Styling with Plants

One of the easiest ways to spruce up a space is to add greenery – real or faux. If you’re into caring for live plants, that’s great, but the artificial ones have come a long way in terms of looking and feeling realistic also, so if you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry – you can still enjoy the look of greenery in your space.

I add them to almost every design for several reasons — plants help a space feel more fresh, more stylish, more finished, and most importantly, more cozy and “lived in.”

If you’re wondering where to add them, consider any dead space that you have in the room, such as in corners or next to sideboards or TV stands.

Contemporary Dining Room, Black Cat Interiors

Plants also add a nice pop of green to shelves:

Bookshelf Styling, Black Cat Interiors

And work great as centerpieces on table top spaces:

Coffee Table Styling, Black Cat Interiors

If your style leans boho or organic, use lots of plants:

Boho Living Room Moodboard, Black Cat Interiors

However, if you tend more toward modern or mid-century, then keep the plants simple:

Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Moodboard, Black Cat Interiors

If you love a coastal look, then incorporate tropical plants into your space:

If you’re familiar with my work, you may have figured out that my favorite plant is the fiddle leaf fig tree.

Artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, Black Cat Interiors

Wildly popular and versatile, this beautiful plant seamlessly integrates into almost any style or space–note that in the above designs, I used it in boho, contemporary and mid-century designs.

As mentioned, indoor plants are a quick and easy way to enhance the overall appearance of a space and one of my favorite finishing touches. Studies also show that plants can enhance moods, increase creativity, reduce stress, and–if using live plants–can eliminate air pollutants. So when putting together your spaces, don’t forget the plants.

Color Pairing

One of the questions I receive most often from clients is, “Do these colors work together?“ The answer is both simple and complex. Simple, because almost any colors can work together, IF (the complex part) done correctly.

So how do you put colors together correctly? There are lots and lots of ways, but here are a few of my simple tips:

• Create a neutral backdrop (beiges, ivories, whites, blacks, browns, grays, metals, wood tones) with your main pieces (sofa, rug, chairs, walls), then add one accent color of your choice via accessories (pillows, art, blankets, decor, etc.). Since your backdrop is neutral (i.e. not considered “colors”), any accent color will work great. In the living room moodboard below, the majority of the items are neutral, and I used navy as the pop of color.

Coastal Living Room Moodboard by Black Cat Interiors

In the bedroom moodboard below, I created a neutral backdrop with the main items, and added a pop of sunny yellow.

Transitional Bedroom Moodboard by Black Cat Interiors

• Another fail safe method is to pair analogous colors–that is, colors that are next to each other on the color wheel such as blue and green. Colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel will almost always create a harmonious palette.

Coastal Living Room Moodboard by Black Cat Interiors

Back Patio Deck Interior Design 3D Rendering by Black Cat Interiors

• If you’re more bold and want to pair colors that aren’t as commonly found together but aren’t sure how to do it, start with one main item that already has the colors–such as a rug, or wall art–then pull those colors into the space via accessories. In the moodboard below, the art above the bed establishes the seafoam green and orange color palette, then I repeated those colors throughout the space.

Seafoam Green and Orange Bedroom Moodboard by Black Cat Interiors

• Rely on Mother Nature. In the moodboard below, I paired pink with green, a combo we’re used to seeing in nature via flowers, fruit, birds, etc.

Blush and Green Bedroom 3D Rendering by Black Cat Interiors

So, the short answer is, “Yes. The colors do work together.” Or, I should say, they can work together, IF paired correctly. Still not sure? Contact me – I’m happy to help!