Seven Simple Styling Tips for Indoor Houseplants

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Have you ever looked around the house and come to realize that you have a lot of plants? Well, that’s what happened to me recently. Further, when I looked at the placement of my plants, there was no rhyme or reason for their organization. Thus began my quest to find simple styling tips for indoor houseplants.

Why so many plants? Like many people, I put a renewed focus on houseplants during the pandemic. And why not, plants can not only purify the air but also have a positive impact on our mood by reducing stress. Ok, so now let’s focus on seven simple styling tips for indoor houseplants.

Tip 1 – Style with your plants needs in mind

Before you go out and buy a plant, evaluate your space from a light perspective. Some plants need bright light, and some will tolerate low light.

• Bright Light comes from south or west-facing windows that receive light all day. Plants that require bright light need 5-6 hours or more every day.
• Indirect Light can come from an east-facing window or the interior of a room that has bright light from a south or west-facing window. It also applies when there is a sheer curtain between the plant and the south or west-facing window.
• Low light comes from a north-facing window or from windows that are shaded. If your room is mostly low light, grow lights may benefit your plants.

Plants can also be impacted by temperature and humidity. Avoid placing plants near heat and air conditioning ducts. If a plant has a high humidity requirement, then keep a spritz bottle near the plant and spritz daily.

Tip 2 – Follow the rule of threes

This rule states that items arranged in odd number grouping of three are more effective, pleasing, and memorable for the eye to land upon. Other odd number groups five, seven, or nine also work, however, three seems to be the magic number. Here are a few additional tips when arranging plants in odd number groups.

• If arranging in a straight line, have some unifying element to tie the plants together. That might include a similar size and shape container or plants with a similar shape and growth pattern.
• A triangular grouping of three plants is also a pleasing arrangement. Try having one plant in the grouping that is taller than the rest or vary the height with different size containers.

Tip 3 – Intermingle plants and objects

Think about the objects that are around your plants. For instance, in my entryway, I placed a spider plant in a lovely ceramic swan. The swan and spider plant seem to complement each other with the white lines of the spider plant blending nicely with the swan. In another case, I keep my plant spritz bottle near plants that like a greater humidity. Besides being functional, it is also a pretty accent piece to display.

Tip 4 – Define a space by adding a focal point

Plants are great for filling space and becoming the focal point in a room. A large Monstera deliciosa, one of the most recognizable plants in the design world, fills that role in our living room. While there are other plants in proximity, the Monstera takes center stage due to its size. In addition, large plants are great choices for filling a corner.

In my home office, I have a palm tree (see at the end of this post) that fills the space next to the desk. While it also is a focal point, it’s not quite as dramatic as the Monstera.

Tip 5 – Styling a shelf

In her book ‘Decorating with Plants’ by Baylor Chapman, she has a section on styling a bookshelf. In that section, she discusses styling with the following three types of plants.

• Airy plants
• Draping plants
• Structural plants

I include this as a tip because so many times we seem to have a shelf, bookshelf, or table on which we are placing plants. On the top of my fireplace, I followed this tip. The airy plant is the tropical-like Birds Nest Fern (center) with its light green wavy leaves. For a draping plant, I placed an Ivy Peperomia (left) on the edge of the fireplace. Love the heart-shaped, dark green leaves of the Ivy Peperomia. Finally, the Madagascar Dragon Tree (right) with its slim draping leaves acts as the structural plant due to its height.

Besides the overall form of the plant, it’s also good to vary the height of plants on a shelf. You can do this by mixing plants of different heights. Further, you can accomplish this look by placing plants on plant stands or stacks of books.

Tip 6 – Include some unique plants in your collection

Choosing plants that are unique can act as a conversation piece. Here are three unusual plants that I love.

• Neon Pothos – I fell instantly in love with this Neon Pothos. Wow, such striking bold and bright leaves. To keep its vibrant color, indirect light is recommended. The plant is so beautiful when seen, the picture doesn’t do it justice.
• Swiss Cheese Monstera – When most people think about a monstera plant, they envision a big, bold tropical plant with large leaves (Monstera deliciosa) that I mentioned earlier. However, the variety of Monstera that I recommend is called Little Swiss Monstera (Monstera adasonii). This variety has smaller leaves but a lovely texture with small holes in the leaves. So beautiful and unusual. 
• Haworthia Zebra Plant – This is a little plant that makes a statement. It has very thick dark green leaves with white zebra-like stripes. So pretty and so unusual.

Tip 7 – Don’t forget containers and other accessories

Choose containers that mimic your style but don’t take away from the plants. You want your plants to shine. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Have a uniform color for all your plant containers. Containers can be of various sizes and shapes but have a uniform color.
• Plant stands are popular and add height to plants. In addition, floors and tables are protected when plants are placed in a stand.
• Baskets are fun as containers for houseplants. For me, baskets add a calming effect to styling with plants.
• Use containers to add a pop of color or special interest to a room.

I hope you find these seven simple styling tips for indoor houseplants to be useful. I love the coziness, companionship and style that plants add in a home. As plants grow, they continue to change the look and feel of the original style. Don’t be afraid to rearrange your plants, I find myself doing it all the time!

Additional Information

Here is a list of posts that you may also find interesting to read.

• The complete guide to caring for spider plants
• How to care for indoor houseplants
• Five great indoor plants to give as a gift
• The complete guide to caring for African Violets
• What are traditional “shamrock” plants
• The Jade Plant – Undemanding and easy to grow
• Growing and caring for ferns, the complete guide

References

Decorating with Plants by Baylor Chapman