Stylish Ways To Decorate With Plants

Stylish Ways To Decorate
With Plants

“A beautiful plant is like having a friend around the house.” ~ Beth Ditto

If you’re fortunate enough to have a garden you will understand the thrill of cutting your own flowers and plants to use in your home decor. Plants are a great way to bring a natural element to an interior space. Create unexpected drama and visual interest by incorporating them in ways that soften aesthetics and feel welcoming. Less is really more when styling to get a curated look that doesn’t take away from the overall design of a room.

FOYER & ENTRYWAY

Alice Lane Home

Throughout the home plants can be strategically placed in differing levels depending on the height of the plant. You can see in these foyer and entryway examples that a table or chest are perfect to place them on top of at the eye level.

Paloma Contreras Designs

These areas are also a great place to showcase plants that can be changed out for the seasons to welcome guests.

LIVING ROOM

Our friend the fiddle leaf fig tree is a popular taller potted plant adding an updated tropical feel to any corner. These plants need special attention with proper drainage and higher humidity levels, so misting your plant regularly is suggested. If being a “green thumb” isn’t your thing there are now several sources to find faux fiddle leaf fig trees that look very real. These plants come in a lot of different sizes to accommodate filling in spaces. The tree version can grow over six feet for those extra tall ceiling heights.

Blackband Designs

A few plant leaf cuttings can be just what a corner needs to brighten a monochromatic color scheme.

Barclay Butera

TLC Interiors

Styling with plants on a coffee table or in subtle ways on bookshelves can fill in a vignette for a polished look to balance out angles and architecture.

One Kings Lane

Unique plants are great for striking up conversation like the hardy and lush chinese fan palm. Potted plants on floor levels can ground a space… this green pot is a lovely example of how the continuation of the vibrant green all the way to the floor makes it a visual stand out.

BATH & BEDROOM

Logan Killen Interiors

Palms and succulents have taken interior spaces by storm, getting creative and subtly placing them in the bath and bedroom areas compliments the hard surfaces creating a spa like feel.

Barclay Butera

Lori Paranjape

KITCHEN

Athena Calderone - EyeSwoon

An oversized plant arrangement placed on a grand sized kitchen island creates a jaw dropping appeal bringing the outdoors in to create harmony with sleek spaces.

Thom Filicia

Elevate your houseplant style with contemporary plant bases like these gold metal stands making this stylish space a total win.

Lori Paranjape

This bright white kitchen with a pair of subtly blended in plants brings together the natural tones and clean lines.

HERBS

Studio McGee

Growing herbs in the kitchen adds freshness and practicality… get creative by hanging wall planters as a design feature. Having your herbs readily available makes cooking with them so much easier.

SUNLIGHT

Proper sunlight and feeding can make or break a plant, read the care and instructions to ensure that your plants are thriving.

Apartment Therapy

AIR FILTERING PLANTS

Plants can improve air quality by filtering the air around us. In the 1980’s the NASA Clean Air Test showed that certain plants help filter harmful toxins and pollutants in space stations. Adding these plants for cleaner air quality is a great step to your families wellness.

Liven up your interiors and style your space with plants! With all of the technology in our lives today studies have shown that these natural elements help to reduce stress. The perfect reason to make plants a focal point in your home decor.

Cheers!

Melissa Mathe

*Contact mathedesign.com for all your Interior Design needs.

Go Green!

Go Green!

The earth is what we all have in common ~ Wendell Berry

As an Interior Designer I have an opportunity to play a part in helping the environment by creating healthy, non-toxic spaces for clients that desire it. More and more people are becoming aware of these practices and demanding materials in their home or office that are environmentally friendly and good for the health of the people using the space. Not everyone may know what “Eco-friendly” or “Green” design is and how it can be achieved. Green or eco-friendly interior design focuses on the improvement of indoor air quality as well as reducing the impact that finishes and furnishings have on the environment. Here are some basics of what Mathe Design can offer in sourcing safe finishes, materials and furniture as well as tips to show benefits for greener living.

Lee Industries

As a LEED Accredited designer, eco-friendly design practices are important and part of the Mathe Design philosophy. While working on a great number of green projects in Hospitality design, I’ve had the opportunity to have hands on experience in the high standards of sustainable design practices. While bringing these ideas into residential design is excitingly increasing it is a pleasure to share with my clients alternatives for healthy environmentally sound options.

PAINT

Choosing products with low to no VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) or chemicals that give off sometimes harmful gas into the air, is the basis to start from in improving indoor air quality. Select zero-VOC or low-VOC paints like Benjamin Moore’s Natura line which comes in many colors. This zero-VOC, zero-Emmisions low odor interior paint is an acrylic blended latex coating designed for application to a wide variety of surfaces with a durable, washable film. When this is being installed you won’t experience that “fresh paint” smell. This is a great product to use in children’s bedrooms and spaces - their systems can be more sensitive to harmful chemicals.

Benjamin Moore

UPHOLSTERY & FABRICS

Mathe Design offers clients access to fabrics and custom upholstery made with organic materials, made in the USA. Using products that have recycled materials from a regional plant all play a role in making an environmental impact. Supporting local businesses by using local workrooms for custom drapery and upholstery will also continue to reduce our carbon footprint.

Mathe Design

Lee Industries

FURNITURE & WOOD

Companies like Lee Industries and Bernhardt Furniture are dedicated to using natural materials to upholster their products with. Standard upholstery goods are made with petroleum-based man made materials. Containing highly flammable ingredients and often treated with flame-retardant chemicals that have been linked to a wide range of health problems. By offering access to furniture companies that are dedicated to using natural materials like organic wool and natural latex clients can be set at ease that they are making a quality purchase and decision. Many environmental fabric and furniture companies include recycled materials from pre-consumer and post-consumer wastes in their eco-friendly practices.

Look for solid wood materials made with basic wood joinery that ensure a stronger bond and uses less adhesives. Avoiding furniture made with particle board or MDF held together with resins, glues and binders that often times contain formaldehyde which can cause allergic reactions and is known to cause cancer in animals. Investing in quality constructed furniture will in most cases create a longer lasting use life cycle, reducing the need to get rid of furniture more often. Choose woods for cabinetry, floors and furniture that are reclaimed, locally milled and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, meaning that they support responsible forestry practices to help protect forest ecosystems by harvesting sustainable wood.

“We want to go beyond simply complying with environmental legislation and regulations; we want to become leading supporters in our community and industry ~ Alex Bernhardt, Sr., Chairman and CEO, Bernhardt Furniture Company”

Bernhardt Furniture

RUGS

Select alternative choices such as natural fibers in wool, cotton, or jute over synthetics. Wool is naturally fire retardant and absorbs moisture as well as captures dust or pollen, reducing humidity and allergens in the air.

While synthetic rugs are quite often made from nylon, acetate, or polyester materials. Highly flammable man-made fibers are often treated with synthetic chemicals to reduce flammability, increasing the potency of toxic gasses releasing into the air of your home which may cause headaches, dizziness, or nausea.

Pottery Barn

Safavieh

SIMPLE INTERIOR DESIGN TIPS TO GO GREEN

1) Conserve water use by being observant of your daily water usage, opting for dual flush toilets and low-flow high efficiency aerator faucets. Like this Kraus CarboFlex™ Pull Down Kitchen Faucet which provides great design with California Green compliency.

Krauss

2) Plants can improve air quality. In the 1980’s the NASA Clean Air Test showed that certain plants help filter harmful toxins and pollutants in space stations. We’ve shown three plant options from their list below; the boston fern, variegated snake plant and the peace lily. Plants are also a great way to add natural elements indoors to any design space.

3) Enhance your air handling efficiency by investing in a HVAC system that can sense when no one is home to conserve on heating and cooling costs. Using eco-friendly furnace filters that are made from environmentally responsible materials and have a MERN high rating level along with maximum airflow rating can help to minimize energy consumption while maintaining a high dust holding capacity.

4) As an added bonus, you may qualify for tax credits for your efforts to design with the environment in mind.

Mathe Design is dedicated to providing safe environments to clients. If you have any questions about how you can “Go Green” in your Interior Design spaces feel free to reach out through the mathedesign.com contact page.

Cheers,

Melissa Mathe