How to Choose Plants for Every Room in Your Home

Houseplants refresh our interiors by removing toxins from the air, adding humidity to dry environments, and complement all types of decor with interesting textures and tones. A little bit of greenery can transform a space and breathe new life into a room.

However it sometimes can feel like it’s a bit of a minefield when it comes to where different types of houseplants should live in your home to ensure they thrive. To choose a plant for a specific spot in your home, you’ll want to keep two things in mind: plant care and your home’s decor aesthetic.

You have to choose plants based on what kind of sun exposure each room gets. For general reference, there are four kinds of exposure: bright, direct light (full sun); bright, indirect light (partial shade); medium, indirect light; and low, indirect light.

Living Room

This is where you need a stylish plant to make a statement, while minimising floor space in a room that usually gets a lot of foot traffic. Depending on your decor, you can opt for something elegant like a bird of paradise (bright light to full sun) or rubber tree plant (low light to full sun), or you can show off your colourful and fun side with philodendrons (bright to low light), begonias (low light to full sun), or cacti and succulents (bright light).

Another popular and super trendy option if you have shelves and mantelpieces is trailing plants. In a very bright space the string of hearts plant is an absolute winner as it requires very little attention and quickly reaches the floor from on top of the tallest bookcase.

Kitchen

If you have window sills in your kitchen you can opt for cacti and succulents. Not only can they deal with the heat of cooking but they also love sunshine and need very little watering (and when watering them, you need to make sure all the water drains out - what better place for this activity then right next to the sink).

Another good option: kitchen herbs, which are both decorative and useful.

Bedrooms

Your bedroom is meant to be a restful sanctuary, so add a bit of greenery to create a peaceful atmosphere. Plants have been shown to boost moods, decrease stress and anxiety, and filter toxins. For bedrooms, you will want to make the most of the air purifying qualities of plants. According to Nasa there are 10 plants that are amazing at this, but our recommendation is the snake plant because it releases lots of oxygen at night when we need it the most. The snake plant is happy in almost any light condition, but will grow best if in bright light.

Another good air purifier is the peace lily, very easy to take care of as it droops when in need of water. It’s very happy in low-lit sites but you can prepare it for a good Spring flowering by giving it more light than usual during Winter.

Bathroom

The bathroom is a spot in your house that has a distinctly different temperature and environment than any other room. Go with tropical plants such as ferns for this space, since the environment in the bathroom is similar to what these varieties are used to: low light levels, high humidity, and warm temperature. Boston fern is ideal: this plant can’t be killed by overwatering as it loves to be damp.

Front Porch

Make a good first impression! Mint and basil give off an inviting scent, while begonia and chamomile have beautiful flowers that provide a warm welcome.

As for everything else in your home, don’t go overboard with your plant selections: never forget that an uncluttered space is a calmer space!