Incorporating natural elements into your indoor space – like green walls, plants, natural wood or stone, and other traditionally outdoor elements – can make the people who occupy the space feel a heightened sense of calm and peace. Adding more plants into indoor spaces has shown to have great air quality benefits and be more inviting for employees and guests. And doing so is not only on trend, but it’s a versatile and timeless approach to interior design. This is the philosophy of biophilia. Done right, it can mimic the natural world and provide countless benefits.
In an office setting, employers are always seeking ways to keep employee absenteeism down, improve the health, mood and well-being of their employees, increase engagement, improve productivity, reduce stress levels, provide mental restoration, and reduce fatigue. Achieving this through biophilia is on the rise. Adding plants is affordable, provides instant gratification, and can visually enhance the entire space in one simple step. It also makes a statement with a nod to sustainability, which for some companies, is core to their business.
Our interior plantscaping team has been talking with a lot of businesses across various industries on how to incorporate plants into their space as they welcome staff back post-pandemic. Because many employees have had the luxury of enjoying a homier workplace the last several months, we’re seeing companies putting a focus on integrating plant life into their space to help employees feel more at home. Learn more about returning to the office post-pandemic with indoor plantscaping.
Here are six indoor plant design trends for your office that you can incorporate into your workplace this year.
As employees migrate back to the office, moss walls and living walls are being used more and more as a unique way to spruce up the work environment. Living walls and moss walls can make a statement, but they’re also useful when floor space isn’t at a surplus or you’re looking to create division between spaces for distancing. They are unique in that they give you the opportunity to take plants vertically which not only saves space but is a striking piece of living art that can elevate the look of a conference room or lobby.
Customized to your space and needs, moss walls can also be built with irrigation (self-watering) systems, which saves maintenance time and money. An added bonus is that they are designed in a way that allows for plants to be changed out often if you’re interested in having a rotation of plants. Our design team can create a one-of-a-kind, vibrant piece that will add a wow factor to any space.
When you enter any type of dwelling – whether that’s a home or office building – you can quickly tell whether it feels “right,” meaning if the design is intentional and flows from room to room. Having an integrated aesthetic in an office building is especially notable. While it’s understandable that an office remodel or new build would focus on the big picture items, like ensuring you have enough workstations for all your employees, it’s also equally important to focus on the aesthetic details. Refreshing or starting anew with any space invites the opportunity to be more intentional with your interior design. When businesses are going through this process, we always encourage them to put an emphasis on plants at the forefront of the design because it can drive a lot of decisions around space planning, such as:
While green is a staple in a plant-life focused office space, plants with color were incredibly popular last year, and that trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down this year. Orchids and bromeliads have been requested often so far this year – they’re unique, have exciting color options, and are fairly easy to care for. Oftentimes, workplaces don’t use daring and bold paint and furniture colors throughout their building, so adding in plants with color is an easy way to do this, and they make it easy to change those colors out when you’re looking for something different or as the trends evolve and change.
Plants are therapy, and we’re hearing that a lot of people really enjoyed making their home even more cozy this year during the extra time spent at home. Plants are known to make people happy and many found joy in caring for their plants. Now that employees are back at their desk, we’re seeing employers provide personal plants for workstations. It’s a fun way to add some color and life (not to mention a sense of ownership in taking care of your own plant!). While we’re still seeing more plants in common areas and larger scale plant installations, we love seeing the start to the trend of individual desk plants. It definitely boosts morale, shows appreciation and often brings on smiles.
There are a lot of ways to add plants, even when space isn’t ample. Living walls and moss walls are prime examples of this, but you can also add smaller or shorter plants to tabletops to add life to areas that are typically drab. Adding vignettes of plants in a variety of shapes and sizes to corner areas makes for a fun accent and can transform a simple lobby or hallway into a lively and welcoming space.
This trend began last year, but it’s continuing strong into 2021. Plants have always been used for staging throughout the office, but during work from home meetings, we’ve seen a lot of plants strategically placed in the background of Zoom video meetings. With companies balancing work from home and return to work approaches, video meetings are here to stay for the foreseeable future. If you have a side table in view of the camera or would like an accent table visible, stage it with a plant or flowers. It works best when the plants are placed to the side and not directly behind your head. If you have floor plants, keep it simple and ensure that they’re either taller or shorter than your head and not placed right next to you.
Beautiful color and fresh greenery are just a phone consultation away. Get started with one of our plantscape designers today! Learn more about bringing these plant trends into your office this year and discuss ways we could incorporate some custom pieces into your workspace that fit your style, environment and budget. Get inspired by visiting our interior plantscaping gallery.