Interior design can be a tricky business. There are many elements that need to be balanced together and a great deal of thought is often required on how the finished result will look and work. Generally you don’t have to worry about your interior design elements dying on you though! Unfortunately things become less simple when working with indoor plants in interior design. Plants need the right amount of sunlight, the right atmospheric conditions, and the right amount of care to thrive in the various rooms in your house – and that’s before you even start factoring in the look and effect you might be trying to create. So what are the best house plants to use for the different rooms in your house?
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Living Room Indoor Plants
As the name implies, the living room is where you do most of your living. Selecting the right indoor plants for this room is important, but you also need to consider where to put them. This is a good room for floor plants placed where you will see them frequently as you make use of the room. Bird of Paradise plants work well here, as do Rubber Plants. Philodendron is another great plant for some lush green in the living room. If you prefer a bit more color then Begonias may be more your style. For shelves, side-tables and window-sills, the Peace Lily works great.
Dining Room
The dining room is another great room for floor plants, but you can also place some carefully selected indoor plants on the dining table to add some color and fun to your dining. Golden Pothos and Marble Queen work well on both the dining table and on side tables or shelves. Philodendron is a good choice for a floor plant.
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Bedroom
You spend at least eight hours of every day in your bedroom so it’s an important room for your indoor plant choices. Bedrooms are sometimes poorly lit in which case you need a plant that can thrive in low light. You also want to be able to get to sleep at night which makes the scent of the plant an important consideration, along with any improvements in air quality that it provides. The Ruffle Fern works well in partial sun and is a great choice for improving air quality. Ferns tend to grow in low-light conditions on rain-forest floors so they work well in the bedroom. If your bedroom is well lit then you might consider some succulent indoor plants such as Aloe Vera. For medium light conditions where you have some floor space you want to make use of a floor plant such as Bamboo may be what you need.
Image: Vicole Ashley
Bathroom
Ferns also work well in the bathroom, but you might also want to consider Snake Plants for tabletop decor, Parlor Palms for the floor, and Air Plants if you have any spare shelf space to place indoor plants on. Bamboo is also a good choice here.
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Kitchen
The kitchen is often a diverse and well lit space with a variety of plant choices available for it as a result. It’s also a place with good access to a water supply so indoor plants that need frequent watering will get plenty of love here. Fiddle Leave Fig works well in the kitchen as a floor plant. Basil, Thyme, and other herbs can work well on the counter-top and also give you fresh herbs for your cooking. Aloe Vera is an attractive and healthy addition to the kitchen. Ruffle Ferns work great as hanging plants in the corners. For some plants you may wish to research any toxic effects they may have as the last thing you want is to grow poisonous plants in the area where you prepare your meals.
Image: Marzena Marideko
Home Office
The home office is a place where you want as few distractions as possible. It also tends to be a well lit space which lets you get away with a wider variety of plant choices. Various types of cactus and other succulents work well here, as do plants such as the African Spear.
Image: Kim & Christian
The right plant in the right room can make a huge difference in how the energies of the room work and how the room feels. Careful selection of the indoor plants you use throughout your house is important if you want those plants to survive and give you the results you need. Hopefully these tips should give you something to think about when choosing house plants for your interior design projects.
