Decorating
How to Create an Indoor Oasis (In the Dead of Winter)
Embrace the colder months without missing your nature fix – these quick ideas will bring a refreshing touch of the outdoors into your home
Cooler days mean more time spent indoors, and while we love snuggling up on the couch with a pot of tea, it also means less time spend out enjoying nature – and sometimes a bit of cabin fever. Luckily, there are plenty of easy and inexpensive ways to bring a touch of the outdoors into your home, no matter how big or small your living space.
Plants have been proven to reduce stress and increase wellbeing, so why limit them to the garden? Try these eight ideas to enjoy an indoor oasis over winter.
Plants have been proven to reduce stress and increase wellbeing, so why limit them to the garden? Try these eight ideas to enjoy an indoor oasis over winter.
Freshen up with purifying plants
Some plants work harder than others when it comes to improving our health, so if you’re looking to green up your bedroom, an air purifier is a clever choice. A peace lily (Spathiphyllum), aloe vera or spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) will not only make an attractive addition to your sanctuary, it will also help to filter pollutants from the air.
Have fun with the pot and choose a style that complements your decor – rattan, copper and concrete are stylish indoor options.
Some plants work harder than others when it comes to improving our health, so if you’re looking to green up your bedroom, an air purifier is a clever choice. A peace lily (Spathiphyllum), aloe vera or spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) will not only make an attractive addition to your sanctuary, it will also help to filter pollutants from the air.
Have fun with the pot and choose a style that complements your decor – rattan, copper and concrete are stylish indoor options.
Grow a herb garden
Both practical and pretty, what could be handier than reaching for a fresh sprig of rosemary mid-sautee? Almost every dish tastes better with fresh herbs, not to mention they’ll make your kitchen look and smell more inviting. Mint, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and chives are good options for indoor herb gardens – try terracotta pots and wooden planters for rustic, French provincial style.
8 fresh ways to plant herbs
Both practical and pretty, what could be handier than reaching for a fresh sprig of rosemary mid-sautee? Almost every dish tastes better with fresh herbs, not to mention they’ll make your kitchen look and smell more inviting. Mint, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and chives are good options for indoor herb gardens – try terracotta pots and wooden planters for rustic, French provincial style.
8 fresh ways to plant herbs
Add some air plants
It’s hard to think of a more effortless way to introduce greenery into your home than with air plants. Easy to grow and maintain, water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves of air plants so they require no pots or soil. As the name suggests, these warm-weather lovers need constant air circulation to thrive, as well as a quick water rinse a couple of times a week. String them up in clear vessels or place along a picture frame or windowsill for an ethereal touch.
It’s hard to think of a more effortless way to introduce greenery into your home than with air plants. Easy to grow and maintain, water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves of air plants so they require no pots or soil. As the name suggests, these warm-weather lovers need constant air circulation to thrive, as well as a quick water rinse a couple of times a week. String them up in clear vessels or place along a picture frame or windowsill for an ethereal touch.
Be bold with an oversized pot
If you tend to forget about watering, an oversized addition should be your go-to – they’re hard to miss! Bold and stylish, a large plant will create more drama than lots of smaller pieces – not to mention offering the perfect solution to an empty corner.
A popular option is the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), adored for its large glossy leaves, or a potted olive tree for a touch of the Mediterranean. As plants grow towards the light, a good tip is to move the pot around every now and again to keep the plant straight and even.
Keeping your indoor plants alive and thriving
If you tend to forget about watering, an oversized addition should be your go-to – they’re hard to miss! Bold and stylish, a large plant will create more drama than lots of smaller pieces – not to mention offering the perfect solution to an empty corner.
A popular option is the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), adored for its large glossy leaves, or a potted olive tree for a touch of the Mediterranean. As plants grow towards the light, a good tip is to move the pot around every now and again to keep the plant straight and even.
Keeping your indoor plants alive and thriving
Save space with hanging plants
Whether you use a vase, basket or DIY piece like these upcycled pallet shelves, there are myriad options when it comes to hanging plants. Perfect for smaller homes where every inch of surface space is precious, a cascading Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum) brings a bohemian vibe, while the long, delicate strands of a string of pearls plant make a soft yet striking feature when draped from above.
Whether you use a vase, basket or DIY piece like these upcycled pallet shelves, there are myriad options when it comes to hanging plants. Perfect for smaller homes where every inch of surface space is precious, a cascading Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum) brings a bohemian vibe, while the long, delicate strands of a string of pearls plant make a soft yet striking feature when draped from above.
Make a living wall
Grouping plants with tall foliage is an effective way to create privacy and zone off sections of your home, or simply provide some lush greenery along an otherwise stark wall or window. Try plants of the straight-up-and-down variety such as bamboo or mother-in-law’s tongue, placing them closely together in identical planters for a streamlined look or mismatched pots for an eclectic feel.
Grouping plants with tall foliage is an effective way to create privacy and zone off sections of your home, or simply provide some lush greenery along an otherwise stark wall or window. Try plants of the straight-up-and-down variety such as bamboo or mother-in-law’s tongue, placing them closely together in identical planters for a streamlined look or mismatched pots for an eclectic feel.
Pick a fresh posy
If you’re resigned to being a black thumb, you can’t go wrong by popping some fresh flowers in a vase to lift a space instantly. Go for big, blowsy florals such as roses and peonies if your interior style is feminine, while foliage from magnolia and fern varieties will last longer and bring some exotic greenery in from the garden. Or simply pick a shade to match your decor – a surefire way to impress guests!
TELL US
How do you prefer to bring the outdoors into your home? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
MORE
10 Ways to Unplug and Tune In to Nature
How to Hibernate: Hot Tips for a Warm as Toast Winter
10 Ways to Bring in the Breezes
If you’re resigned to being a black thumb, you can’t go wrong by popping some fresh flowers in a vase to lift a space instantly. Go for big, blowsy florals such as roses and peonies if your interior style is feminine, while foliage from magnolia and fern varieties will last longer and bring some exotic greenery in from the garden. Or simply pick a shade to match your decor – a surefire way to impress guests!
TELL US
How do you prefer to bring the outdoors into your home? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
MORE
10 Ways to Unplug and Tune In to Nature
How to Hibernate: Hot Tips for a Warm as Toast Winter
10 Ways to Bring in the Breezes
Hardy, compact and low-maintenance, these lovely little plants are wide in variety and look fantastic when grouped together. Try mixing agave and aloe with cacti to create a desertscape, providing your mini ecosystem with as much sun as possible. While pink, yellow and purple plants are appealing, they’re better suited to outdoors. Go for green in a range of shapes and sizes – the more the merrier!