If anything is apparent with interior design right now, it’s that earthy inspired design is going nowhere anytime soon. There’s just something grounding and feel good about it, and part of what makes it so good is plants.
Now, we’re not talking about an idle plant on the floor that’s not been watered for 108 days, it’s all about the indoor plant walls. They’re artwork in their own right, and we’re going to be seeing a lot more of them in our homes in the coming year.
Aside from feel good and air purifying qualities, they’re one of the easiest ways to get your home feeling relaxed and stylish. Not sure where to start? I’ve caught up with some of the experts to bring you tips and 21 different ideas that you can try.
21 Earthy Indoor Plant Wall Ideas To Ground Your Interior
1.Metal Grid Hanging
Using a metal grid for your foundation is a fresh, industrial take on a plant wall which makes the process of building one out feel that little bit easier. It’s also something you could easily add to over time and edit.
If keeping plants alive has never been your forte, it doesn’t mean this isn’t a realistic option for you, but you do need to make mindful choices about what plants you choose.
Shane Pliska, CEO of Planterra said, “For easier maintenance, select durable, fully rooted houseplants such as Janet Craig dracaena and pothos. Just as importantly, choose plants suited to the available light”.
“From a design perspective, you can feel safe in knowing that nature never goes out of style. Plants are always a great design element for softening spaces”.
2. Swap Out Your Shelving Decor
Thinking of a ‘plant wall’ might feel instantly overwhelming, so starting small by simply swapping out some of your usual decor on shelving may feel like an easier place to start.
I recommend following the same principles as styling shelving in general, vary height and scale for interest and focus on using different textures, colours and patterns on your pots or vases that work with your existing interior design.
3. From Floor To Ceiling Plants
Instead of a conventional plant wall, think about taking plants from the floor right up to the ceiling. From trailing plants that are hung from hooks on the ceiling to staggered tables and shelving to display your favourite potted friends at different angles.
This approach can remove the requirements that some plant walls can bring such as much more regular maintenance and waterproof backing.
4. Grounded and Alive
I love how the below shelving wall just blends good interior design with plants so well. The shelving brings definition and a touch of earthy charm with its dark wooden tone and displaying both trinkets and decor among the plants makes it feel a bit more intentional in this interior.
Lucia Fuentes, Interior Designer and Professional Organizer at Coastal Maid San Diego added, “Personally, I believe that the popularity of indoor plant walls directly ties to the overall earthy or biophilic trend that I see throughout nearly every project we take on today. Clients want their home to be ‘grounded’ and ‘alive,’ not sterile and over-refined“.
“An indoor plant wall adds warmth and texture of nature inside a space in a manner that no singular potted plant placed on a shelf can. Essentially, an indoor plant wall is a functional element of the space as opposed to merely being a decorative accent.”
5. Elevate With Shelves
Staggering shelves from the floor to the ceiling can be a charming way to create your own unique plant wall, without having to cover every inch of empty space.
Designs like this would work nicely in transitional spaces or even in small downstairs toilets that have an otherwise empty, plain wall.
6. Use A Room Divider
When we think of a plant wall, you don’t have to think of them literally, it can just be used as an idea, adding your own twist.
Using a room divider like the below is such a fun way to update and bring some colour and earthiness to a room, even better if you do in fact want to update a temporary room divider, whether that’s from a front door that leads straight into a living room or in a bedroom combined with an office.
7. Ladder Shelving
This style of shelving is seeing a bit of a comeback, especially for a plant display. If you’re not quite brave enough to lean into earthier colours in your interior design but you still want a little touch of earthy design and the calm it can bring, this is a really nice way to bridge the gap.
Gal Cohen, Field Area Manager, Business Development Leader and interior design expert at JDM Sliding Doors said, “Indoor plant walls can be used to complement the trend of wood, stone, linen and muted green colours. They can add softness to contemporary spaces and even serve as an accent without crowding the area”.
8. Door Surround Built In
Built in shelving to work around a door is such a nice idea in a hallway if you’re able to lose a little bit of depth. It’s an interesting way to bring character to an empty space, and you can add plants to your hearts content here!
Like any plant wall, still consider scale, size and what the plant is potted in to create something endearing and different in each cubby hole.
9. Mid Century Style Shelving
When building a plant wall, you do need to be mindful about location and position of the sun to make sure your plants are going to be happy and healthy, and positioning alongside a covered window like this is a super idea.
Chloe added, “placing an indoor plant wall near a window with adequate indirect lighting creates a dramatic difference. Should the wall receive limited natural light, I do not hesitate to utilize a simple LED grow light on a timer instead of trying to fight against the lack of sunlight.”
10. Zone The Room With A Plant Wall
Designing the layout in a particularly long room can be somewhat of a conundrum, and rather than seeing it as one space, I always recommend zoning the space.
Using a divider, or a plant wall as shown below is an effective way to do it without it seeming clinical or antisocial. This form of shelving allows light and air to continue to pass through, whilst the plants add such a warm, earthy quality to the room.
11. Antique Crafting Shelving
Repurposing old, antique cabinets and shelving like in the image below, might be my favourite take on a plant wall.
A little cubby hole to fill with a little plant in each one, adding some to the top of the unit for added height and scale which can make the room feel bigger than it is.
12. Add Definition With Black
If you plan on building a much bigger plant wall, it’s important to consider what you’re building one onto because of the moisture that one can bring.
“If I could give one major piece of advice prior to choosing the type of plants and installing an indoor plant wall, it would be to ensure that the wall itself is completely waterproof. Moisture is the leading cause of structural damage when left unchecked”, shared Chloe.
13. Introduce A Climbing Plant
“The core concept of a living wall is not new. What has changed is that, instead of waiting for years for ivy or a climbing plant to cover a solid surface, we can now install a complete composition from day one using living wall systems. The process is more like a living art installation than a landscape. In my view, a living wall turns plants into architecture”, shared Shane.
The below example is such a beautiful way to add some further interest to a living wall and you can’t help but focus your eye on it as you step into the room.
14. Window Lined Plants
Certain plants love direct light, so if you plan to create something similar, just make sure to use the right type of plants for the job!
If you have an overlooked window, this can also be a charming way to add some subtle privacy without affecting the gorgeous natural light that your room receives.
15. Size, Scale & Colour
Something that makes any type of shelf styling/plant wall look more put together is by adding different size, scale and colour throughout.
When you start putting your plant wall together, start with one small corner and build out, rather than looking at it as one very empty, and large area. The beauty of styling it is you can step back, edit and curate it as often as you want.
16. Propagation Wall
I adore this simple, pared back approach to a plant wall. This propagation wall is considered and artistic!
If you’re a plant fiend, I feel you need this installation in your own home and it could be relatively easy to setup by just installing with command hooks so it’s renter friendly too.
17. Introduce Hanging & Floor Standing Plants
This incredible setup below is just a stunning way to show how you can use different elevations to create something that is effective and interesting.
Gal Cohen shared some of his top tips for those who want a plant wall but aren’t sure about the maintenance that goes with them. “Zanesco, pothos, heartleaf philodendron and ZZ plants are ok with irregular watering and fluctuating indoor light. Use a moisture meter before watering plants and group the plants with the same watering requirements together”.
“It is possible for care to be manageable on a weekly basis and is important to have good planning to ensure this. The right wall system and plant selection can help to maintain a neat installation for years”.
18. Bohemian Inspired Plant Wall
I feel like bohemian style works hand in hand with a plant wall, it’s earthy, rustic and such a lovely way to introduce some earthy tones.
Instead of a singular plant wall, think about combining a couple of different shelving units to add your plants and decor to.
19. Wrap Around Corner Plant Wall
For smaller spaces, work into a corner to make the most of the space you have, without it eating into any prime real estate.
This DIY wooden wrap around plant corner is super effective, and adding staggered shelves keeps it feeling interesting.
20. Grid System
A metal grid system is such a fun way to do a plant wall, you can choose to lean into a singular pot design throughout for consistency, instead introducing plants with different colour and texture. Grouping on a grid system like this is a great way to combine like plants in terms of plant care for easy maintenance.
Chloe added “In general, my recommendation for individuals concerned with ongoing plant care is to cluster plants together according to their respective light and water requirements rather than intermingling high-maintenance plants alongside lower-maintenance ones. This mismatch in requirements is typically why many plant walls begin appearing uneven after several months.”
21. Hanging Plant Wall
If you want something a little more stripped back and rustic, this hanging plant wall might just tick all your boxes.
Instead of grouping tons of plants together, just use a small selection which may feel more manageable if you’re not used to maintaining plants.
Plant walls might be on the upward trend right now, but plants are timeless so you don’t need to worry about them being out of fashion by next season, the best type of interior design trend there is!
