If you’ve ever seen photos of our home, you know that I really, really love plants. Like a lot. They add so much depth and warmth to a space AND they’re a budget-friendly option to boot.
So, I put together a handful of tips to help you find the perfect plants AND planters for your home…
1) Find an awesome planter, THEN look for the perfect plant. Say what now?! Often times, it goes like this. You get excited about picking out a few plants. So you go down to the local nursery or home improvement store, buy your plants, and then look for planters that works with the plants you chose. But that part of the search isn’t always easy….Because now, you’ve limited the size and shape of the pots that will work for your plants. And with that limitation, it may be more difficult to find a planter that works with your style.
SO, try working backwards and picking out a planter you love first. There are tons of great plants out there, in all different shapes and sizes. And finding the right one for your planter will most likely be a lot easier than the other way around.
Ex: I love the bullet planter that my mom bought for Jeff and I awhile back. It’s the perfect shape for pretty much any medium size plant. Wish we could have kept it at the house, but a (very kind) reader mentioned that philodendrons are actually poisonous to cats. And since we think Gertie and Franz are pretty cool, we figured I better move the plant over to the studio.
2) On the other hand, if you fall in love with the idea of a large plant or indoor tree, sometimes the planter isn’t as important. And then you can opt for a cheap planter, to let the star of show be the giant tree or plant.
Ex: I found a very tall plant with big leaves to make a statement in my home office. And I decided to go with a really plain planter, so that those big awesome leaves would have all the focus. So, I went as plain jane as I could find and bought a $5 Ikea planter. The plant does all the talking and no one even notices your cheap-o planter in this case. The plant itself was $29 (also from Ikea) and is about 5 ft tall, so I think I scored on this one, for sure.
*I know 1 and 2 are kind of contradictory to one another, but basically, I’m just saying, do you boo! Do what works best for you. If you know the pros and cons of each before you get started, it will be that much easier when you get down to making purchases.
3) Keep it mini. A grouping of smaller plants work just as well as one big one, if done right. Just be sure not to over do it. Three small plants in one area (like a coffee table, for example) is plenty. And often times, you can get away with just having one if you have a couple other home decor items to round things out.
*I DIYed those concrete planters for Curbly a while back, if you want to check out the tutorial.
4) Bring in your personality. Whether it’s with a plant that has gnarly branches or funky leaves, look for plants that have a little bit more character than the average joe. They’ll add charm to your room. OR go the personality route with the planter instead. I’m always on the look out for strange vases, like this face vase / pot from Group Partner (best known for the boob pots).
Office photography Kimberly Murray
Living room + studio photography Amelia Tatnall
All other photography Brittni Mehlhoff
You made it to the end! That’s probably enough plant talk for one day. But one last thing…I’m curious to know how you bring plants into your home? Let me know in the comments below.
P.S. On another note… Yesterday, I found out that Paper & Stitch was name one of the best design blogs for 2016 by Domino. Yay! Honored to be amongst such a great group of bloggers! See the full list right here.
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Make it Mini: The Art of Mini Flower Arrangements (How To)I love this post!! I actually just put up a similiar one this weekend on my blog about making some Glamorous Succulent Planters and I agree it’s all about adding the personality!! I added diamonds to mine to give them a little something extra!
A Taylored WorldThat’s exactly right, Westly!
BrittniI like your tip to get a cheap planter for a large plant. It makes sense that you don’t need a fancy planter with a large plant, because the large plant is the star. That’s what stands out, so you can save some money on the planter.
Westly SmithHi Jessie. I use Bloglovin’ as my main feed reader. You can subscribe right here: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/paper-stitch-489613
BrittniThat’s how I found u! But I can’t see where to subscribe. Can I subscribe????
JessieThanks Pat!
BrittniBrittni, Congrats on making Domino’s list of top design blogs. Pat S
Pat SchwabGlad to hear that Paige!
BrittniI love all these planter ideas! Such great inspiration!
Paige
Paigehttp://thehappyflammily.com
Glad to hear this post has you excited about bringing plants in again, Catherine. Who knows…maybe this time will be that lucky charm you needed to keep those plants alive. 😉
BrittniThis is such a great post! My apartment is currently plantless because I normally kill them but I feel like it really really needs it plus I want to add pretty planter pots to my decor. This post gets me excited, thanks!
CatherineGlad to hear that Emily! Plants can typically pull me out of any funk (weather related or otherwise).
BrittniAwesome – I think these tips are just what I need to pull me out of the dreary winter funk.
EmilyOh good, Lilly! Hope you find a good spot for your new plants.
Brittnicool thanks for the tips! finally adding some plants around my house this week
lillyAwesome. So glad to hear you like that tip of working backwards April, Michelle, and Nicole. I do that all the time…it gets me excited about finding new plants after I find a really cool planter.
BrittniThose tips are very helpful, especially the first one! I never find a good planter for my plants, so I’ll just reverse the process. Awesome!
Michellehttp://www.makeandmess.com/
I love that tip of working backwards! I have so many plants and cacti sitting around our house that aren’t even in a plantpot (apart from the plastic ones they grow in), because I can never find the right planter for our house!
April | April EverydayI love those concrete planters btw, I may have to try that DIY.
xo April | April Everyday
I love that tip about choosing your planters first. I always end up with planters I don’t absolutely love, so I’m going to start choosing them first now! And congrats about being on Domino’s list! That’s amazing!
http://www.cleantothecore.com
NicoleThanks Tegan!
BrittniOh my the planter you have the Monstera in is beautiful!
TeganAh yes! Keeping things mini will definitely help cut back on upkeep, Melanie.
BrittniI agree on keeping it mini! I was gifted a money tree almost a year ago and it’s been a bit of a struggle to take care of it because I live in a studio apartment with my husband and two kitties. Some of the poor plant has been eaten by said kitties…and sometimes there is just not a great place for it to get light. Next plant will be small and clearly not edible!
Melanie@Toots + DillThanks Karen! Yes, definitely try that working backwards tip and see if it helps. 🙂
BrittniSuch great tips! I need to try that working backwards trick, as I usually end up with plain planters that I don’t love.
Also, congrats on Domino’s list! What an honor!
http://www.littleblackshell.com
Karen Farber