London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

6 Expert Tips for Decorating With Houseplants So Every Room Feels Like an Oasis

6 Expert Tips for Decorating With Houseplants So Every Room Feels Like an Oasis

Here’s how to effortlessly transform every room with greenery.

For Hilton Carter, life got a lot more interesting when he met a fiddle-leaf fig named Frank. It was 2014, and Hilton, feeling inspired after dinner at a café in a greenhouse, purchased the tree in an attempt to infuse his New Orleans apartment with a similarly idyllic feel.

Today, more than 200 plants (including the now towering Frank) fill the apartment he shares with his wife, Fiona, in Baltimore. His specimens climb the walls and take up every last inch of the windowsills. "I just started bringing in plants to create a space that made me feel great," he says, "and somehow ended up with a lot."

            

It’s a story that no doubt sounds familiar to the plant obsessives featured in Hilton's second book, Wild Interiors: Beautiful Plants in Beautiful Spaces ($19, Amazon), which showcases leafy homes in the United States and Europe. What all the spaces have in common are inhabitants who, as he likes to say, have been bitten by the botanical bug. "Plants are a way of creating a moment of escape within your own home, of bringing the outside world in," he says.

And, of course, that feeling has never been more welcome. Hilton documents his plant-collecting adventures on Instagram, where you can also sign up for his virtual workshops on topics like potting and propagation. He believes there's no such thing as too much green, so here he offers six simple ways to fill every room in your home with houseplants.



1. Surround Seating Areas With Plants


"The power that plant life has in a home is transformative," Hilton explains. Floor-to-ceiling greenery surrounds a hanging chair in this Antwerp, Belgium, apartment. "By gathering plants in this deliberate way, the homeowners were able to create a spot everyone is drawn to," Hilton says.

            

2. Dress Up Your Dining Room


“Unlike a vase of flowers, a plant can breathe life into a dining space for a long time,” Hilton says. In this Los Angeles dining room, a dwarf umbrella bonsai tree serves as a centerpiece (its diminutive size means it won’t block sightlines) while tangles of golden pothos and philodendron brighten an otherwise neutral nook.

    

3. Use a Group of Closely Spaced Plants as a Focal Point


"Sometimes more is more," says Hilton of this deliberately overgrown credenza in a Berlin apartment. "I love the feeling that wildlife has taken over a space," he says. "It’s almost like the ruins of an old building, where the people have left, and the plants have moved back in." However, to keeps things from getting too out of control, "only bring in what you can care for," Hilton advises.

        

4. Go Vertical


This patio in Barcelona is surrounded by tall, white walls that seemed to overpower the space. The owner’s solution: Hang small ferns, spider plants and more with brackets. "What’s great about this arrangement of little containers, as opposed to something like ivy or another climbing vine, is that the pots add a real sense of depth," Hilton says.

        

5. Tuck Plants into Unexpected Spaces


Add excitement to a stale vignette with a few well-placed plants. Here, a simple cart doubles as a plant stand and bar. "I’m always looking for ways to tuck little plants into an unexpected spot like that," Hilton says. "They make a space dynamic." Plus, the heart-shape philodendron trained around the mirror frame "really adds depth and interest," he says.



6. Green Up the Bedroom


Try hanging trailing plants from the ceiling or placing them on a shelf over your bed. “Sleeping under plants makes it feel like you’re camping or on vacation,” says Hilton, whose wife made a mini macramé hammock for his plants.
Which Plants to Choose for Specific Rooms

Not sure which plants would thrive in certain areas of your abode? In general, Hilton cautions against "bringing plants into a space just because you like the plant due to its trendiness." Instead, pay attention to the light each type of plant needs. A few low-maintenance favorites for beginners include ZZ plants, ponytail palms, and peace lilies, which are easy to love and hard to kill. Plus, Hilton's got a few more tips for specific parts of the house.

Entryway


Sturdy specimens like snake plant or rubber plant best withstand the changing temperatures that come from opening the front door, as well as the occasional brush from a winter coat.

Living Room


The space where you host guests calls for a statement-maker like a giant monstera or a tall and leafy bird of paradise.

Kitchen


The easy access to a sink makes this room an ideal place for water-lovers like rattlesnake plants. Or line up small succulents on the windowsill or counter to add life without occupying the valuable surface area.

Comments

Double bed with mattress 4 year ago
double bed with mattress all the fillings in the cooc soft bed are the plant fiber nine-hole breathable cotton, which is processed from corn fiber, which is natural, environmentally friendly, breathable and elastic.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×