Plants in frames make for eye-catching decor
TOKYO —A39-year-oldman adorns his condominium in Tokyo with plants — on the living room wall, not on the floor. The plants, which he bought last year, were enclosed in what looked like a picture frame.
Growing plants this way is becoming popular because it allows the plants to be hung like a stylishly framed picture, and they do not take up precious floor space. The man uses a product called My Gallery that was designed for interior decoration by Toho-Leo Co., a large greenery company in Osaka.
“I like botanical plants, so I wanted to have something unusual that can also make for great interior decoration,” he said.
The product is designed to enclose a planter that can hold water in an oak frame, which was handcrafted and is 90 centimetres long, 50 centimetres high and nine centimetres deep. The man has five plants, which come in a set for about $480.
Such frames are hung on the wall with metal fittings, which need to be fixed on the wall in advance. The plants require watering a few times a week and trimming if their leaves grow too thick.
“I look forward to seeing the plants change slightly every day,” the man said.
His wife, 34, added: “If we place a large potted plant on the floor, our child may knock it over, and hanging it on the wall means we don’t have to worry about that. It’s convenient and looks great.”
My Gallery comes in three sizes. They sell well, with sales doubling every year, according to the company.
Beverage maker Suntory has entered the home greenery business, too. For green interior decoration, it sells Midorie Design, which uses spongelike material instead of soil for growing plants. Its frames are in shapes such as squares and circles and are made of plastic, stainless steel and other materials.
A small type can be held in the palm of a hand and weighs about one kilogram. The spongelike material absorbs water.
Their prices start at about $30, including the price of the plants.
The plants can be fixed on the wall using pins and can also be placed on a desk or furniture like a photo stand. The company expects a 20-per-cent increase in sales this year.
Ryohin Keikaku Co., a company in Tokyo that sells the Muji (Mujirushi Ryohin) brand, sells two types of a similar product for about $20 and $40, including the price of the plants.
Sales more than doubled last year, the company says. Women in their mid-30s are their main customers.