How To Choose the Style of Plant Stand Best for Your Space?
You may decide to go with a plant stand in your space, but forget to consider there are different styles of this particular decor element. Each element will offer a unique benefit, both stylistically but also specifically to the care habits you maintain when maintaining your garden. Read along to find the best fit for you!
Tiered Plant Stands:
Plant Care Benefits: Allows for the placement of multiple plants at different levels, providing each with adequate space and light exposure. This is especially beneficial for plants with varying light requirements.
Aesthetic Benefits: Tiered stands create a visually appealing, multi-level display, adding depth and interest to a room. They can be used as a focal point or to fill empty vertical space.
Hanging Plant Stands:
Plant Care Benefits: Ideal for plants that thrive in higher humidity levels, like air plants or ferns, as they can benefit from the moisture found in higher air layers. Also great for trailing plants that need space to drape down.
Aesthetic Benefits: Hanging stands add a unique, airy feel to a room. They can enhance the vertical dimension of a space and are excellent for adding greenery without occupying floor space.
Corner Plant Stands:
Plant Care Benefits: Designed to fit into room corners, they make efficient use of space. This can be particularly beneficial for larger plants that need more room to grow.
Aesthetic Benefits: They can soften the angles of a room and fill unused corners with greenery, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
Pedestal Plant Stands:
Plant Care Benefits: Elevating a single plant to highlight it, ideal for specimen plants that require attention, like a blooming orchid or a rare succulent.
Aesthetic Benefits: They work like a spotlight for a special plant, drawing the eye and making it a prominent feature in a room. This can add a touch of elegance and sophistication.
Picking a Material:
Picking a material may seem simple, and will in large part depend on what fits best with your current decor and style. However, it is important to consider the other aspects of materials, such as price and movability, when trying to incorporate an element such as this into an interior space, as it is not just a classic piece of furniture.
Plant stands can be made from a variety of materials, each with its own unique characteristics and benefits. Here's a selection of materials commonly used for plant stands:
Wood:
Characteristics: Wood stands are versatile and come in various finishes and styles, from rustic to modern.
Benefits: They add warmth and natural beauty to any space. Wood is also sturdy and can support heavy pots. However, it's important to ensure that the wood is treated or sealed to prevent water damage.
Metal:
Characteristics: Metal plant stands are often made from iron, steel, or aluminum and can range from minimalist designs to intricate, ornate patterns.
Benefits: They are durable and can handle heavy weight. Metal stands are also resistant to moisture, making them suitable for humid areas. Some metal stands are designed for outdoor use but can be used indoors as well.
Bamboo:
Characteristics: Bamboo stands are eco-friendly and have a light, natural appearance.
Benefits: Bamboo is strong, lightweight, and resistant to swelling and shrinking. It's a sustainable choice as bamboo grows quickly.
Rattan or Wicker:
Characteristics: These materials offer a more bohemian or tropical look, often featuring woven designs.
Benefits: Rattan and wicker are lightweight and can add texture to your décor. They are more suitable for lighter pots and indoor use.
Ceramic:
Characteristics: Ceramic stands can be found in various colors and glazes, often featuring decorative patterns or shapes.
Benefits: They add an artistic touch to plant displays and can complement the pot's design. Ceramic is best for smaller plants due to its weight limitations.
Concrete:
Characteristics: Concrete plant stands have a modern, industrial look and are often used in contemporary design.
Benefits: They are extremely durable and stable, ideal for large and heavy plants. Concrete can also withstand various weather conditions if used outdoors.
Plastic:
Characteristics: Plastic stands are lightweight and can mimic other materials like wood or metal.
Benefits: They are affordable, versatile, and resistant to water damage. Plastic is an excellent choice for humid environments or for use in outdoor settings.
Acrylic:
Characteristics: Acrylic stands are clear and can have a very modern, sleek appearance.
Benefits: They are light and durable, and their transparent nature allows them to fit into any décor without overwhelming the space.
Each material offers different aesthetic and functional qualities, so the choice of material can depend on your personal style, the needs of your plants, and where the stand will be placed.
Choosing a Style of Plant Stand
Let's get whimsical! There are many different styles of decor which a properly stocked and well cared for plant stand will fit into! Of course, this is really about your personal taste and desires in terms of what aesthetic you would like to give. All about rustic, or want to enjoy a modern contemporary vibe in your home? We have the solution!
Gabion Plant Stands
Gabion styling involves holding rocks in form using metal cage wiring. This style is increasing in popularity in the United States, having originated in Europe. While usually an outdoor feature is used to construct everything from fences to patio furniture, you can easily DIY an indoor version. Just be careful not to make the structure too heavy before moving it to its final spot! The benefit of this DIY is that, for installation as well as deconstruction, you will be able to build it as well as disassemble it for easier mobility!
Thrifted Pieces
Looking to exercise that creative eye? Well, the perfect way to get some practice in is also a wonderful way to introduce some sustainable decor into your home! Go to your local thrift, yard sale, or even scan the curb on trash night- you're sure to find some plant stand gold. Remember, it's important to look past scuffs and dings in any furniture you find, all these imperfections can be touched up after the fact (or, they can be left to add a little shabby chic charm, up to you)! This is a wonderful way to keep furniture out landfills, while also saving your wallet, too!
Wooden Trellises
The renter's dream, wooden trellises can fit into a variety of spaces, and are also easily installed and transportable. Trellises are all about structure, and are a very organized way of storing vibrant and vining foliage- making it a perfect way to explore contrast.
Palette tables:
Palette tables are a great way to collect many plants together, and also provide a way for these plants to drain (you will, of course, need to create a system to catch any excessive runoff or drippings to save your floor, though).
Macrame Hanging Baskets:
Hanging planters made with macrame are a great way to give yourself a low maintenance project while also embracing a totally trendy style in your home. Of course, you also totally purchase macrame, as well! Fully up to you! Boho is seriously in, no matter how you acquire the building blocks of style. Macrame or rope planters are also great for spaces with minimal floor room, or with higher light sources. Of course, if you're still struggling to get optimal light, we recommend a grow light, like the Vita™ LED Grow Bulb!
How to Place Plant Stands in Your Home?
Optimizing the placement of plants in your home to ensure they receive the right amount of light is crucial for their health and growth. Here are the top five hints for placing plants in light-optimized spaces:
Understand Your Plant's Light Needs:
- Research each plant's specific light requirements. Some plants thrive in direct sunlight, while others prefer indirect or even low light conditions.
- Group plants with similar light needs together for easier care and placement.
Utilize South-Facing Windows:
- South-facing windows receive the most sunlight throughout the day and are ideal for plants that require bright, direct sunlight such as cacti, succulents, and flowering plants.
- If the light is too intense, use sheer curtains to diffuse the direct sunlight and prevent leaf burn.
Take Advantage of East and West-Facing Windows:
- East-facing windows are great for plants that enjoy gentle morning sun and partial shade in the afternoon, such as ferns, African violets, and begonias.
- West-facing windows offer strong afternoon light, suitable for plants that need moderate sunlight, such as dracaena, rubber plants, and certain types of orchids.
Adjust for Seasonal Light Changes:
- Be aware of how light intensity and duration change with seasons. You may need to move plants closer to windows in winter or provide additional artificial light.
- Rotate plants regularly to ensure all sides receive equal light, promoting even growth.
Use Reflective Surfaces and Artificial Lights:
- Place plants near reflective surfaces like mirrors or white walls to increase light intensity.
- Consider grow lights for areas that lack natural sunlight. These can be especially helpful in winter months or in rooms with north-facing windows that receive little direct sunlight. We recommend the Aspect™ LED Hanging pendant grow light for all your needs!
Remember, each plant has unique requirements, and it’s essential to monitor them for signs that they are getting too much or too little light. Signs of inadequate light include leggy stems, fewer flowers, or leaves turning yellow and falling off. Signs of too much light include scorched leaves or faded colors. Regular observation and adjustment can ensure your plants thrive in their environment.
How Do Plant Stands Make Plant Care Easier?
Plant stands optimize plant care by making plants more of a priority within your space. Often, we purchase a potted plant, and we figure we will find a spot for it later. We toss it on a shelf, or in a corner of the kitchen. And then two months later, we realize it's shriveled and brown and beyond saving.
However, a plant stand is part of the decor. We don’t just let our decor die, do we? Of course not- then, we have to replace the plants that have perished, of course after we remove them. And we are much more likely to remember to get around to this task if the remains are front and center. Not only are they ugly, they can attract pests and start to smell, not features you want introduced to high traffic areas.
