10 Benefits of Artificial Plants in Your Office & 18 Ideas to Style Them  

 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed so much about the way we work. Office spaces were closed and now the number of people who work from home year-round or part-time has rocketed as a result. While many people made-do with kitchen tables and desks in bedrooms, this permanent switch to a hybrid way of working means that it is now time to create a permanent workspace that feels inspiring and pleasurable to spend time in.

The same goes for those returning to the office – after a year away, it’s time to brighten personal cubicles and offices and make communal spaces welcoming once more.

Plants are a great way of bringing about a feeling of comfort, relaxation, and focus, but they’re not always the easiest option. They can come with a hefty price tag and often involve diligent pruning and watering for which many people simply don’t have the time.

 

 

What are the benefits of having artificial plants in my office?

Of course, fake plants can provide countless benefits, but here are just a few:

 

1. They are often more affordable than real plants.

Some small real plants are pretty affordable upfront but require ongoing care, which saps your time, is distracting, and can mean you have to pay someone to maintain them for you if you’re working away from home. Real plants grow too big for their pots which can be costly and often get diseases and other maladies that take further time away from work to diagnose and treat.

 

2. They’re extremely versatile when it comes to interior design.

Whether you want a small vase of artificial flowers, a hanging plant, or a massive Swiss cheese plant, artificial plants fit in no matter where you place them. Artificial plants will also stay in the shape where you styled them, so you can style the plant once to fit the décor and never have to prune it or move it when it gets too large. 

 

3. They require little to no maintenance.

Real plants require watering, the right light, fertilisers, pruning, and daily attention if they are to thrive. 

 

4. They look great no matter where in a room you place them and they don’t need any sunlight.

All live plants need a certain amount of sunlight to survive, whereas an artificial plant can brighten up a room with no natural light. This makes it the perfect choice for dark offices, bathrooms, and basement rooms.

5. What you see is what you get –

you buy a plant you like and it will never change. Many house plants lose their colour if kept incorrectly.

 

6. The quality of artificial plants is outstanding.

Back in the day, artificial plants were a nightmare for interior designers. If they were cheap, they looked cheap and often snapped when bent. But today, artificial plants are so convincing that you may as well opt for them instead!

 

7. They fit in with any design, colour scheme, and room size.

Whether you love sleek minimalist designs or prefer busy maximalism, plants can serve to emphasise this style.

 

8. With artificial foliage, there’s no need to worry about allergies.

Plant allergies can cause itchiness, sneezing, and even hives for some people, which is uncomfortable at the best of times. Some real plants like daisies, chamomile, and amaranth can trigger several allergic reactions. And since you can’t always preempt who’ll walk into your office, an artificial plant can eliminate that concern.

 

9. They can help boost your mood.

While real plants offer air-purifying qualities, fake plants can offer the same mood boost as real plants. Many studies have found that spending time around plants and flowers can improve one’s concentration levels, productivity, and overall mood. This applies to artificial plants as much as real ones.

 

10. They’re far more robust than real plants.

The materials used for making artificial plants and flowers are durable and will last forever. The only maintenance fake plants require is the occasional wipe to get rid of the dust!

 

 

 

18 Artificial Plant Styling Ideas for Your Office

1. Create a Desk-Sized Zen Garden

Create your own Japanese miniature zen garden. If work is busy and you need a little zen moment every so often, create your own garden! It won’t require any maintenance and will leave you feeling relaxed and concentrated. Fill a small tray with sand, choose your favorite rocks and a few small artificial plants (such as succulents), and voila, you’ve got a zen garden at your work desk!

 

2. Place Trailing Plants on Shelves and Tall Cabinets

Many office spaces have tall, unsightly storage cabinets that make the whole room feel dark. To brighten it up, add a trailing plant to the top of the cabinet and trail the foliage down over the side. If your office has shelves, a long trailing plant is a great option. Placing plants up high also saves floor space and can make your office look bigger. 

 

3. Use Several Different Sizes and Leaf Styles

Play around with the size and shape of your artificial plants. If your home office is looking bare and needs something eye-catching, go for a focal point like a large plant by the window or an unusual-looking hanging plant above your desk. You can also create some contrast by alternating between small, dinky shrubs and thick, oversized plants.  

 

4. Use a Vertical Planter If Working with Limited Space

If you like the idea of a rustic-style home office, make a vertical plant area by using an old wooden ladder. Give that ladder a lick of paint, pop your favorite artificial plants on each rung and you’ve got a whole new piece to brighten up your office! It’s a great focal point and doesn’t use up too much space. You can also drape throws over the rungs to use to keep warm in the cooler months. 

 

5. Style Plants with Artwork and Pictures

Place a small artificial plant besides an art print or a photo to instantly pull the space together. Weave in objects like paintings, sculptures, drawings, posters, photographs, and keepsakes with your plants to create an eclectic scene that is sure to catch the eye of visitors and help you feel surrounded by the things you love.

 

 

 

6. Use Macramé Hangers

If you’re low on shelf space, you can always opt for the more bohemian choice of a macrame hanger or a miniature plant swing made out of reclaimed wood and yarn. You can use artificial trailing plants or artificial succulents, depending on the effect you want to create.

 

7. Brighten Your Space with Colo\red Plant Pots

Give your office a new lease on life with brightly colored plant pots. Consider the room’s color palette and match your plants based on this color scheme; the color consistency will be satisfying and the room will feel cohesive. Alternatively, match your plant pots with your stationery, or use them as the focal point and keep the rest of your office furniture in a neutral palette.

 

8. Use Small Fairy Lights with Your Plants

Mix artificial hanging plants and tall potted plants with small fairy lights to make every workday feel a little more magical and cozy. This is also a great option if your home office is integrated with another living space, as you can turn the fairy lights on to indicate the end of the workday to give you a visual queue to leave work at your desk.  

 

9. Buy or Make a Terrarium

Buy or make a terrarium, which is a closed plant environment emulating a broader ecosystem. Terrariums can be extremely tricky to maintain using real plants, but with artificial plants, you can create a tiny garden in a bowl! Terrariums can be as small as a jam jar or as large as a fishbowl, so choose a size to suit your space. You can create a forest look with artificial moss and ferns, or choose an arid landscape with artificial succulents or cacti.

 

10. Use Plant Stands to Create Height

When you exclusively use artificial plants on the ground, everything can feel a little too low down and leaves your walls feeling bare, but you’d be surprised the difference a plant stand can make! Choose plant stands that contrast from the rest of the color scheme, or use them to bring the whole office together. 

 

11. Create a Plant Shelf

If you like the idea of isolating your plant collection to one area, a plant shelf is a great idea. This shelf is also a great opportunity to experiment with pot styles, whether you prefer a more uniform colour scheme or something a bit more eclectic. It also serves as a great backdrop for all those online meetings during the day!

 

12. Use Artificial Grasses for a Beachy Look

Give your home office a beachy feel with marram grass. Marram grass grows on sand dunes so isn’t ideal to grow in the home, but artificial grasses can make any room feel like a beach house. 

 

13. Create Cohesion with Patterns

Match your decor with your plants and go for furniture or accessories with the same patterns as your artificial plants. Cheese plants are particularly popular for sofa cushions, rugs, and even curtains these days, so get adventurous and turn your home office into your own little greenhouse!

14. Create a Relaxed Vibe with an Artificial Palm

Parlor palms and similar artificial palms give an office a cool, breezy feel. They’re dramatic and a clear focal point, but can blend in well with any decor style and are a great reminder to take life a little less seriously.

 

15. Use a Trough on Your Windowsill

Fill a metal or slate-look trough with artificial flowers and place them on your windowsill to effortlessly bring the outside in. This works well in modern offices whether in the home or out.  

 

16. Fill Motivational or Cute Coffee Cups with Small Artificial Plants

You likely enjoy a morning coffee or an afternoon tea in your office space, so why not repurpose an old coffee cup as a planter? Artificial succulents work incredibly well, but any small plant you like will add that pop of greenery while giving the space a little bit of a cuter look. If you’re a fan of motivational slogans, using a motivational coffee mug is a great choice so you see it all day long, not just when it’s time to refuel!

 

17. Use a Green Wall or Artificial Moss Panel

If you work in a communal office space and want to go for something a little more dramatic and unusual, why not invest in a green wall or artificial moss panel? This is a great way to bring greenery, nature, and texture into a room without taking up much-needed space or softening a modern, minimalist look.

 

18. Use Artificial Flowers

Flowers brighten up any space, but they’re expensive and die quickly. Opt for artificial flowers to ensure they look beautiful year-round, and you can invest in a few different flowers you love and simply change up the design from time to time, rather than buying an expensive bouquet every week. You can experiment with unusual plant holders like vintage glass bottles, vases, or jars, or buy brand new for a chic, modern feel.

 

 

Conclusion

The best thing about a plant collection is that it’s so individual to each person and changes so drastically from office to office. Whether you choose a small selection of artificial succulents on your office desk or go all-in on a green wall, the choices are endless! There’s never any need to worry about repotting, watering, or pruning.

When it comes to home office interior design, there’s no right or wrong way to do things – simply go with what makes you feel relaxed, content, and focused. Styling your room with artificial plants is an evolving process, so keep it fresh and reassess your plant collection so that it continuously inspires and engages you. To explore our range of artificial plants, click here.