Living ethically well worth the effort
So far the trend for artificial house plants is showing no signs of dying off, but how just how faux can you go? Some people have the knack of making it look fabulous.
Push past the prejudice. When it comes to the artificial, thankfully, the arrangement of a bunch of dusty faded silk roses atop an enormous mahogany dresser at an entrance, is no longer the norm.
‘‘These days it can be very hard to tell the difference between a real and a fake,’’ says Leah Hansen, Shut The Front Door Christchurch saleswoman and former florist of 30 years.
‘‘The quality has come along in leaps and bounds.’’
Hansen says older generations would have dismissed fake plants as dust collectors.
‘‘The quality of the plastic they are made from now does not attract dust in the same way it used to. It’s so easy to give these guys a quick wash and not damage them.’’
Always combine the fake with real
Auckland creative and designer Evie Kemp says combining fake plants with real ones serves to create a much more realistic look overall.
Kemp aims for a 50-50 split of real and artificial greenery in her own plant-filled home. According to Kemp, the real plants have a ‘‘beautiful impact’’ and low-care artificial varieties help to add bulk.
‘‘Especially if they’re types that aren’t suited to a certain area – low light for example,’’ she says.
‘‘I tend to have real ones in the obvious spots and the fakies in the dark corners and on carpet, where I don’t really want to be watering.’’
Kemp prefers to avoid artificial plants with flowers, or that look ‘‘too green – that’s when they look especially fake’’.
Use plants to create illusion
Tiffany Anderson of Christchurch-based Tiffany Anderson Design, also agrees, saying although she prefers real plants, mixing artificial with real can create a clever display.
‘‘Plants look great in kitchens and bathrooms. They can soften spaces and work well to add height in corners. I love placing them on mantels or wall units or amongst other objects to create an eclectic group,’’ Anderson says.
‘‘I love cascading plants and succulents for small interior spaces and artificial cascading plants can look good teamed with a real plant. The tropical trend lends itself to artificial palms, which work well in corners.’’
Play around with your plants
Don’t be afraid to follow your personal preference and experiment with placement.
Hansen says a single hanging plant can have just as much visual impact as a group. She recommends moving your plants around occasionally to see what they look like.
‘‘Hang them just out of reach – it leaves people guessing – they really can’t tell unless they touch them,’’ she suggests.
Because artificial plants are nearly always sold in tiny pots, Kemp recommends repotting them into a pot in proportion to the size of the plant.
‘‘Fill the pots with pebbles or stones to keep them from toppling over – that’s a big giveaway [of a fake plant],’’ she laughs.
Anderson recommends selecting a beautiful pot for your artificial plant.
‘‘I love finding antique pots which add character. A plant with variations of colour and texture will always look more realistic,’’ she says.
And if you’re having trouble choosing your plastic fantastic? Kemp says spiky types of plants such as succulents and cacti look more realistic.
‘‘I tend to go for palms, which add a big impact and fit with my interior style and I fail at keeping [real varieties] inside. I mix those up with real plants I can depend on to stay alive, such as dracaenas, monstera, rubber trees and mothers in law tongue.’’ Kemp says if the price is right and she likes the look, she will go ahead and buy it.
‘‘I’ll always find a place for it.’’
‘‘I tend to have real ones in the obvious spots and the fakies in the dark corners and on carpet, where I don’t really want to be watering.’’
Evie Kemp