In an increasingly urbanised world, plants have transitioned from mere specimens of the outdoors, to common objects of interior design. Of course, the concept of ornamental plants is nothing new - humans have been incorporating greenery into man-made design across the globe for millennia. Just one example of this comes from Ancient Egypt; tomb paintings dating from 1500 BC depict the cultivation of plants for aesthetic pleasures in the form of landscape gardening.

A likely explanation for our desire to bring the outdoors in, comes from a belief known as the Biophilia Hypothesis. This idea proposes that humans possess an innate tendency to seek out connections with nature. A contemporary architectural concept called Biophilic Design embraces this theory, and seeks to incorporate nature in metropolitan landscapes, by designing inspirational and restorative places that bridge the gap between the urban and the natural.

We can apply these principles within the realms of the indoors, to curate homes where plants live in harmony with us - vibrant and creative spaces of total symbiosis and aesthetic beauty, which provide a blissful backdrop to the events of daily life. Indeed, interior spaces even without physical plants still incorporate the natural world in many instances. For example, much modern furniture and décor employs shape and form in ways which are highly reminiscent of, and likely inspired by a variety of natural processes and structures. Further, both traditional and more contemporary homes frequently utilise natural fibres and other organic materials to a large extent, from the composition of furniture and décor items such as rugs, tables and pottery, to multi-sensory adornments such as botanical candles and diffusers.

Nature is part of the fabric of our dwellings - and houseplants are truly the most literal, and most powerful, domestic instantiation of this desire we all have to bring the outside in. Here, we explore how they can be used in the home, to create places to live where we can flourish, alongside our plants.

Our homes are deeply personal, and the objects we place in them can reflect our inner sense of self. Living rooms are often the most visited aspect of one’s home; a place to entertain guests, a place to display the things we like, a place to exist in and enjoy when we arrive at home. Just as the selection of a certain piece of art is multi-faceted in nature, so is the selection of a plant. Objects tell stories; they are instantiations of their historical usage, the culture and style behind their form, and the quirks and tastes of those who own them. In this way, plants provide function in the same way as items of décor, brightening the confines of our living spaces, bringing a sense of self-identity, nurture and home, in their own unique way.

We often think of plants as static objects, much like décor; but in fact, plants are always moving. Many jungle-dwelling plants have unique adaptations which allow them to make the most of the tiny streams of dappled light which make it past the forest canopy. The most well-known example of this is the Prayer Plant, which has an innate blue light absorbing pigment system which acts as a sensor. The changing light levels trigger liquid to be taken in by the pulvinus cells. As the size of those cells changes, it creates pressure that causes leaf orientation movements, positioning the leaves in accordance with the sun. Another plant with this enthralling feature is the Calathea, a family of plants which are relatives of the Prayer Plant. This exquisitely patterned plant family boasts many varieties, from the rounded, silvery Orbifolia to the vivid, striped Makoyana.

We’re often naturally drawn towards objects of unusual appearance, and this applies to plants. Tropical plants from far-away lands are objects of wonder which grant a sense of escapism - small piece of exotica in the more familiar landscape of our own dwelling.

The bedroom is an ideal location to benefit from the soothing power of biophilic design. One way to do so is through the use of biomorphic forms and patterns; an example being the representation of curves found in nature, like cloud-like shapes, circles and other semi curvilinear forms, such as in the illustration above. Adding physical greenery on top of these elements can result in a calming effect - perfect for inducing a good night’s sleep!

Some plants also possess non-visual qualities, which make them functional, as well as beautiful, in indoor spaces. Firstly, they provide a rich source of oxygen and moisture to your home, helping to minimise Sick Building Syndrome. Further, NASA conducted a study on the effect of indoor plants on air quality in the home, which found that particular houseplants also have the ability to filter out harmful compounds, such as allergens and other pollutants, from the air.

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to air-purifiers; from the fast-growing trailer known as Devil’s Ivy, to the humble Spider Plant - ubiquitous to the macramé hangers of the 1960s and 70s. If you’re blessed with a slightly more spacious bedroom, an Areca Palm is also an ideal choice, as a 6ft specimen can easily transpire a litre of water every 24 hours into the surrounding air.

However, an absolute stand-out amongst the multitude of air-purifying houseplants is the Sansevieria, also known as the ‘Snake Plant’ or ‘Mother-in-Law’s Tongue.’ Not only is it wonderfully hardy, but it is possesses an adaptation called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism; this means that, unlike most plants, which stop oxygenating the air in the absence of sunlight, the Snake Plant is one of the few plants that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen all night long. So, placing this plant in your bedroom will help to create a more oxygenated and cleansed resting space, thus encouraging a deeper quality of sleep.

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We may visit our hallways everyday, but they tend to be passed through as opposed to lived in. This means they are often overlooked when it comes to interior design - despite being the first thing one will see upon entering the home, and the last thing seen when leaving. Hallways tend to be rather shady spots - particularly here, in the red-brick terraced homes of Manchester, making them ideal for placing low-light, low-maintenance greenery, to welcome us at the door.

Luckily, the vast majority of plants cultivated for indoor enjoyment tend to hail from the dense, humid rainforests of the tropics. This means that they tend to be acclimatised to receiving less light, as the sun they get in their native land is filtered through the thick canopy of densely clustered trees. Indeed, this trait is useful when it comes to suitability for indoor gardening, as houses in general tend to be sheltered, dimmer spaces.

The Kentia Palm is ideally placed for such conditions. A favourite of Queen Victoria, a statement Kentia was common in the shady abodes of 19th Century England, prized for its tolerance to suboptimal growing conditions. Similarly, the Aspidistra Eliator was also a staple plant during the Industrial Revolution, earning the nickname ‘The Cast Iron Plant’ thanks to its hardiness, even when subjected to smoggy, dimly lit environments, typical of homes at the time. A more recent addition to the hardy-plants-club is the ZZ Plant, an extremely drought-resistant, low-light-tolerant beauty from tropical Africa. The ZZ only begun to be commercially cultivated in the 1990s, but has quickly joined the Kentia and Aspidistra as a well-regarded provider of plenty of lush, green foliage, without much hassle on your part.

Shop low-light plants here, and statement plants here.

One rather simple - and extremely commonplace - aspect of biophilic home design, is the use of windows. Windows not only provide a sense of immersion in the outside world, but importantly, they expose the realm of the indoors to one of nature’s most important regulators: light. The significance of sunlight in the life of a plant is obvious; they require the sun’s energy in order to photosynthesize, to provide themselves with the sustenance to grow. But light provides another function: it provides a basis for the 24-hour cycle of biological processes present in living things. These cycles are known as Circadian Rhythms, and they allow animals and plants alike to anticipate and prepare for inevitable environmental changes.

Humans tend to spend 80-90% of their time indoors, so ensuring that these indoor spaces have access to natural light is fundamental in the pursuit of a good quality of life. However, when it comes to brighter inside areas, such as South-facing windowsills, rooms with skylight windows, or conservatory spaces, the plants we decide to keep must be hardy enough to tolerate direct sun. Many plants have developed a number of adaptations that make them ideally suited for such locations. An example of this is the Stetsonia Coryne, known as the ‘Toothpick Cactus’; its columnar shape and ridged surface allows it to maintain the highest possible internal volume for holding water, while minimizing the surface area exposed to the sun, and its spectacular spines provide pockets of shade for further relief. Crotons are also a great choice for sunny spots, increasing in vibrancy and producing spectacular colours when placed in the sun. This unusual adaptation is known as Foliar Polychromatic Photoprotection; a trait which means they accumulate red, blue and purple pigments in the upper layers of the leaves in order to prevent too much high-energy light from damaging sensitive photosynthetic tissue.

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Bathrooms are undoubtedly places of self-care, rejuvenation and renewal. From the Avocado bathroom suites of the 1970s to the Sage walls of 2021, mimicry of the organic in bathroom spaces can be seen as reflecting our desire to create a tranquil place for ourselves, away from the unforgiving commotion of the hectic outside world. This is the reminiscent of the Japanese concept of Shinrin Yoku. Translating literally as ‘Forest shower’ or ‘Forest Bathing’, Shinrin Yoku is essentially ecotherapy - the idea that immersion in nature acts as a powerful therapeutic tool to rid of the tensions involved in urban life. In this way, bathrooms which incorporate natural elements can be seen as cleansing in a multitude of ways: to the body, to the mind, to the soul.

Bathrooms are also strongly associated with the aquatic, providing another of the fundamental needs shared by plants and humans alike: water. This proximity to water makes it a wonderful part of your home to adorn with greenery. Firstly, proximity to a sink is rather convenient when it comes to keeping tropical plants happy; this allows for easy and quick watering, useful when seeking to keep more demanding plants quenched. Such moisture-loving flora will also thoroughly benefit from the vapour in the air after a steamy shower, which aids in replicating their native habitat. The Monstera Deliciosa - or ‘Swiss Cheese Plant’, is one of the many jungle-dwelling plants perfectly suited to bathroom spaces. It typically grows along the nooks of damp trees or across rocky outcrops in the rainforests of Central America, boasting iconic, glossy leaves and sprawling growth - capable of invoking the same tropical vibe, even in a British bathroom. Indeed, most tropical vining or trailing plants, such as Philodendron Scandens and Scindapsus Pictus, will thrive in the wet enclaves of a washroom, thanks to their aerial roots which take in moisture from the air.

The Home Office

Plants for productivity

In the midst of the paradigm shift towards remote and hybrid work, the importance of curating an effective place to get your head down and work effectively has never been more evident. There’s a wealth of research linking a visually stimulating working environment with a host of psychological and physiological benefits, such as lower blood pressure and reduced levels of stress and anxiety. Improved wellbeing is a desirable consequence in any space, but particularly so in a place of work, where the compounding pressures and demanding workload many of us face routinely, can take a toll on us.

As well as contributing to better mental and emotional wellbeing and greater satisfaction at work, working amongst greenery also bestows improvements on efficiency and quality of work. Scientists at Exeter University have shown that plants in a workspace can increase productivity by up to 15%. South Bank University in London also found that plants help reduce noise levels, by catching soundwaves with their leaves, reflecting them or scattering them - helping to dampen the negative impact of auditory distraction. So, a wall of green on the shelf by your desk may help block residual noise from the outside world, a valuable benefit for any urban home. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to compact greenery that will sit happily on your home desk; from the Asparagus Fern to the Pilea Peperomoides.

So, in accordance with the wisdom of Shinrin Yoku, and the overarching theme of Biophilia, it’s evident that enriching the workspace in our homes with natural elements can provide an overall positive impact across the working day. Plants can serve as the antidote to the throes of work life, helping us maintain a level head and our focus when confronting the pressures of desk work. One might say a plant is almost as essential to any modern desk as a notepad and pen.

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Artwork by Laura Jones (Skeleton Bowl).

Words by Sophie Erasmus.

Plants in the Home