Houseplants can bring joy to any home type, whether you have a city flat with a balcony or a townhouse with a paved garden. In fact, it can be incredible to see so many dynamic ways to display houseplants in smaller spaces to make the most of the room. So, here are my top ten houseplant solutions for smaller homes.
1. Tall, slim plants
Firstly, if you are low on floor space but still want to make a big impact using houseplants, opt for a plant that is tall and slim. Something like a Yucca elephantipes (spineless yucca) will fit the bill with its long, thick trunk that is topped with upright leaves that will bring some drama to the room. For a similar effect Dracaena marginata (dragon tree) is another great pick.
Or, for a softer texture, the Howea forsteriana (Kentia palm) has height, as well as foliage that is more sweeping and elegant.
2. Grow your food
Double up on the purpose of your houseplants and grow your food. Having an indoor herb garden is a great way of bringing greenery indoors, but you can see it as a practical addition too.
Simply having a box or a collection of containers or your windowsill full of herbs will look great and they’re at perfect height to be snipped and put straight into your homecooked meals. Chillies, basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme are all perfect contenders to grow on your windowsill.
3. Succulent wreath
Embellish your doors or wall space with a wonderful succulent wreath. Follow my guide to make your own to ensure it’s unique.
This is a great way of bringing plants into your décor without taking up floor space in a smaller home.
4. Living wall pieces
Another one for the wall are living wall pieces which can be creating using photo frames or wire frames. You can make these yourself, or buy custom made pieces.
They don’t have to be extravagant; it could be as simple as attaching a bromeliad to a piece of driftwood and attaching it to your wall.
5. Grow green in the bathroom
Some plants thrive in humid locations such as your kitchen or bathroom, so bring some plants into your shower! Depending on your bathroom, you can suspend them from the ceiling, place them on a small table or even add hooks into the shower to hang them from.
Not only will they brighten up your bathroom with their foliage, but they will thrive whilst doing it. Plants such as Boston fern and orchids are the perfect contenders.
6. Furniture fun
Get creative with furniture pieces is a great way of displaying houseplants in smaller homes. What was once a coat stand can transform into a houseplant hub with each hook or section a new plant for a small houseplant.
Then, you can make the most out of the vertical space rather than spreading over the floor space. The collection of plants will have a great effect but ensure that the position needed by the plants are all similar, so they can all thrive.
7. Shelving
Wall space is just as important as floor space, especially when it comes to adding finishing touches to your décor. A simple shelf can turn into a lovely feature in a room, whether it is a shelf above your bed or a shelving unit in your dining room. Adding trailing plants to cascade down will look striking.
One of my favourite plants for this purpose is Senecio rowleyanus (string of pearls) that has foliage that looks like little peas or pearls that flow downwards like a waterfall.
8. Hanging baskets
There are many styles of hanging baskets available, from ceramic ones to macrame types that you can make yourself. Hang your baskets from curtain poles or hooks in the ceiling.
Alternatively, buy a tension pole and fit it between the walls of your window and hang several plants from it for a contemporary look. Philodendron scandens (heart-leaf philodendron) and Syngonium podophyllum (arrowhead plant) will look great in this display.
9. Small plants
Another way of displaying houseplants in your smaller home is to pick plants that don’t take up too much space on your coffee table, bedside table, or cabinet as a centrepiece. There are mini orchids, that may only be small, but they bring much joy when they are in flower, and once they have finished flowering, cut back the stem and wait for them to reflower.
Even a small tray of cacti and succulents will look lovely, and they won’t demand much from you either as they are relatively low maintenance.
10. Climbing plants
Position a climbing plant on a bookshelf or ledge at a higher level and train the plant to trail across the wall.
Use small hooks to keep them trailing where you want. Epipremnum aureum (golden pothos) and Hedera (ivy) are the perfect plants for this.
There are plenty of ways to bring houseplants and greenery into your home. I hope you’ve found inspiration from these solutions to grow your houseplant collection in smaller spaces. You can find out more about houseplants in my new book, My Houseplant Changed My Life.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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