Office Plants and Interior Design: Combining the Elements

When it comes to the interior decoration of our own homes we each have different opinions and tastes with regards to colour, texture and furniture choices. But when it comes to business premises many would argue that a more neutral décor would be more appropriate as not only can your presentation influence potential or existing clients but it can also have a huge impact on your employees.

When designing or re-designing an office space the colour and style are not the only things you have to consider as an employer. Creating a healthy indoor climate is also vital if you want to get the best out of both the building, your employees and of course your customers. A healthy indoor environment can be defined as a space in which every aspect of the surroundings contributes to the productivity, comfort and health and well-being of anyone at work within that space.

More simply put, the space must be well-ventilated, be at an appropriate temperature and humidity level, contain all the relevant equipment and provide adequate lighting and noise levels for employees. On the flip side of this you should also aim to create an office that looks good and that feels nice to be in. There is, after all, nothing worse than a grey drab office that lacks personality. Office plants can of course provide a solution to both these issues as they have significant health and emotional benefits whilst bringing natural colour and ambience to any room.

The location and type of building may be what influences your interior décor but whether you choose to go for contemporary furnishings or prefer to adopt a classic and more traditional décor scheme every office needs to have office plants. In contemporary buildings designed to impress with their vast open spaces and cool minimalistic feel, the space whilst great for making an impact can sometimes look sparse and provide perfect acoustics for an echo to develop. Office plants and planted office displays can help combat this as research has shown that plants can actually absorb sound, reducing background noise and preventing echoes.

Establishing the correct and sufficient use of lighting is another essential element of creating a stable and appropriate office environment and there are a great many office plants that do well and look great when situated in these conditions. Offices with poor lighting, for instance, those offices that may have no natural light but rely on artificial lights, can also be transformed by planted office displays.

Incorporating office plants into your interior design plans is essential if you want to achieve a healthy indoor climate from the very beginning. Planted office displays should not simply be thrown together, instead each plant that is used should be carefully considered as many species work well together aesthetically but struggle to survive in certain conditions. The design of the containers your office plants are in is another aspect to consider as there are many different styles and colours available.

Many professional interior landscapers will argue that what they do is an art form; it’s a blend of natural beauty versus manufactured survival. Choosing office plants that complement one another yet suit the space provided is a delicate balancing act and one that should not be taken lightly, after all a poor colour choice can be rectified, a dead office plant remains dead!