stones and planted right into them. The best part is if you over-watered, you can open the lid to drain some liquid!
Product Links: IVAR Side Unit | LINNMON/ODDVALD Table | IKEA PS 2014 Bench | IVAR Cabinet | TROFAST Wall Storage | ELLY Tea Towel
Normally, bars in a window seem like a security precaution, but these window-rails make for the perfect home for herbs. It adds some privacy while still letting in lots of light.
Product Links: GRUNDTAL Rail | FÖRHÖJA Kitchen Cart |LUFTIG Exhaust Hood
If you’re counter-space in limited or you can’t afford to waste space, hanging plants just above surface-level is a great use of vertical space that would go otherwise unused.
Product Links: GRUNDTAL Series | Grundtal Magnetic Knife Rack
4) As Decoration
If you have some free space in a room but don’t know what to do with it, these stands would fill the space without making it feel crammed. They’d also serve beautifully to segment and divide an open-concept space or entrance. They’d even be great outdoors!
Product Links: IKEA PS 2014 Tall Plant Stand | IKEA PS 2014 Plant Stand | IKEA PS 2014 Greenhouse
Use decorative branches (birch, pussy willow or even driftwood) and twigs as art to add dimension to any room.
Product Links: BJÖRNLOKA Bedding | MANDAL Bed Frame | NORDEN Bench | TÅNUM Rugs | PAX Wardrobe
Without the flowers, this room wouldn’t feel nearly as lively. The saturated pink petals compliment the wall colour and the green adds some happy-contrast.
Product Links: HÖNEFOSS Mirror | SÖTBLOMSTER Bedding | TRYSIL Chest | EKARP Table Lamp | SONGE Mirror
Drama, drama drama! Dang, these flower arrangements have attitude. Use bold, showy petals of the same colour family as your space to bookend a bed or large furniture piece.
Product Links: MOHEDA Sofa Bed | LÖVBACKEN Side Table | HÅLLROT Bedding| IKEA PS 2014 Mirror | NYFORS Work Lamp
These soft purple gems add some softness and femininity to this otherwise super-blue, clean masculine bathroom. Pretty, ain’t it?
Product Links: SILVERÅN/ HAMNVIKEN Sink Cabinet | SILVERÅN Mirror Cabinet | SILVERÅN Storage | SVARTSJÖN Mug | SVARTSJÖN Towel Rail | SVARTSJÖN Hook Rack |SILVERÅN High Cabinet | INGEBORG Towel | GUNNERN Table
BONUS: Plant-Print Textiles!
This beautiful bedding recently made it onto my list of ‘Flora & Fauna Inspired Furniture & Decor’. Perfect for green-thumbs!
Product Links: STRANDKRYPA Bedding | HURDAL Bed Frame | HURDAL Nightstand
What a darn lovely textile. Imagine making pillows or bedding out of this? Swoon.
Product Links: DORTHY Fabric | KVARTAL Curtain Rod | SCHOTTIS Pleated Blinds
I’ve had my eye on this chair for a while now. Too bad I don’t have the room for it!
Product Links: BILLY Bookcase | STOCKHOLM Nesting Tables | STOCKHOLM Rug | STOCKHOLM Glass Door Cabinet
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