No space is more comfortable and warmer than your sweet home. Home décor has an essential role in elevating your level of comfort and warmth besides adding to the overall aesthetics of your home. You have many decor options, but plants and trees are the best to spruce up any home. They relieve your stress, promote recovery, and boost creativity, productivity, and focus. However, they need good maintenance like regular watering, pruning, etc. But don’t think that you have no other option. Artificial plants enhance the layer of the elegance of your home. Why and how? Find out the reasons below.
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What are artificial plants?
Artificial plants are replications of natural plants utilized for residential or commercial decoration. Sometimes they are made for science. For example, the glass flower collection at Harvard University illustrates the United States flora.
Artificial plants widely vary varieties produced in mass, easily distinguishable from the actual plants to highly detailed artistic or botanical specimens. Materials used for manufacturing them have included stained horn shavings and painted linen in ancient Egypt, cocoons of the silkworm in Italy, and silver and gold in ancient Rome. Among other materials are- colored feathers used in South America, rice paper in China, and tinted shells and wax. Modern techniques include formed or carved soap, mass production of injection plastic moldings, ground clay, and nylon netting stretched on wireframes. Since the 1970s, polyester has been used as the primary material behind the manufacture of artificial flowers. Today most artificial flowers available on the market are polyester fabric made.
The real-looking and intricate artificial plants and trees have all the esthetically gratifying attributes of their live equivalents. Whether you think of using fake plants to uplift your bedroom with a perky touch or decorating your verandah, they would prove to be a perfect choice for your entire home décor needs.
Benefits of artificial plants over real plants
- The first and foremost benefit of keeping an artificial plant in your home is that it would not attract pests, insects, and bugs, unlike a natural plant.
- An artificial plant needs low maintenance, unlike real plants, such as cleaning the stem or leaves once a week or two. Buying artificial plants might not be cheaper than living houseplants but the accumulated expense to maintain them is far lesser than real plants.
- Artificial plants do not require periodic watering, pruning, or fertilizing like natural plants, and you are hassle-free in taking extreme care. So, if you are very busy, you might consider keeping artificial greenery at home.
- They won’t demand a special kind of soil, temperature, or light condition to stay afresh and alive because they are not real plants. Thus, you can have plants in dull rooms as well.
- Most importantly, unlike natural plants, such plants stay fresh throughout the year- the flowers are stale, and the roots, stems, and leaves die annually.
- There won’t be seasonal changes contrary to real plants.
- They do not cause any allergies, whereas every year, hundreds of natural plant species release their pollen in the air causing allergic reactions among many people. These include sneezing, itching, and watery eyes related to hay fever.
- They are harmless for your pets also. On the other hand, several common real plants harm your pet cat and dog. Certain plants might harm pets if ingested, sometimes causing tremors, seizures, or worse.
With a life-like appearance, faux plants are long-lasting and flexible, which is why they are more favored than their real counterparts.
How to use artificial plants in home décor?
Read the tips below to make your home space feel more lively and brighter with gorgeous artificial greenery.
Artificial plants in a vase and water for your side tables
Some plants are available in a glass vase, appearing like their stems are inside water mixed with pebbles. But this is just for show. They have synthetic, transparent material called solid water. This vase usually has leafy stemmed flowers adding nice flair to coffee tables, especially in coffee shops or restaurants. You may use such plants at home to decorate your side tables.
Artificial trees for your entrance or front door
The first thing that pops up in your mind at the thought of artificial trees is probably- the Christmas tree bought on December 25. Its presence must beautify the look of your home. Many more artificial trees are there to buy to bring added beauty to your home. Pomegranate, Bonsai, and Areca Palms are some attractive options to add to the elegance of your place. Covering the tree base with bamboo canes is a unique decoration that you can go for. Keep the artificial trees in front of the house adjacent to the entrance door. You can also place one tree in the corner of your lovely terrace, keeping a small bed beneath it. Here you can relax or read a book lying down.
Small artificial plants like Bonsai can bring in a calming indoor-outdoor vibe. They are very natural looking. They are apt to be placed on your study table. Putting several Bonsai is possible in case you have ample space. They can turn your home interiors into evocative and exciting areas, thus giving shape to your idea of an avant-garde modern home. They take less space as well. You can keep them on a side table or near a window. They are ideal for gifting purposes too.
Thick and tall artificial plants to fill your corners with vibrancy
These artificial plants resemble genuine ones. You could keep it in one corner of your spacious living, drawing, or dining room.
Hanging artificial plants outside your window
If you look for these plants, their immense variety will surely startle you. Artificial hanging plants look lovely on a wall space outside the window. You can also hang them on your balcony to make your home look vivacious from the outside.
Whether you live in a dorm, apartment, house, or castle- faux hanging plants can spruce your space up. You might wish to consider some plants like Ferns, cascading Ivy, or floral for a color burst.
Artificial flowering plants for your coffee/dining/bedside table
Everybody loves flowers because they add ecstasy to your space so an artificial flowering plant would add beauty to your home.
You can adorn your coffee table with a flower, the color of which would contrast your wall color. For instance, you can choose red flowers for yellow walls, blue or pink hues of flowers for pastel walls, and the like.
The whole family gathers over a meal at your home’s dining table. Keep a collection of colorful artificial plants as a centerpiece on your dining table to multiply the energy of the place.
Select an artificial lily plant piece with flowers for your bedside table to attach harmony and peace to your sleeping area.
Decorating your stairs
Use artificial flower plants for your home stair décor. You can place them on either side of the stairs. You can decorate the staircase railings with fake climbing plants. If you have no railing stairs, you can place potted artificial plants on them.
Faux potted plants make for praiseworthy home décor. Some such plants that need mention are artificial Bamboo leaf plants, Palm plants, Money plants, etc. The plants are manufactured with high-quality plastic, synthetic, silk, and so on. The pots are made of wood and other materials.
Artificial foliage plants for your bathroom
A shower of colorful leaves to enliven your space is what foliage plants are about. You can pick fake foliage plants for your bathroom because it is primarily dull compared to other home areas. The plants would undoubtedly help to glow up this space.
Some of the best artificial plants to use for home décor
Here is the list of some best artificial plants available in the market that looks so good and is ideal for decorating your home.
If you are looking for artificial outdoor plants, remember to check for these words in the title before purchasing- “UV resistant” and “indoor/outdoor.” Some bestselling outdoor trees include Palm trees, Traveler’s Palm, and Areca Palms. They are great for recreating an exotic oasis to escape and relax after a long busy day. Cultivating your dream garden is challenging because certain situations are not under our control. So, it is better to invest in artificial plants outdoors to help you achieve your dream look.
Here are a few most realistic artificial outdoor plants
1. UV-resistant Bamboo artificial for indoor/outdoor
With leafy, small clusters resting on top of dark, umber stalks, you can bring the refined, exotic mystique feels of the Far East to your home with this tree. Redefine your outdoor home spaces and replace rigid indoor corners with this emblem of strength.
2. Bay Leaf UV resistant Artificial Cone Topiary tree for indoor or outdoor
The green foliage of this tree is placed carefully to overlap each other, with no space between the leaves that can be seen. You can use this tree for accentuating your living room furniture pieces.
3. Double Pond UV resistant Cypress Spiral Topiary for indoor/outdoor
This plant uniquely features two twisting greenery stalks for forming one spiral topiary arrangement among faux outdoor plants. Ornamented with 1036 leaves, this is one of the artificial floor plants handcrafted with fine detail for mimicking a real topiary. This high-end graceful outdoor fake plant would make you feel as if you are walking down a clean, pristine European garden. Place it at the frontal entryway to greet your guests or atop a table at the entrance for additional height.
4. Traveler’s Palm tree for indoor or outdoor
This stately, regal tree is the perfect artificial outdoor plant that brings tropical goodness for outdoor and indoor home decoration. It sports six lush stalks ending in attractive Palm leaves. This duplicate plant looks realistic in decors of different styles, with special mention for tropical or modern. We all know that Palm trees are synonymous with the summer lifestyle, and this outdoor tree gives a yearlong feel of summer. Pair it with some patio furniture or beside the grill for a fun impression, taking you for a warm vacation.
Faux indoor plants complement the interior decoration of your home to a great extent. Some small tips to help you in this regard:
- You may place these plants also on your bookshelves or even sink.
- If your rooms are spacious and have tall wardrobes and monochromatic themes, try to keep tall plants to create an environment that looks natural.
- If your room decoration is based on a feminine theme, purchase faux flower plants.
- If you have abstract or contemporary themes, then stand by non-flower plants.
How to maintain artificial plants and trees?
Precisely wash or clean them as per the instructions of the manufacturer. If you want your faux plants to last for years, remove dust with a feather duster once a month. You may take up a detailed cleaning twice a month using a small paintbrush or toothbrush. Thus, you can reach the crevices of each leaf, vine, and flower and retain the plant’s fresh and realistic look. If you keep them where they are getting sunlight, regularly rotate them to ensure one side of them does not fade. Choose UV-resistant or fade-proof plants for sunny spots.
Things to consider while selecting the best artificial plants
It will help if you remember the following factors when shopping for your fake plants.
Material:
You would find some pretty material varieties used for making faux greenery. They include plastic, paper, foam, and fabrics like polyester, silk, rayon, or cotton. Plastic and silk are most popular in manufacturing the best faux plants on the market. But over time, silk can become discolored due to sunlight damage or show fraying edges-like wear. Plastic trees may be a little harder to manipulate or bend than their silk versions. A filling with foam could add an extra life-like quality to those artificial leaves, whilst glue and wire often perform the task of holding the plant together.
Size
Fake plants are available in many dimensions, such as mini succulents, medium-sized Spider plants or Fern, tall Ficus or Palm plants, etc.
Texture and realistic detail- The first thing your guests would do to test whether your plants are natural is- to touch their leaves. If they are plasticky or hard to touch, the usual verdict is- it’s fake. Therefore, look for artificial plants with realistic qualities. Newer technologies like soft-touch processing produce silk plants with a texture more velvety than before. Foliage and flowers in the “real touch” category are made by pouring lightweight Polyether Polyurethrine or PU foam into molds. This molding method allows recreating the veins from natural foliage.
Asymmetry
Plants being natural things are not all-perfect. They have an asymmetrical form with twisted tendrils, stems, and varying leaf distribution. Keep in mind this characteristic of real plants while shopping for faux plants. This is because asymmetric artificial substitutes of natural greenery would look more natural.
Placement
If you admire realistic aesthetics, a design trick is to place your fake plants next to the living ones, differing in size and species. This would make any inconsistency less noticeable and create a more natural environment.
Accessories
Generally, faux plants are sold in 2 ways- either put in some standard nursery pot or potted plus potentially glued inside a vessel or vase. For the former, you might want to pair your tree with a container meeting your design tastes. Another reason for repotting can be that you like the plant but not its vessel. Regardless of whether it is a wicker basket or raised ceramic planter, many options are there to suit your taste and décor. If you choose your own planter, you would also like to consider the base material. Soil, dirt, moss, or rocks would create an enhanced realistic ambiance with organic textures.
Conclusion
Artificial plants are a great way to boost your home décor. They can balance your home and nature finely, especially if you are a city dweller. They largely impact your home decoration and lift your mood. A house full of greenery- although artificial- still provides a feeling of relaxation, peace, and rejuvenation associated with green color.
The best faux plants of today look more natural than ever and meet your needs. With renewed popularity in the design world, there are plenty of fake alternatives to real flora to match your taste. They are the perfect solution to add color to your empty home corners, especially if you do not have the knack or time to take care of actual houseplants. So considering your gift for gardening and the time you can devote to maintaining actual plants, you may think of keeping their low-maintenance substitutes at home.
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