Big ideas for plants in small rooms

You don’t need a big home to make a big impact with plants. You just need a big imagination.

$A corn plant in a blue fracture-patterened pot on a low shelf in the corner of a living room$

We all enjoy the images of huge, plant-covered rooms on Instagram, but not many of us have enormous spaces. Good news, you can turn even tiny rooms into urban jungles. Here are a few easy tips for using houseplants in small rooms.

Small spaces can take big plants

It’s logical to think a small room only has space for small plants, but a big plant used well can have major impact.

Pick a plant that grows tall and narrow, like a corn plant or Phil the philodendron, to create a focal point. The pot will take up less than 30cm of floor space. A great way to use an awkward corner.

A large philodendron scandens and mosspole by a sideboard in a hallway.

Group small plants

If floor space really isn’t big enough for a plant of any size, group some small plants on a surface, like a bedside table or window ledge.

In a very bright room, mix up some succulents and cacti for a low-effort sculptural display. Or in a darker room, combine some shade-loving ferns. You can make something eye-catching in a space no bigger than a dinner plate.

A group of cacti and succulents in various decorative pots on a kitchen counter

Look up

Use the full height of the room. If you have bookshelves or a mantelpiece, make them a home for trailing plants, like pothos. They come in several colours, so mix them up.

Or embrace hanging plants suspended from the ceiling, The longer they grow, the better they look.

A devil's ivy in a clay pot on a fireplace mantlepiece in a living room

A trailing plant on a kitchen shelf in a concrete pot

Go wild with colour

Don’t have room for many plants? Make sure the ones you have stand out.

Aggie the red Chinese evergreen or Tristan the calathea triostar will add some zing. No need to worry about clashing colours. The louder the better.

A pair of calathea triostar in clay and concrete pots in a living room

Punch up the look with pots

Bold pot choices will lift the look of your plants. You could create something chic and calming with several pots in the same colour (we love these minimalist grey concrete ones).

Or mix up some colourful ones for an eclectic look. Plant stands can add height too.