To be frank, us Millennials have an undeniable fondness for plants. Just as Edison bulbs dangled exposed from each café’s ceiling and all walls turned into soft, cool grays during the 2010s, we began incorporating plants everywhere — even mounting them vertically to form living walls. Although these extensive vertical plant installations originated outdoors where they seemed most natural, our cohort’s newfound appreciation for houseplants—now residing in their personal environments—prompted this style to swiftly migrate inside. Consequently, the concept of indoor living walls or vertical gardens came into existence.
Listen, I completely understand. My heart is brimming with affection for plants, and I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. Our generation seemed to go slightly wild for greenery because everyone was yearning for a link back to nature and longing for a less technology-driven era. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that numerous people from our age group have found comfort and happiness through indoor gardening—we might’ve gotten carried away though. Despite my ongoing struggle against the idea that having more plants is always superior (I admit defeat—I apologize to my husband who handles watering), let me state clearly: extensive living walls are everywhere nowadays—ubiquitous even—in each cool corporate space and stylish city apartment. While these lush vertical gardens retain their special place in my affections, as someone versed in interior design, I believe it’s high time we explored fresh avenues together. The next big trend? One grandiose statement plant leading us into elegance.
Read more:
How Cultivating an Attractive Indoor Palm Plant Could Enhance Your Living Space
What Makes the Indoor Living Wall Seem Obsolete Nowadays?
To keep our discussion focused, let’s concentrate on ornamental indoor living walls. An intricate outdoor green wall system designed for environmental friendliness and supporting pollinators presents a distinct challenge due to its significant benefits for the Earth. Certainly, there are various aspects to consider here.
indoor plants that inherently assist in purifying the air within your home
, however, placing them in a vertically mounted wall garden isn’t the most cutting-edge method to enjoy their advantages. Here’s why we should consider alternatives.
To start with, living walls are not just costly to set up and upkeep, but they also require significant time investment to ensure their survival indoors.
vertical gardens
are often a collection of small wall-mounted containers clustered together to form a wall statement, rather than an advanced self-watering system like their outdoor counterparts, meaning each tiny pot must be individually watered and maintained. Plants can become root-bound in small containers and must be tended to regularly. While the effect of a living wall can be spectacular, the maintenance to keep it thriving can be monumental. Not everyone is into that kind of commitment, and I’d argue that a neglected living wall doesn’t remotely have the same wow-factor – in fact, it brings down the aesthetic for sure.
Secondly, the progression of the living wall into mainstream popularity concluded with the addition of this vertical design statement into nearly every “cool” millennial-friendly office building in the 2010s. Call it an attempt at saying, “We have chill and progressive vibes here” to prospective young (yes, we were still young then) employees. But the frequency at which they were used made them more tired than innovative by the close of the decade. Since then, indoor living walls have carried a sort of corporate office building sensibility to them that isn’t very welcoming or homey.
A Singular Statement Plant Is A Chic Way To Create Design Interest Without The Visual Clutter Of A Living Wall
To achieve a contemporary look with less upkeep, consider featuring a prominent solitary plant to add striking aesthetic value without overwhelming the area. Instead of opting for dense vertical gardens or numerous smaller plants grouped closely together, choose a bold, sizable individual plant. Its height will help elongate the sightline, making the environment appear more spacious. Think about placing this focal point as a towering potted tree in a corner or suspending an expansive cascading species from above or atop a tall shelving unit. These impressive specimens command attention yet maintain balance within the setting rather than dominating it like extensive living walls tend to do. Offering areas where the viewer’s gaze can settle unimpeded contributes significantly to achieving equilibrium indoors. Furthermore, incorporating just one key plant typically blends seamlessly across different interior designs compared to how living walls generally evoke a specific urban-modern ambiance.
A standalone statement plant offers greater aesthetic versatility and subtlety compared to a living wall, plus maintaining one plant requires far less effort than managing an extensive green wall—even finicky species like the fiddle leaf fig. Although acquiring a large-sized plant may involve a considerable initial expense, this cost will still fall short of both the setup costs for a thriving living wall as well as the ongoing maintenance expenses needed to sustain it.
So the following time when you’re intending to
include plants in your living space
Skip the idea of an expensive and maintenance-intensive traditional living wall, and choose a striking yet modern statement plant for a clean, calming, and nature-themed ambiance.
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