In this post I’m sharing my recent obsession of indoor trees, especially those low light indoor trees. I also explain why they adds so much to a space, and my new baby – a 10 ft ficus tree!
The awkward time before accessorizing
I have a love for neutral interior style. White or light gray, with accents of black – very low foundation that allows me to layer color and pattern on top of it fairly easily. That also allows me to change the style without replacing furniture of repaint the wall. However, one caviar of neutral interior style is “not going bold enough”, especially before accessorizing it.
I am facing the problem right now. Some rooms of my house is done, meaning we’ve done with the finish(walls, tiles, etc) and big furnitures. But the space doesn’t have accessories. As a minimalist, I want to be more mindful on what decor I bring to the space – it has to be beautiful and meaningful, something versatile that I can move it around between spaces.
Lately I have found a shortcut to solve this problem : add plants, real plants. More specifically: Add trees. They work like a magic, instantly bring a space to life, thus add a ton of personality. They help a ton on transitioning during the awkward state (post design, before styling). Once the trees are in, you can take your time on slowly styling your space.
So why real plants? First they can grow bigger! The bigger the plant, the more impact it makes to the pace. Second, fake plants release toxin, but real plants remove toxin. I understand some people may worry that they are not capable of keeping them alive. Honestly, if choose the right plant, they are not that hard to take care of, just water them 1 – 2 cups of water weekly.
A saga of a 10 ft ficus tree
I have been buying indoor plants for a while, fiddle leaf fig, rubber plant, palms. Recently I went a little big crazy as I bought a 10 ft tree!
I discovered this 10 ft ficus tree from FB market place. A local auto part shop is closing down so they need to sell this tree that has been sitting on the shop floor forever. I snatched it at $40(such a steal considering the size of the tree), and somehow fit it in my SUV and brought it home safely without losing a single leaf! Plus fit a palm tree(also from that shop) in the same trip.
I’m planning to place it in my living room next to a big south facing window. Another reason is I have a moderately inclined cathedral ceiling, so it is several feet taller than a standard 8 feet ceiling – the tallest room in this house.
For the palm tree, I’m still thinking where to place it. It is actually quite big (not sure if it is easy to tell from the photo). Because the stems are not going straight up, but rather a starburst pattern, I need to find a pace open enough to fit it in this 970 sqft house 😛
Beautiful indoor tree inspirations
Do you search on Pinterest when you try to imagine what certain design decision is like? I do that a lot! So lately I have seen so many beautiful spaces with dramatic indoor trees in my Pinterest feed. Yes dramatic is the key! the point is go big or go home! Big trees adds so much more character and personality. So whenever you get a choice, go big 😉
First and foremost, fiddle leaf fig tree. They are so trendy right now as you can see them literally everywhere! Because how readily available they are, the price point is pretty good! I got a 5 ft one for under $50.
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I have two types of rubber plants: variegated leaf type and the normal dark leaf type. Because of their look, they can look more modern and hobo compared to other indoor trees.
Ficus tree is probably the most “tree like” indoor plants! Their look can vary a lot depends on how you prune them. Mine is a very slender tree without looking super full. In this photo, both ficus trees look full and round.
Bird of paradise is one of my favorite plants for both indoor and outdoor! I got one for indoor purpose but ended up using it outdoor as I worry my indoor light is not enough for what the plant needs.
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I would add palms. Parlor palm for a north window. And if you can’t afford a floor tree, a big plant on a table works. Agree whole heartedly about big plants being the way to go.
Palm is a great idea! There are so many beautiful low light trees in the palm family.