Incorporating Plants and Greenery for a Fresh and Airy Studio Flat
For plant lovers living in studios and flats, the only thing limiting your potential as a “plant parent” is the space you have available. But with a few inspiring ideas and tricks of the trade, you can pack in a lot more greenery than you might have previously thought. Even the smallest apartments can provide a habitat for dozens of plants, provided you think a little outside the box.
Read on to discover how you can flex your green thumb, no matter how tiny the footprint of your abode. For more plant-incorporation ideas, check here to see how rentals are being transformed into lush, green spaces by their plant-loving owners. They are proof that even the dreariest of flats can become havens of serenity with the help of plants both big and small.
Create A Living Wall
A living wall can be just a handful of individual wall planters or can cover the entire face of a wall. It’s important that you select a sturdy wall that can manage the weight requirements and that gets enough light so that your indoor plants can thrive. One of the easiest ways to create a living wall is by purchasing a frame from your local garden centre, with a variety of shapes, sizes and materials to choose from. Most importantly, you want a frame that won’t allow water to seep into your wall, causing costly damage in the long run.
Make A Plant-filled Wall Divider
The open design of a studio flat is one of its appeals. But sometimes you want to section off an area or create a little privacy around a sleeping space. One of the most cost-effective ways of doing this is by adding a wall divider in the form of a backless bookcase. Not only can it be used to store all of your beloved hardbacks but it can be filled from top to bottom with plants. A plant-filled wall divider makes good use of vertical space, allowing you to add a lot more greenery to your studio than would otherwise be possible.
Add Plant-dedicated Shelves
Another way to take advantage of vertical space for displaying plants is by mounting shelving on the walls. There are no rights or wrongs about the height or width of your shelving, meaning you can utilise whatever studio space you have available. As with any shelving that is going to be holding a significant amount of weight, it’s best to screw the shelf into wall studs for extra support. Wall shelves are perfect for displaying cascading indoor plants, such as devil’s ivy, hoya and string of pearl.
Make Use Of Existing Shelving
If you have exposed shelves in your kitchen, you can easily intersperse a few plants between your mugs and cookware. They will add a touch of greenery to your kitchen and plenty of enjoyment while preparing meals. Avoid placing any plants directly above cooking appliances where they will be exposed to fluctuating heat or run the risk of catching alight if their leaves drop. A window ledge is another existing “shelf” that you can take advantage of for displaying your plants, although the direct sunlight won’t be ideal for all species.
Hang Them From Above
Cascading indoor plants also look amazing when hung from above while giving your studio a lush, rainforest aesthetic. If you have exposed wooden beams, these are ideal for mounting hanging plants and will be able to hold considerable weight. Alternatively, you can use a spring toggle hook set, which will grab onto the plasterboard and stop the hook from popping out. Avoid hanging anything that’s more than 10 kilograms in weight to avoid a big hole in your ceiling!
Add A Tiered Pot Plant Stand
If you want to avoid drilling into the walls of your studio flat and adding more holes than there already are, then consider investing in a tiered pot plant stand. They are a great way of displaying multiple plants and making use of vertical space, with no power tools required. While you can find pot plant stands in a variety of stores, you can also repurpose an old bar stool to create your own. Tiered tables are another option, although they are more likely to take up valuable floor space.
Line Your Stairs
If your studio flat includes a set of wide stairs, you can line one side with small to medium-sized plants that won’t interfere with your step. It’s the perfect way to make use of what is largely unused space while adding more greenery to your apartment. Avoid large, billowing greenery that may be a nuisance as you ascend and descend your stairs, as well as becoming damaged as their leaves or fronds brush against your legs.
Once you have your green living design in place, all that’s left to do is keep your plants alive!
