Design by Maine House Interiors; photo by Martina Gemmola.
Plants and I have a love-hate relationship. I love them; they hate me, so much so that they’d rather wilt and die rather than live with me.
So how is a plant murderer (or rather, plant manslaughterer, as I never intend to kill them) supposed to embrace the beauty of nature in the home?
Those of us who travel too much to be decent plant parents, live in homes with little natural light, have allergies, or alas, can’t keep even cacti and bamboo alive have several options for bringing the outdoors, or the illusion of the outdoors, in.
1) Fake it with faux plants. Realistic-looking faux plants that don’t cost a king’s ransom exist… or so I’m told. Aside from a few smaller specimens, I’ve not been impressed. Though perhaps a large faux fiddle-leaf fig or paradise palm in a corner where it won’t receive scrutiny might work.
The artwork is the star of this room by Barracuda Interiors, with the green table lamps, green pillows, and strands of green wrapped around the tables notable supporting players. And let’s relish all those organic textures and the varied curves, from the sinuous chair stretchers to the sensuous sofa.
2) Go green… green colours, that it. Green furnishings have come a long way since avocado green dominated kitchens and baths in the 1970s [shudder]. Olive-green velvet sofas have been all the rage for several years now, and there are numerous other greens to choose from, as well as numerous other ways to incorporate the colour into your home. It helps that because green is a happy marriage of blue and yellow, it works with a rainbow of room palettes. (A friend recently wrote a blog post about using the colour wheel when decorating, should you need guidance when introducing green into your existing scheme.)
This bedroom from Boutique Homes Victoria goes easy on the green but nonetheless feels wonderfully organic, thanks to the woven pendant shades and that stunning bench made of richly figured wood and what looks like rattan.
3) Head for the woods—and other organic materials. In the previous two rooms, wood, rattan, sisal, bamboo, and other natural materials do as much of the biophilic lifting as the colour green does. Fortunately these elements are blissfully easy to incorporate into any space. A sisal rug, for instance, brings a quietly modern ease to traditional rooms and a subtle warmth to minimalist modern spaces. A wicker basket tucked beside a fireplace or under a console provides organic texture as well as storage (and who couldn’t benefit from more storage?) Linen curtains with an open weave, seagrass lampshades, a live-edge coffee table: Any and all will allow you to embrace natural beauty without sacrificing sophistication.
Palmer Weiss used wicker furniture along with fantastical arboreal wallpaper to give this space the graceful ease of a sunroom. The trellis-style vent cover is a charming detail. Photo by Francesco Lagnese.
4) Find your prints. Botanical prints on upholstery, pillows, linens, and wallpaper let you indulge in your greenhouse fantasies without having to deal with the ugly truth of watering, fertilizing, repotting, and such. And the diversity of said prints is truly amazing. You can go with traditional chintzes, almost-abstract motifs, and everything in between.
The wallpaper’s lush print bring a sense of the wild to this otherwise sedate, traditional room by Mendelsohn Group. Organic texture comes courtesy of the bamboo stool, the chair’s wicker frame, the airy weave of the blinds, and the sectional’s linen upholstery.
My love for Marimekko’s Unikko print knows no bounds. I’ve had Unikko bedding, bags, tennis shoes, table linens… and in my next home I will have this wallpaper from Jannelli & Volpi. The weather wood of the stool-cum-nightstand contributes to the nature-loving vibe.
And don’t forget artwork. A gallery wall consisting of rows of framed botanical prints is the acme of Old World biophilia. Photos of verdant fields, moody forests, and wind-swept dunes are a more contemporary option. The only limit is your imagination… but you don’t need me to tell you that.