Maybe you’ve walked into a hotel recently and been wowed by potted trees. Maybe you’re looking for office space and seen a reception resplendent with blooming plants. Or maybe you’ve been in a waiting room and felt your stress go down a notch because of a living wall whose leaves absorbed some of your anxiety.
These are all examples of how interior plantscaping shapes our experience in commercial space and drives our impressions of the businesses and services we encounter everyday.
When it comes to interior design principles, the US is emphasizing plants more and more, particularly for commercial spaces. Especially in urban centers, connection to nature is now being found indoors as much as out, as people realize what a big difference natural elements make in interior design.
This guide to interior plantscaping will teach you:
- Why biophilic design has real benefits
- The basic elements of interior plantscaping
- How to think about adding interior plantscaping to your commercial space
- What to look for in a commercial interior plantscaping partner
Biophilic Design: Bringing the Magic of Nature Indoors
Interior plantscaping comes out of a wider movement called biophilic design, which has been around for decades.
Biophilic design is the idea that we have an innate connection to nature, and should bring natural elements indoors. This includes plants but also materials like wood, and considerations like windows, sunlight and architectural features.
With more and more people spending time indoors, bringing nature inside is extremely important for our wellbeing and has a tangible impact on how we feel. This is something that is true across different types of commercial spaces.
For example, biophilic design positively impacts the satisfaction of guests at hotels, makes mall visitors more likely to return and recommend a commercial center, and reduces stress and improves wellness in patients and employees in healthcare settings.
These interventions won’t all look the same: malls might have built-in courtyard features whereas retail spaces may use carefully selected potted plants. But they will all make a big difference.
Interior Plantscaping Basics (and beyond)
Interior plantscaping is about intentionally adding plants to your space to improve your design and the experience of being in your space.
There isn’t one particular element that you need to incorporate or one particular trend you need to follow in order to “do” plantscaping or biophilic design. These concepts can work in any space, for any business and with any aesthetic.
When assessing your space and coming up with a design, the things that a professional plant designer will consider are:
Architecture: High ceilings? Open concept? Narrow hallways? Whatever you have will be the foundation of your design. If an interior plantscaper is working with an architect on a project, they may offer input and ideas as plans are being drawn, but coming into a finished space, interior plantscapers will work to enhance what you have.
Environmental elements: Different plants thrive in different conditions, and interior plantscapers will bring their horticultural expertise into your space by looking at the environment: Do you have tons of south-facing windows? What temperature is your space? What humidity? Does that change depending on the season? These factors and more will affect your design.
Function: Why do people come into your space? How long are they there? How do they move around? What do they do when they’re there? Cascading plants may work great hanging over the edge of a reception desk but be completely in the way on a restaurant table.
Emotions: How do you want people to feel in your space? What do you want people to remember? And what are people likely to be experiencing when they come in? Having worked in many healthcare settings, for example, we know that sometimes calm and relaxation is needed. But equally, a trendy hotel might want bold design and striking shapes and colors to excite and impress guests.
Existing design elements and aesthetic: What décor, built in features, and furniture do you already have? Are there plants already in your space? And how can biophilic elements elevate and improve what you already have? This is what an interior plantscaper is looking for when they come into a ‘finished’ space.
While interior plantscaping is all about the greenery, interior plantscaping is a holistic process. It is only after considering these factors that we start to think about choosing plants and designing a space.
How to Upgrade Your Commercial Space with Interior Plant Design
We have decades of experience helping businesses implement interior plant design in the Greater Cleveland area. Here is what we would recommend to anyone looking to improve their commercial space with plantscaping:
If possible, involve plantscaping professionals early if you are in a building or design process. But don’t worry if you are looking to add botanic elements into an otherwise finished space –– professionals will also be able to help you at this stage.
Be clear on the functions of your space and how you want people to feel while they’re there. Have an idea of what you hope to achieve with plants in terms of what it means to be in your property, even if you don’t have specifics on the how or what to make that happen.
Understand your budget and investment priorities, and have questions ready to determine what will work best for your scenario. Interior plantscaping can involve renting plants, buying them, maintenance programs, rotating plant selections and even faux options, which all offer different benefits.
Find some inspiration. This could be spaces you admire in your local community, or examples from different sectors or even countries. Identify what you like about the things you’re seeing and what types of things feel like they match your aesthetic.
What to Look for in an Interior Plantscaping Partner
When it comes time to choose an interior plant design service to help you with your commercial space, finding a good fit is key. We suggest you look for the following:
Custom consultation process, not just one-size-fits all solutions. There are many plant companies out there that will sell you plants to put in an office, but you want someone who connects with your business and your needs, and will ensure that your space is designed with expertise and care.
Horticultural and interior design experience, and a portfolio that showcases extraordinary results. Plantscaping is an art, and when done right it can completely transform your space into something that uplifts everyone who comes through. To find that partner, make sure their staff is highly skilled in both parts of the plantscaping equation.
The capacity for the job. Whether you are a nationwide chain or a small local business, not every interior plantscaping company wants to or can support every project. And even if a company does great work, they may not have your preferred services –– for example, we can design and install multi-story living walls, and work with architects to do so, but not every plantscape service does. We offer replica plants and can walk through when those are appropriate, but some companies only offer live plants.
Experienced installation and maintenance teams to keep your investment looking its best. First, installation can be complicated and involve moving heavy pots, transporting delicate flowering plants, and even installing irrigation systems. To avoid damage and get the best result, you need your partner to provide experienced professionals to do the job. And as plants are living things that grow and change, talking over maintenance options sets you up for long-term results.
Working with Plantscaping and Blooms to Make the Extraordinary Happen
Plantscaping and Blooms has a long history of providing industry-leading plantscaping both to the wonderful businesses here in Ohio and nationwide. We are experts in design and horticulture, and love taking on any project, from small but impactful upgrades in offices to huge, ambitious projects that completely transform malls and hotel chains.
We pride ourselves on forging a personal connection with each client and figuring out the solution to every problem. With our team’s depth and capacity, we are ready and excited to tackle anything.
If you’re thinking about adding interior plantscaping to your commercial space, take a look at our gallery to see our work, and contact us today to book a consultation. We are excited to transform your space!