This Visual Design Trick Is the Coolest Way to Style Your Houseplants

A houseplant—or, you know, a dozen—is the gift that keeps on giving: Not only do they make your home feel warm and inviting, but they can also purify the air in your home and boost your mood. But where do you place your plants? While most people will settle for displaying a leafy green on a plant stand or coffee table, the hospitality industry is taking their leafy greens to new heights. Literally. Nowadays, you can see a slew of bars, restaurants, and hotels proudly displaying their leafy greens in a lofted space right by the ceiling.

Eric Laignel

A coincidence? Definitely not. According to the designers who designed some of the West Coast’s buzziest pit stops, it’s a creative tactic to bring the great outdoors inside. “We like our foliage to complement the architecture, making our hotels feel truly immersed in nature,” explains Michelle Montalvo director of visual design for SH Hotels and Resorts, who lofted plants above Juniper, a cocktail bar and lounge at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. “Hanging plants add layers of softness and invite guests to look up and explore our beautifully designed spaces.”

Meanwhile, designer Marissa Marsh employed plants to recreate the look and feel of San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood at Macondray. “We wanted to bring that calming feeling into the space through color palette, design details, and lots of plants,” she shares. The designer offset the restaurant’s traditional white wainscoting and bronze ornate tin tiles that flank the 17-foot-high ceilings with rusted metal shelves—the perfect spot for some fashionable flora.

Ashley Ann Photos

“We knew we wanted to have a ton of plants in the space and had such high ceilings to work with,” Marsh says. “We built the shelf not only to bring the space down over the tables, but to house all of our plants knowing with time they would grow long and begin to overflow into the space.” The result at both Juniper and Macondray: An otherworldly environment that feels like you’ve been transported to a lush, tropical forest far away. (And who wouldn’t want to bring that into their personal space?)

Once you have the ideal elevated area to store your foliage—be it the top of a bookshelf or some floating shelves like Marsh—you’ll need to pick out the proper plants. Montalvo has a penchant for pothos and philodendrons, while Marsh says large monsteras, dracaenas, dieffenbachias, and snake plants can add some height to your setup.

But Montalvo before adding one to your space, do your research on care instructions. “Just because a plant is attractive doesn’t mean it’s easy to maintain,” she adds. “Start with less expensive, easy-to-care-for plants—and establish a successful care routine before introducing exotic or more challenging varieties.”

Ashley Ann Photos

We know what you’re thinking: Since most plants need some type of natural light to thrive, how will they ever survive if they’re hidden in the darker depths of your room? “One of our tricks is to install and discreetly hide grow lights, ensuring that all our plants receive enough light,” Montalvo adds. “These lights are on timers, providing the necessary nutrients even in low-light areas.” In addition to installing grow lights—which you can easily find online—Montalvo also recommends wiping down the leaves and dusting all surfaces to “allow them to breathe better.” And, just like any other plant collection, trim dried or dead leaves and refrain from overwatering. 

If you want to turn your space into a lush, tropical oasis, you’ll need a lot of plants. As tempting as it might be to accept an “adopted” plant, Marsh encourages you to do a thorough pest inspection. She says: “Once you get an infestation, it can be near impossible to get rid off!” But, once your plants pass the test, they’ll be well on their way to bringing a blooming beauty to your abode.