Choosing the Right Plant for Your Space

 

This previous year has meant many of us have spent more time behind our front door than outside, making us well attuned to our homes and general living space. Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to purify the air and bring some much-needed greenery indoors, and that is why choosing the right house plant for your space has never been so important!

 

At House of Kojo, we love having a large collection of rare and unusual house plants to offer you. Whether you are into bold statement colour themes throughout your home or clean-cut monochrome design, adding house plants into your space can create an ambient style and great satisfaction. Selecting the perfect house plant for your space does not have to be a daunting process, all it takes is a little preplanning and knowledge (which I am about to share with you!) to get you started on your everlasting house plant journey. Better yet, our friends at BHS have a fantastic array of lighting choices and textiles to offer you, with a variety of stylish fittings that are guaranteed to brighten your day (and home)!

 

First things first, before we get into our top picks and recommendations, let us consider lighting. Plants need natural light to grow, it is essential for their survival and overall wellbeing. For your plant to be able to photosynthesise and thrive, they need to be in a space which promotes their growth and longevity. Just like humans, house plants come in all different shapes, sizes, and temperaments. Some depend on your attention for their survival, while others can be left alone for a fortnight and fend for themselves. Ample light requirements differ between house plants; therefore, it is important to choose the right house plant based on where you would like it to feature within your home.

 

 

Lush green in your living room.

The living room may be the most spacious room in your home with larger windows, meaning this space could also boast the most natural daylight throughout the house. Often enough, house plants are located next to windows, in bright but indirect or filtered light. If you are looking to incorporate a splash of natural green décor to your living room space, then you might want to consider playing host to a Philodendron Birkin.

 

Tropical Philodendron Birkins come from the Araceae family. Dark leaves with delicate stripes that almost look hand painted! This is an easy-care plant that can adapt to all kinds of conditions as long as you keep it warm. With pointed leaves and a bushy growing style, this guy is sure to make an impact in your collection. They can survive in low light but grow faster and look healthier in medium light.

 

For the ultimate Bohemian zen den, incorporate the stylish Scott Tripod Floor Lamp. from BHS to enhance the lighting in your living room. Featuring a gorgeous dark wood tripod stand and a neutral toned shade, this eco-friendly floor lamp is sure to fit right in with your home-made garden of Eden.

 

 

Acclimatise your kitchen.

Although your kitchen may not facilitate the best natural light, with perhaps only having one small window, there are plenty of plants that would thrive within this space. A great statement-making house plant for your kitchen is the Aspidistra Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior). Hearty and hassle-free, the cast iron plant remains true to its name and can tolerate much more than your average house plant. This resilient plant not only survives in extremely low light but can also handle extreme and fluctuating heat. Whatever the climate of your kitchen, you would be hard pressed to kill this indestructible evergreen. This plant is very tolerant to infrequent watering but would benefit from some H20 when the top of the soil feels dry.

 

Show off your fantastic Aspidistra house plant in your kitchen by putting it under the Lucas Ceiling Spotlight Bar. This sleek ceiling light comes in an uber stylish black chrome finish and has 6 adjustable spotlight heads, allowing you to illuminate show stopping statement pieces you have about your kitchen.

 

 

Branch out into the bathroom.

The bathroom is a fantastic room to keep plants in and, due to higher humidity levels, many plants can lead their best lives when located in this space. Much like your kitchen, this room may not facilitate the best natural lighting but whether you get low or bright light in your bathroom, we would recommend introducing it to the stand-out Scindapsus Pictus.

 

This Pothos does an extremely good job at adding some vibrancy into your bathroom space. Nicknamed Satin Pothos, this trailing plant is easy, low maintenance and will drape beautifully across you shelves or windowsills once growing. Satin Pothos have gorgeous delicate heart shaped leaves which can even be trained to climb or trail. Their leaf pattern is so unique with silvery splotches that will shimmer in the sunshine. Excellent at air purifying, this is a tough and reliable house plant that flourishes in high humidity and can tolerate warmer or colder temperatures. To help your beautiful Pothos thrive and survive, keep in lightly moist soil and water once the top 3cm is dry to touch.

 

Exaggerate your Pothos by letting it glow under a Lara Hollywood Style Bathroom Wall Light. Available in satin brass, chrome and black, this wall light is guaranteed to bring a feeling of glamour to your bathroom, diffusing an atmospheric warm glow into your surroundings.

 

 

Botanical Bedrooms.

Create the ultimate place to relax and unwind by incorporating a house plant as part of your bedroom décor. Having a house plant in your bedroom space boasts a world of benefits. Not only have they been proven by studies to make you feel less stressed and be more creative, but a famous 1989 NASA study also found that certain house plants were able to remove harmful toxins from the air. It also happens that most of the plants with air purifying qualities are super easy to care for and can also do tremendously well in your bedroom. A Sansevieria is the house plant we would recommend for this space.

 

Commonly known as Snake Plant, or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, with its dramatic sword-like leaves thrive in bright, indirect light. As it can also tolerate low light conditions, this plant would cope well placed on any bedside cabinet. What is more attractive about this air purifying beauty is that it only needs watering every two to three weeks, allowing the soil to dry completely in between watering.

 

To create the ultimate feeling of calm in your room, and to gorgeously accompany your Snake Plant, you will not regret having the Hol Opal Glass Sphere Ceiling Pendant in your bedroom. This simple yet stylish ceiling light comes in a satin brass finish that perfectly complements the lush green of the Sansevieria plant, providing your home with a cohesive aesthetic.

 

 

Shrubs For Your Study.

Much like your bedroom space, your office space should help you to feel less stressed yet encourage you to be more productive! A house plant which improves air quality, but can also promote human health by removing carcinogens, such as Benzene, is the wonderful Zamioculas Zamiifolia (ZZ plant). This striking plant is best kept away from direct sunlight, so would look fabulous placed on your desk or work side cabinet. Akin to Cast Iron Plants, ZZ’s can pretty much tolerate anything you throw at it, including colder temperatures, water neglect and low light conditions. Our advice would be to give it a good soak every 15 days in warmer months (spring and summer) and let it dry out during colder months (autumn and winter).

 

As well as your ZZ, an Olson Arc Floor Lamp would also help create a calm and cool working environment. This stunning contemporary floor lamp features a beautiful arching design and is the ideal height to illuminate your desk or workspace, gorgeously bouncing light off the glossy leaves of the Zamioculas Zamiifolia.

 

 

Helping your plants grow and your home glow.

Much like the furniture in our homes, house plants can be rotated around rooms to observe what works and what does not work well for them! Do not be afraid to do this, but bear in mind that the more hardy, hassle-free plants will not find it hard to adjust to your living space. Just enjoy the process of getting to know your beloved house plants!

 

Visit House of Kojo for more house plant inspiration and care tips. Or visit the full BHS blog page to read more about the latest interior design trends. Follow @houseofkojo and @bhs_uk on social media for more stylish imagery and regular updates on all our products, posts and competitions.