Five Keys to Successfully Adding Plants and Greenery to a Modern Home

The architectural styles that fall under the umbrella of modern design are well known for their distinctive sharp lines, clean spaces, and sparse decorations. There is much to love about a modern home. Structural beauty can be appreciated, natural elements are at the forefront, and clutter is often out of sight. A modern space refreshes the mind and leaves it open to imagination.

For all the benefits of a modern home, the downsides can include the space feeling cold, unwelcoming and inhuman. Sharp lines can feel unnatural. One of the best ways to avoid these sensations is through the addition of trees, plants, and greenery in general, to introduce life and movement. Live and artificial, indoor plants improve creativity, reduce stress, and make a space feel more welcoming. Trees and floor plants are large enough to fit the modern motif of statement pieces with a purpose and they provide multiple benefits in the addition of one or just a couple of items. Plants should be added with care, however, to ensure the preservation of a clean, sleek environment.

We have decorated hundreds of modern homes, offices and commercial spaces over the years, covering styles ranging from contemporary, industrial, mid-century modern and more. Through our specific experience designing and decorating with artificial plants and trees, we have established five rules to follow when adding plants to a modern space. When followed, completed homes and offices appear fresh and alive, as well as streamlined, clean and intentional, maintaining the hallmarks of modern design.

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1. Less is More

One of the easiest to spot differences between classic and modern styles is how many “things”, be it decor, furniture, plants, etc. take up your space. Just as modern interior decor often includes fewer, albeit larger, pieces of wall art, so too should it include fewer plants. The complete exclusion of greenery in a modern home is not an ideal solution, as modern styles are especially susceptible to exuding a harsh and cold atmosphere, when not properly decorated. Plants are an excellent way to warm up and enliven a stark, modern home.

To add some life to a modern space without overdoing your decor and turning that clean space you worked so hard to create into a clutter zone, focus on the less is more principle. Choose large and meaningful pieces and add slowly. Introduce one plant or tree per room to start and evaluate the appearance at that point. If your space can handle more greenery, consider adding a second item to larger rooms. For most modern spaces, this will be sufficient. Certain design styles such as modern tropical and southwest homes can usually accommodate a bit more plant life.

2. Add Color

With the exclusion of contemporary design,  many modern styles embrace color, to some degree. While not as blatant and as enveloping as the colors utilized in classical, Southern and traditional styles, the color is there and a great way to add a pop of color and a touch of greenery to your space is by combining them. By using your foliage addition as your vessel for color, you’re essentially able to kill two birds with one stone. This ensures you avoid the risk of over filling your space, such as if you were you to add some decor for the purpose of bringing in notes of color in addition to adding greenery.

There are numerous options when it comes to adding colorful foliage to your modern space. The degree of deviation that the coloration needs to be in order to add some vibrance to your space need not be extreme, either. For modern Southwest spaces, for example, the steel-blue of certain agave varietals can be color enough and the red and bright green accents of many rubber plant species add unassuming color to mid-century modern homes. Spaces with design styles that can accommodate tropical plants may benefit from flowering options such as bromeliads and birds of paradise.

3. Go for Larger Leaves with Clean Edges

Recall our first tip for decorating modern homes. Less is more. Now, we’re going to apply the same principle to the scale of each item itself. In the case of greenery, this translates to the foliage of the plant. Modern homes are replete with clean lines and large, smooth surfaces, and we want our decor to match the structural choices of our building.

For floor plants, look for species that have fewer leaves and defined edges such as agaves, sansevieria and elephant ear plants. Avoid exceptionally short plants and those with small leaves such as ferns, ivy, and nerve plants. Height and structure allow your plant to be seen while simultaneously matching your other decor and overall style.

When it comes to trees, consider large statement options such as ribbed fan palms, cacti, and Traveler’s palms. The key is to use large statement pieces that efficiently pack an architectural punch into a clean design. An added bonus is just how easy it is to clean large leaves such as those on fiddle leaf figs and banana plants.

4. Embrace Shapes

Form follows function is a keystone in modern architecture, and it makes the overlay of striking shapes all the more intriguing. As the space’s foundation is determined by functionality, modern homes often have fewer curves and bends than their classic counterparts. When plants with uncommon and eye-catching designs are introduced, they draw in even greater attention as a work of art in their own right.

While we want to keep with the goal of selecting plants with large, clean leaves, there are many floor plants that fit this bill and are unique in their leaf design as well. Tropical styles perhaps have the most options with monstera, elephant ear and the philodendron Xanadu being a few. For modern but not tropical styles, fiddle leaf figs have a slightly unique shape to their leaves. Southwest, coastal and Mediterranean styled homes have many options as well, with a wide variety of agaves and yuccas to choose from which offer color, broad “leaves” and interesting curves.

5. Compliment Existing Textures

In recent years, the lines between earthy, organic styles and modern ones have been blurred. Overly noticeable natural textures have been utilized in modern styles with growing popularity. Some familiar examples include stone walls, wooden block furniture, and a unification of the outdoor environment and the indoor materials

Stylistic precursors to this trend are the employment of industrial materials such as steel and iron and then the emergence of concrete as a mainstream modern architecture staple, praised for its clean, simplistic appearance and functionality. Mid-century modern homes often blend early modernism materials with the new age organic elements, including brass, leather, and wood. While independent of modern design, contemporary homes often require the same design rules when it comes to adding greenery. In a contemporary home, you may find modern industrial materials such as epoxied surfaces, fiberglass like materials and plastics.

Whatever category of modern your home fits into, identify your core materials and align your plant or tree’s container and fill material with your existing textures. This will ensure your new additions blend into your home’s style rather than looking placed upon your design plan as an after thought, disrupting the flow of your space stylistically. Creative ideas for various styles include concrete planters, artificial trees planted directly into the floor with an artificial organic fill, and matte black wall planters of an already existing texture in the space (I.e. wood, sandpaper feel fiberglass, shiny epoxy).

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The decisions you make when decorating your home are important and long lasting. We encourage you to take your time and plan out additions. Envision considered plants and trees in place prior to purchase, keeping in mind that, for a modern home, they should add to your space and be meaningful. Purposeful additions are at the foundation of modern design and indoor plants walk the marvelous line of providing mental and physical health benefits, thus functionality, while also adding beauty to your space. We hope these five rules for decorating modern homes assist you in choosing the best new and lively additions for your space.

The Team at Dei-zinz