It’s all well and good knowing a thing or two about how to look after and propagate houseplants. But if you really want your indoor plants to bring the wow factor, there are a few styling tricks you need to learn. Once mastered, friends and neighbors will be convinced you’ve hired a professional to achieve such a manicured, high-end look.
I’ve spoken to interior designers to find out how they work with houseplants to get that polished, curated feel without spending a fortune. Their advice is incredibly easy to follow in any home, with any indoor plants – and some of it might surprise you.
First up, pots. Yes, that’s where to begin. Start with the pots and the rest will follow. Search out the most desirable houseplant containers (my money’s on this Footed Bowl Concrete Planter from Anthropologie), then we’ll move on to all the tricks of the trade, including everything you need to style your houseplants with finesse.
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Choose Pots Wisely
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Your choice of houseplant pots can make or break a plant. Size, material, color and shape all make a huge difference. This is where to begin if you want houseplants that make your home look high end.
If there’s even an inch of plastic on display, you’ll instantly cheapen your collection. Make sure any inner nursery pots sit well below the rims of your ceramic pots – and don’t even think of using plastic as a pot holder.
Consider the style of your space and match your pots to that look. Cohesion is key if you want to achieve a classy result, and your plant pots should continue the design narrative that’s already in place.
So a mid-century style living room is perfectly enhanced by planters with a 1950s or 1960s feel, either vintage finds or something like the shapely Hasselbukett from Ikea. Or you can always play it safe and classy with a collection of neutral pots, adding interest with texture: this glazed terracotta plant pot from H&M is a good example
Interior designer Gargi Joglekar of Modern Design Homes shares her approach when designing with houseplants:
‘Starting with a pot, not a plant is a wise decision. When selecting a planter I think about material and finish. Matte black ceramic gives a modern, minimalist look. and if your window frames are in the same finish, that creates cohesion. Rattan baskets can also work if there are a lot of wooden elements in the room.’
Shane Pliska is CEO of Planterra Interior Landscaping also begins with the pots when dressing a room:
‘Keep planter tones consistent in a room. If you decide on terracotta for example, have all the plants in terracotta, even if the rims and decorative finishes are different. A common color theme makes the plantscape feel more cohesive.’
If you’re planning to use a large plant as a centrepiece – for a large coffee table perhaps – then that pot needs to be spotlight-worthy. Look for statement pots like this Low Evoke Pot from Lulu and Georgia that are works of art in their own right and you can’t fail to elevate your space.
Think About Scale
Styling your indoor plants using scale simply means matching the size of your houseplants to your room dimensions, furniture and neighboring objects. This creates balance and harmony within a space. It also means choosing a pot that’s the right size for the plant. Shane explains:
‘Invest in pots with appropriate scale. The biggest amateur give-away is a pot that looks too small, even if it’s technically large enough for the plant’s roots.’
Scale is also about relative size, which is why a tiny money plant placed next to a large fiddle-leaf fig never works. Instead, group your plants according to similar sizes, or step them down gradually to lead the eye peacefully around the room. Ikea has a good basic range of pots ranging from 2-18in (5cm-44cm) in diameter.
Make Use of Vertical Space
(Image credit: Future PLC / Paul Raeside)
We all know about floor space and the mantelpiece, but there’s much more vertical space available in our homes that’s perfect for plants. Just like in a garden, that third dimension offers so much flexibility, linking your indoor greenery within a room and inviting the eye to travel up into corners and across all four walls of a space.
Be inventive with plant shelf ideas. Open shelving like the classic Kallax range from Ikea makes a brilliant gallery for smaller plants like Peperomia, South African violets and money plant, or use individual floating shelves – I love the Cario Shelf from Lulu and Georgia – to group plants. These work specially well for some of the best trailing houseplants like pothos and string of pearls, creating beautifully lush green walls..
Purpose-made plant stands like Ikea’s are a great help in creating impactful tiered planting. Anthropologie’s Holland Burl Wood Plinth will make any healthy plant look super expensive.
And don’t forget about the ceiling and horizontal beams/ledges, where you can hang plants in macramé holders. For a high-end look, keep your displays intentional and curated; too many plants crammed in can simply end up looking cluttered.
Group Plants Together
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Always arrange your plants in groups of varying heights and textures, as it creates a focal point with interest, something where the eye can land and linger. The exception to this rule is a large statement plant, which can stand alone.
Shane explains: ‘Think in statement pieces and clusters, rather than scattering plants everywhere. A statement plant should create a focal point in a sightline, like a 6ft tree, a Monstera with sculptural aerial roots, or a fabulous old collector’s jade with a thick woody trunk.
‘When it comes to smaller plants I suggest curating a collection. It’s more impactful than tiny plants scattered around the room. It is also practical because the best natural light is usually concentrated in only a few places in a room.’
Statement plants come in all shapes and sizes but I particularly love the look of this elegant Ficus Audrey from Home Depot.
Gargi also recommends giving some thought to the number of plants that are in each group.
‘Cluster your houseplants in odd numbers, for example three or five plants together: I swear by this old design rule. This keeps a sense of cohesion, even when there are different types of plants.’
It’s the same rule when planting the same varieties outdoors. Even numbers can look too regimented, so garden designers always recommend planting in blocks containing odd numbers of the same plant.
Do Sweat the Details
(Image credit: Suchada Tansirimas)
Ultimately, for a stylish, expensive look, it’s the details that count. Gargi points out that the success of a room can hinge on the smallest elements:
‘I see this all the time in my clients’ homes. The plants themselves are almost never a problem, but everything around it is.’
One of these seemingly minor details is top-dressing. Which is particularly important if plants are at or below eye level and a must-do when learning to style your houseplants like a pro. Bare soil is not a high-end look, and it costs very little to add a layer of decorative stones or Ikea clay pellets around the base of your plants.
‘Dressing pots gives them a personality and I see people skip this all the time. It makes such a big difference as bare potting soil looks unfinished. I always consider a layer of Spanish moss (you can buy Spanish moss at Home Depot), small river stones or crushed lava rocks to finish a pot. It’s the small details that give your planter and plants the loveliest look.’
Shane agrees: ‘Topdress like a professional plantscaper. Cover the entire soil surface all the way to the edge of the planter. I prefer stone or moss.’
Try the white River Rocks from Home Depot for your larger specimens.
Finally a note on plant care from Shane: ‘Grooming matters. A plant can technically be healthy but if it’s not groomed, it won’t look great. Be sure to remove yellow leaves, any damaged foliage, and clean away and water spots and dust.’
I hope you’ve been inspired to give your indoor plants a little TLC and up your houseplant game. It’s amazing what a little care and attention can achieve, not just in terms of how you look after your plants but also in placement and visual merchandising. Our ultimate houseplant care kit give your inspiration for everything you need to keep your plants in perfect health.
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