Why we opt for REAL House Plants and Flowers in our homes
This post could also be titled "why I bought another fiddle leaf fig even though I keep killing our house plants". Although that isn't entirely true. I haven't killed all of our houseplants, some hearty plants have survived and others (like our last fiddle leaf fig) died very slow deaths, which some might even call living. All humor aside, I'm not one to waste money on something temporary, but there are a few really compelling reasons why we buy real house plants (and fresh flowers too) for the indoors.
Our Farmhouse, master bedroom // rug, mirror, my favorite cotton quilt
We humans spend over 90% of our time indoors, so any small, inexpensive, and healthy improvements we can make to our spaces seem well worth the effort. Read on for 5 reasons why we keep REAL house plant and fresh flowers in our homes.
Plants clean the air - while all plants replace carbon dioxide with oxygen, many common house plants also remove toxins from the air (source). NASA researchers spent years studying the effects of potted plants in enclosed spaces and their conclusion: 1 plant per 100sf of home or office space achieves efficient air cleaning (source). Check out this helpful graphic to see which chemicals some common house plants clean.
Plants help you concentrate - Your house plants serve a greater purpose than just looking pretty. As published by Texas A&M,"tasks performed while under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result." Yes, you actually produce better work with house plants in your space! And more than that, being around nature, even when it's inside your home, helps with concentration, memory, mental cognition, and performance (source).
Flowers make you happy - this is something I'm sure we kind of knew was true, albeit without any formal source. But according to the same article from Texas A&M, "having flowers around the home and office greatly improves people’s moods and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression. Flowers and ornamental plants increase levels of positive energy and help people feel secure and relaxed." Total justification for that weekly farmers market bouquet!
Less waste - plastic plants and flowers inevitably end up in a landfill. And we’re all about decreasing waste wherever possible.
Avoid Faux - this is purely a personal design rule of mine, but in our spaces I always seek out natural, REAL materials and objects. Think wood furniture, stone countertops, and real house plants. Every time I find myself thinking about ordering a faux fiddle leaf fig, I remind myself that an imitation is not the real deal. The real deal has a purpose (see above), which the faux version just can't live up to. Like all good rules, I break this one now and again, but not yet with plants.
Our Dexter House renovation, 36sf master bathroom // stool
Is anyone else out there passionate about real house plants? Or are they just not worth the hassle? Let me know in the comments.