Houseplants may be the single most important element of interior design: when deployed effectively, they can add depth, height, and airiness to any room. Here are 10 ingenious ways (culled from our archives) that houseplants can make any room look bigger:
Repeat a Theme
The same idea, with a different twist: a potted plant cleverly echoes the theme. A leafy wall sculpture and a leafy houseplant word in tandem to focus attention on the view beyond the windows. See more in Remade in Maine: Jersey Ice Cream Co. Upgrades a Recently Built Rockport House on Remodelista.
Add Height
When chairs go low, plants go high. The effect? Creating an instantly alluring corner where you want to curl up with a book.
Slim Down
A clever trick, in a room with panoramic views, is to choose houseplants with slender trunks and branches.; you can look through them to see past to the garden outdoors. See more in A Colonial House in Bellport with Uncommon Style from French Designer C. S. Valentin on Remodelista.
Point the Way
Short of painting an arrow on the wall, the floorplan couldn’t be spelled out more clearly. See more of this project at Brooklyn Makeover: A Homey Townhouse with a Modern Garret on Remodelista.
Fill Negative Space
See more in Elizabeth Roberts at Home: The Architect’s Own Beach House in Bellport, NY on Remodelista.
Light Up the Shadows
Indoor plants for “low-light conditions” are tolerant of living in a dark apartment with one wall of windows (or possibly, one window). At the same time, their presence suggests sunlight even where little exists.
Add Color
Before & After: A French-Inflected Townhouse Renovation in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Peek Out
A half-revealed plant peeks out from behind a half-wall and adds depth to the space. See more on Remodelista in Small Wonder: A Bright, Reconfigured Mews House in Hackney, Design Tricks Included.
Wallpaper with Vines
To ensure the vines would cling to the stucco walls, the team applied a temporary adhesive to attach the two until the vines started to cling on their own. See more of this project at Architect Visit: A Dining Room Wallpapered with Climbing Vines in Brooklyn.
Breach Boundaries
Says Summer Rayne Oakes: no surface should be off limits to plants: let them spill over the edges of shelves. Let them jockey for space with the tea kettle. See more of her 700-plant collection in Living with Houseplants: Four Years Later in a Brooklyn Apartment.
Create a Curtain
See more in 8 Houseplant Ideas to Steal from a Grand Parisian Escalier.
For more inspiration, see our curated guide to Houseplants: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design for growing tips and ideas about how to design interior spaces with plants. Read more:
- An Insider’s Guide to Getting First Dibs on the Best Ikea Houseplants
- Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
- 10 Secrets to Successful Houseplants from the Experts
- 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from English Conservatories
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