Touches of Green

Written by Betenbough Home’s Interior Designer, Brenna Moya

I was at the grocery store this weekend and ran into a friend who I chatted with for a bit before she took a glance into my cart and asked, “Who are the flowers for?” Friends let me tell you that flowers don’t have to be gifts to someone else. Every other week I buy fresh flowers for my house and put them in a vase on my island. There’s something about having a real bouquet in your home that brings elegance and life into the space.

I never feel like a room is complete until it has a pop of green in it, so I want to share some simple ideas to help you achieve a finished look for your favorite spaces.

PLACES

The entry-way is the perfect starting point to place that touch of green. First impressions are everything!

The next go-to spots are the kitchen and dining areas. If there is abundant counter space or an open table, feel free to add a vase or pot with stems in it. Just remember to not block those conversational views!

After those areas are tackled, spend some time in your living room trying to figure out where you could place a touch of greenery that wouldn’t be disruptive to TV or conversational views. The living room is typically an area that can handle a larger scale plant or tree.

Last but certainly not least, check the supplemental areas. Your bedrooms and bathrooms are the perfect places to pay attention to, especially when you have guests over!

FAUX OPTIONS

If you’re going the faux route – which is just a fancy word for artificial – make sure it’s believable with stems or plants that could actually grow indoors. Not all plants would do well with indoor conditions. There are many faux options that you can find online or in retailers around your town. Click the links below for some of my favorite online options:

Amazon, Crate and Barrel, CB2

REAL OPTIONS

Fresh flowers are easy to grab while running errands around town. My favorite spots to grab them are at Costco and Market street! Depending on the bouquet they can cost anywhere from $5-$20 (that’s the most I’ve ever spent, I know there are more expensive options though but the point of this is to be simple and easy!)

Personally, I don’t have a green thumb, which is why I like to stick to my grocery store bouquet but if you want a real house plant here is a list of indoor plants that are low maintenance:

• Spider Plant
• Peace Lily
• Snake Plant
• Boston Fern
• Bamboo Palm
• Rubber Plant
• Aloe Vera
• Chrysanthemum
• Fiddle Leaf Fig
• Mini succulent plants

Don’t forget to water them!

SIZE & PLACEMENT

Sizing and placement go hand in hand. These are supposed to be touches of green to finish off a space, not to overwhelm or add clutter. If you don’t feel like a room needs it, leave it alone. Be aware of the sizing proportion. If you have a small counter space you only need a dainty arrangement that will add a soft touch of life. Save the larger plants for a room with more open sight lines.

CLEANING

Yes that’s right! You need to clean your faux plants. Its not a weekly task or even monthly but when you start to see them looking dull with a layer of dust, its time to refresh it. Depending on the type of plant, arrangement and leaf it has, you can easily use a dry cloth to wipe down. On some with more texture you may need to get a spray bottle and spray it down with water. Once sprayed down, shake it some to get the excess water off if you need to. Lastly, if you need an extra shine to your plant, grab a microfiber cloth and some furniture polish to sparingly wipe onto your plant.

Now that you’ve got some tips on placement, sizes and where to buy, I hope you’re able to add touches of green into your favorite spaces!