Interior Design Tips

Gorgeous Greenery: Live Plants vs Artificial Plants in Your Living Space

by Allie Racette | Apr 23, 2024 | Decorating, Interior Design Tips

As interior designers, we love a bit (or a lot) of greenery! A pop of green can bring brightness, texture, and a touch of natural beauty to your space. Plus, the color green can improve your mood, and that’s what interior design is all about – turning houses into homes and creating beautiful, joyful spaces our clients love to live in.

At Spotted, we often use artificial plants to bring the vibe of real greenery to an interior space. But when it comes to your own space, which is the right choice – foliage or faux foliage? Here are a few things to keep in mind while deciding what type of greenery to incorporate in your home’s interior design:

Cost

While artificial plants might cost more initially, they could save you money in the long run. Once you purchase an artificial plant, there’s no more money to be spent, unless you want to buy a new pot to change up the look. With real plants, however, you’ll need to consider the cost of water, soil, plant food, pest control, and larger pots over time to accommodate growth. You’ll also need to replace real plants on occasion if you don’t have the gift of a green thumb.

Upkeep

When it comes to the maintenance of your plants, it’s obvious real plants require more time and attention than artificial ones. Real plants will need watering, feeding, dusting, pruning, re-potting, and more to thrive over time. While some plants require minimal upkeep, others might need daily care. Some people find caring for plants soothing, and some find it exhausting – so it’s a matter of preference! It’s important to keep in mind, however, that even artificial plants will require dusting to keep them clean and looking fresh.

Variety

There are hundreds of thousands of plant species on Earth, so it’s easy to assume choosing live plants for your home will offer you more variety. In reality, every plant needs a specific environment to thrive, which limits the types of plants you can grow in your own home. On the other hand, artificial plants will look just as green and beautiful in any environment, regardless of humidity, temperature, or amount of sunlight – so you can choose any artificial variety you want for your home! The selection of artificial plant varieties isn’t as extensive as real plants, but it’s improving all the time.

Environment

There’s no denying that real plants are better for the environment as a whole. However, there are a few reasons artificial plants might be better for your own personal environment. Many live plants are toxic and can pose a danger to pets and small children, while most artificial plants are non-toxic. Live plants can also attract pests or cause irritation for people with allergies. Thankfully, brands are popping up offering more sustainable alternatives to traditional artificial plants, using recycled, compostable, or biodegradable materials, so you can elevate your space with faux foliage without worrying about it ending up in a landfill someday.

A small touch of greenery can make a big difference to the feel of an interior space. We love using artificial plants in our designs because they’re easier to maintain, come in many beautiful varieties, and are safe for pets and children. But there are plenty of pros to live plants, too! At the end of the day, it’s your space, and you should design and decorate it in whatever way is best for your lifestyle.

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3 Ways to Warm Up Your Space With Interior Design

by Allie Racette | Dec 17, 2023 | Decorating, Interior Design Tips

‘Tis the season, and no matter what climate you live in, you’re probably ready to bring some coziness into your home for the holidays. A fireplace isn’t the only way to warm up a room. Here are three tips for making your space feel warmer and creating a cozy haven with interior design:

LET’S TALK TEXTURES

Texture can make all the difference when you’re trying to make a space feel warm and cozy. If you prefer a sleeker design but want to bring some warmth into your space, a few well-placed textural elements can give you that cozy feeling you’re craving.

Play with the soft furnishings in your space, whether that’s adding plush throw blankets, faux fur rugs, or knitted throw pillows.
Warm up your furniture selections with natural elements, like wooden furniture, rattan accents, or a jute rug.
Incorporate texture into your decor with plants and flowers. A bit of greenery – even faux – is an easy way to make a space feel homier.

TIME FOR A COZIER COLOR PALETTE

It’s well-known that colors can influence our moods – and they can influence the mood of a space, too. To warm up your space, work with rich, earthy tones and warm neutrals. Don’t worry! You don’t have to paint your walls burnt orange to capture that warmth. You can incorporate a warm color palette in lots of ways:

Choose gold or bronze finishes – much warmer than their silver counterparts – for lighting and plumbing fixtures, curtain rods, and other metal elements.
Incorporate richly colored upholstery and drapery to make a room feel more intimate and cozy.
Think about your artwork. Even if your walls are light and neutral, artwork can add pops of deep, rich color to warm up a space.

LOTS AND LOTS OF LIGHTING

If you only have one overhead light in your living room, you might consider shaking things up. A layered lighting approach with a combination of light sources can help make a space feel cozier. Don’t be afraid to play with both the amount of lighting and the type of lighting.

Supplement your overhead fixture with table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces, and even candles.
Switch out those jarring LED bulbs for softer, warmer-toned 2700-3000 Kelvin bulbs that help create that cozy ambiance. We recommend the GE’s line of Relax LED bulbs.
Add dimmer switches to control the intensity of the light for quiet evenings when you want to be at your warmest and coziest.

These are just three ways to warm up your space with interior design. There are other ways to add coziness, like incorporating comfortable seating and adding sentimental accents to your decor.

A cozy room is about more than aesthetics; it’s about how you feel spending time in your space. At the end of the day, anything that helps your house feel more like home is an excellent way to add warmth.

3 Interior Design Tips for Your Outdoor Space

by Allie Racette | Sep 30, 2023 | Interior Design Tips

You’ve finally perfected your home. Every space, from your kitchen to your living room to your primary bedroom, is designed just the way you like it. But there’s one key area of your home you might be forgetting about – your outdoor space. Whether you have a patio, a backyard, or even an all-season room, you should treat this space just like any other room in your home. And interior design isn’t just for interiors. There are plenty of interior design elements you can apply to your outdoor spaces to make them feel like any other room in your home – a functional, beautiful living space for relaxing, entertaining, and everything in-between.

Combine your outdoor space with your indoor space

One of the most important aspects of beautiful, eye-catching interior design is cohesion. Every room in your home might look different, but for a unified design, key design elements – paint colors, textures, finishes – can be carried through from room to room. Your outdoor space is part of your home, so treat it like you would any other room! Here are a few ways you can keep your outdoor space more consistent with the design of the rest of your home:

When choosing your outdoor furniture, pick colors and textures similar to your indoor upholstery (in a fabric that’s more robust to withstand the elements!).
Consider constructing a pergola over your outdoor space to make it feel more “indoor,” or even converting your space into an all-season patio to be enjoyed all year long.
Paint your pergola or your all-season patio walls the same color as the adjoining indoor room, helping your indoor space flow seamlessly into your outdoor space, and vice-versa.

Incorporate “indoor” elements

If you live in a more temperate climate, you have a lot of flexibility with your outdoor space. If you do have to worry about wind, rain, or snow, you can still do a lot – just be prepared to pack away things that shouldn’t be exposed to the elements when winter rolls around. Here are a few “indoor” elements you can incorporate in your outdoor space:

Don’t neglect outdoor lighting. The sun sets earlier later in the year, and you don’t want to be having backyard parties in the dark! If you choose to build a pergola in your outdoor space, hang string lights or lanterns for both visibility and style.
Rugs aren’t just for indoors! There are plenty of options for outdoor-friendly rugs you can use to bring a touch of interior design to your patio. A rug is also another opportunity to pull colors, textures, or other design elements from your indoor space to your outdoor space.

See more of this gorgeous indoor/outdoor space in our PORTFOLIO.

Accessorize your outdoor space just like your indoor space. Add throw pillows to your outdoor furniture, decorate with potted plants, and use decorative objects like sculptures and artwork to elevate the space.

Redecorate with the seasons

Your interior design changes with the seasons, so change up your outdoor space, too. Whether you’re decorating for spring, summer, fall, or the holiday season, here are a few simple ways to refresh the look of your outdoor space as the seasons change:

Switch out your accessories. If you’re changing out your indoor throw pillows to reflect the season, switch out the pillows on your outdoor seating, as well.
If you have potted plants on your patio, consider planting seasonal flowers. Flowers are also a great way to add a pop of color to your greenery and liven up your space.
If you live somewhere you can use your outdoor space through the fall and even into the winter, you’ll want to account for changing temperatures. This fall, consider adding a new heat source to your patio, whether that’s a stylish fire pit or modern-looking heat lamps.

Your outdoor space might not be included in your square footage, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t part of your home. There are plenty of ways to approach your outdoor space with interior design in mind. Comment with some of your favorite design ideas for patios, backyards, and other outdoor areas!