The "Greenhouse Effect"

Indoor plants and imaginative design combine for a sense of escape

Consider potted plants as part of the artistry of your room, because they are (Source: The Velvet Chaise )

The word “greenhouse,” especially when paired with “gasses” or “effect,” conveys a deeply troubling phenomenon with planet-wide implications. We all know how excessive carbon emissions, beginning in our industrial age and continuing apace, have created a blanket under which we warm by degrees, decade after decade. Ugh.

I use these loaded words in order to remind people of the more benevolent (and beautiful) origins of greenhouses. These spectacular structures of metal and glass were built by royalty and the monied classes from the 16th century onwards. Inside were rows upon rows of young plants, both ornamental and edible. Greenhouses provide a consistent environment of light, temperature, and ventilation that help plants thrive. They brought hints of tropical warmth to Europe’s long, cold winters.

A greenhouse in the grand style—part of the Pasadena Showcase House event (Source: The Velvet Chaise )

I built my house from barley rice

Green pepper walls and water ice

Tables of paper wood, windows of light

And everything emptying into white

—Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Expanding your green world with indoor plants offers immense benefits. Yes, they require care (but studies show that touching and nurturing plants has a measured effect on your mental well-being). Yes, they require time. Yes, they die sometimes. That is the cycle of life.

Contrary to popular belief, indoor plants do not clean the air in any meaningful way unless you have maybe 1,000 plants. But along with their ability to calm and focus your mind, potted plants bring the outdoors in, drawing the eye instantly with their vibrant color and life. They soften the hard edges, fill in the blanks, and frame the frameworthy.

If you are lucky enough to have a sunroom or enclosed porch, here is what it could look like. (Source: @growgirllaura)

Meet Laura, a plant lover in Sussex County, NJ, who creates all sorts of leafy bowers in her home. She has festooned her sunroom with floor, table, and hanging plants, adding to it as the years pass (you probably won’t get the look you want instantly, either, and that’s OK.) “I don’t have a name for my style,” she says. “I do love to collect antiques … and incorporate natural elements as well.”

(Source: @growgirllaura)

Case in point: an antique apothecary cabinet is used as a planter for smaller plants. “You can use almost anything as a planter; you just have to have a little fun with it and let the imagination take over,” Laura says.

TIP: Nearly all of Laura’s pots are light or white, in order to make the plant itself the focus.

Combining table plants, hanging plants, wall plants, and floor plants into a living tapestry for your private space can have really amazing results. This is how you get that feeling of a backyard studio, or a standalone potting shed/greenhouse, along a common wall or alcove.

Bonus points if you can create a little sitting area surrounded by your plants (Source: The Velvet Chaise )

Creating Your Own Little Greenhouse

To capture this look, consider the main elements of a greenhouse: windows, shelves, light, and live plants. Most indoor plants need adequate natural lighting to thrive. Choose a wall with a window or sliding glass door, if you can—your design should have some mobility if you need to have access or open and close the window. For example, plant trays on wheels or display shelves you can mount above the window and reach through.

An antique barn beam table holds a combination of plants and antique pieces, finished with two trailing micans hanging above. (Source: @growgirllaura)

Shelving should be pretty easy to design and you want to keep it simple. Try to stick with natural wood, metal, and glass; there should be ample space between shelves so the plants aren’t cramped. There are other ways to achieve a “living wall” besides shelving—simple hooks and hangers are fun to shop for and super affordable. They will hold trailing vine plants that will be an important part of your greenhouse look.

Ideally your greenhouse area will have a little place to sit or is within the sightline of an important area like your home office or dining area. If you do have a shed or outdoor space then you can expand on this idea and build an actual plant room. If you do require grow lights, consider LED white grow light bulbs. You can put them into any light fixture, so you aren’t stuck with industrial-looking tube lights.

Below are a few building block ideas for your greenhouse. Take your time to create something that sings to you; perhaps you’ll be singing to your bower of plants in the near future.

(Special thanks to The Potting Shed by Carlisle)

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Get the Look

Plain and simple speaks volumes; a teak console provides organic support for a variety of potted plants. (Shop: Terrain)

The metal and wood combination plus an open back gives this tall shelf unit an outdoorsy feel. (Shop: Target)

Paris Voyager Nesting Tables are perfect for layering potted plants. (Shop: American Country Home Store)

A clever way to bring in the greenhouse look is by using furnishings that traditionally are found outdoors. Bistro furniture is a perennial favorite. (Shop: American Country Home Store)

A perfect display stand for tight spaces; the shelves fold up for easy storage. (Shop: Terrain)

This handy metal plant stand has castors for easy movement and a climbing vine support. The lower shelf could be used for storing plant supplies in a pretty box. (Shop: Terrain)

Shop small! This wood artisan creates really pretty wood shelves any width you want. (Shop: JDM Wood Creations)