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Home Front is a weekly deep dive into the rising—and returning—trends, decor, and teeniest of design details fresh on our radar. Last week, Lindsey, Domino’s digital director, expanded her houseplant palette. Subscribe now to get the next Home Front newsletter, and read the full edition here.
When the forever chic Kate Berry gives you styling advice, you listen. And a few weeks ago, at a meeting about an upcoming shoot at my New Jersey home, she pointed something out I had never considered: Houseplants can be too green, especially when set against equally verdant walls like the ones in my sunroom. Turns out, it’s all about balance. What does that even mean? I’m getting into the weeds of it.
On Board: Not-So-Green Houseplants
Here’s the backstory: You need color variation to encourage the eye to move around a room, and Kate includes houseplants as part of that equation. “They’re like another material!” she tells me. A sea of similar greens, whether plants or fabric, can read flat, and we’re going for layered. In the end, a burgundy-tinged calathea rattlesnake brought nuance to my setup, but that’s just the beginning of the plant rainbow I’ve since discovered…
Behold, nine paths to a well-rounded plant corner:
- Yes, pink plants exist. Meet the anglaonema wishes, which doesn’t need direct sunlight to thrive, ideal for my north-facing house.
- If you’re married to the classic green houseplant, you can always bring in a splash of contrasting color with a glossy planter.
- Even the most unusual plant is only as good as its support system, and this Greek column trellis beats standard stakes any day.
- In writer Marjon Carlos’s apartment, the reddish brown begonia ties together various warm tones, from the rug to the vintage sofa, without being too matchy-matchy.
- You could reach for a lamp, but this white arrowhead plant would honestly do just as good a job brightening up a corner.
- Most of my pots are basic terracotta—I love the patina they develop from algae growth and minerals in the water. But this one’s thumbprint edge gives it subtle oomph.
- Rather than a bunch of individual plant stands, my husband and I bought a vintage slatted wood bench, similar to this option, to hold multiple pots. We just varied the plant heights so they’re not crowding one another.
- Greenery can be patterned! Along with the blush streaks that give the calathea pinstripe its name, the leaves have a wine-hued underside.
- Sometimes you need a grounding element. Rubber trees add a dose of rich, almost-black green to the mix.
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