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  • Writer's pictureAshley Tapley

Trend Alert- House Plants Create a Comforting "Green Vibe" and Make Potential Buyers Feel at Home

Updated: Jun 4, 2019

"Scientific research tells us that green leafy plants help boost our mood. We also feel better physically when we’re around plants." Psychology Today


photo of cacti in mid century modern planters in a gardening store.
Cacti are currently the"it plant" and huge trend in home decorating. Keep your eyes peeled for trendy cacti art and decor items, as photographed below. This photo was taken at Dig Gardens in Santa Cruz, CA.

Interior design is fickle. Over the years indoor plants have been in fashion, out of fashion, and now they are back with a vengeance. Just look at any magazine, plants are everywhere, from the living room to the bathroom. Heck, people are installing living walls inside their homes. Green spaces are all the rage because of their aesthetics, health and psychological benefits. Plants add to any space that you are living in or that you are selling. When plants are around, they make us feel at ease.


Want to learn how to style with plants? Hilton Carter has a new book out called Wild at Home -How to style and care for beautiful plants. In a Style Matters podcast interview, Carter mentioned he has over 200 house plants in his home! Luckily, you only need a few to set the mood and reap the benefits. If you want 200 like Carter, more power to you. Incorporating plants into your overall home decor makes great design sense and plants also make us feel better. It's only natural.


photo of beautiful succulents in reclaimed wood planters

If you visit your local nursery, there are endless plant varieties available. When buying plants make sure that you have the right sun exposure and temperature for the variety you choose. Just because a certain plant will look great in your space does not mean that it will thrive there. I have killed my share of house and garden plants hoping that the guidelines were merely suggestions. I hate to break it to you, but I learned the hard way that they are not suggestions, they are requirements. Don't let this discourage you, if you follow the rules, you are likely to have some very happy plants.


If keeping a plant alive is too high maintenance for you, not to worry. There are many very good faux plants, flowers and stems on the market. These no-care plants work out great for homes on the market. Faux plants are super easy to find. Many retailers like Pottery Barn, Target, Pier One, World Market and Amazon sell pretty amazing reproductions. The trick is to not get a bad reproduction. Take the time to look at what you're buying before you put it into a pot or vase. If you're like me, you're wondering if the fake greens have the same effect as the live stuff. While they won't clean your air, "seeing artificial plants seems to have the same sorts of psychological benefits as seeing real ones — as long as the artificial plants really, truly look real." Psychology Today


My personal trick in my own home is to mix real and faux plants, flowers and stems. It makes the faux plants look a little more realistic when they are mixed.


photo, money plant, faux ferns, succulents, home staging, home staging santa cruz
Here is a small collection of some live and faux plants.

Some great sources for houseplants and succulents are Trader Joes, Costco, your local nursery or hardware store, as well as your local market.


To learn more about House Candy and professionally preparing your home for sale, check out our services at https://www.housecandystaging.com/services House Candy also offers vacation rental property staging, home styling and paint color consultations.




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