Bring the outside in

Whether you live in a townhouse, by the sea or a cute country cottage; bringing plants into your space will not only bring it to life, they can also play a role in your overall health as they make you feel calmer, filter the air and can actually lower anxiety. But the idea of looking after plants as well as your children, loved ones and possibly the dog can seem like a step too far.

As an Interior Designer & Stylist I'm often asked for ways to bring the outside in without creating a massive ongoing job. So here are 5 ways you could add a bit more nature in your home, without giving yourself another to do list:

Make a Statement

Scale is really important to a well-designed room, adding furniture at different heights will lead the eye through your space making it more appealing and interesting. A great way to do this is by adding a floor plants especially if you find you have quite a bit of white space. Patch Plants www.patchplants.com have such a beautiful selection of plants and trees and best of all they deliver to your door so no awkward trip to the garden centre

Forage

Why not get out & about in your local area and pick up dropped branches, twigs and feathers etc. It’s a great talking point and so much fun looking for them, especially if you have kids or a dog as they can get involved. Pop them in a large ceramic pot and let nature take its course.

Hanging Herb Garden

Nasa said that houseplants can remove up to 87% of toxins from your home, so why not create a hanging herb garden. Not only will it create a statement- it’s good for your health and your food to boot. Choose small planters in neutral colours, fill with your favourite herbs and fix into your wall appropriately. I love the Hive Wall Planters from https://urban-b.co.uk/products/one-hive with hexagonal planters and frames that can be arranged into all sorts of shapes - it looks so cool framing a door.

Living Wall

If you like a more uniform look try adding some floating shelves, they create beautiful lines -just make sure you paint them the same colour as your wall. Pop the plants in pots that work tonally with your wall colour and place them at different heights for a living piece of art.

Don’t forget to Water Them

Caring for plants can be tricky so make sure you have a cute watering can that will become part of the décor. If you don’t have the gardening gene don’t worry, opt for succulents instead – they are much heartier and aesthetically really pleasing too. Or why not try some faux plants www.artificialgreen.co.uk have a really lifelike selection of faux trees that you'd have a hard time thinking they weren't real.

Are you looking for a way to add more greenery to your house? Or maybe you have another idea that you'd like to share below, I'd love to hear your thoughts

Louise