10 of the best indoor plants for living rooms
If your living room’s feeling a bit flat and bland, then some indoor plant therapy could be just what you, and your room, needs. Because, let’s face it, there are only so many pictures, knick-knacks and pieces of furniture you can buy without everything feeling a little too overcrowded.
Plants are capable of breathing new life and interest into rooms, and they don’t have to cost the earth either.
As well as instantly looking great, especially when you pair them with a trendy glazed ceramic or rattan pot, they come with health benefits too. For instance, according to a study carried out by NASA in the 1980s, they can lower air pollutant levels.
Meanwhile, the Royal Horticultural Society says they can:
- Improve our mood
- Increase productivity
- Reduce stress
- Improve attention
- Among many other things…
Living room plants come in a variety of species and sizes, meaning the probability of finding something you love is high (warning – you may wind up with more than one plant!)
Before buying anything, think about where you’re going to put your plants because getting the positioning wrong could lead to them dying. For example, plants that thrive in lots of light need to be in south-facing windows while species that don’t need so much sun fare better in east and west-facing windows. If you have pets, check if the plants are poisonous. If they are, and you still want them, make sure you can put them somewhere where they aren’t going to be nibbled or dug up.
Discover the best indoor plants suitable for your living room. Make sure to care for your plants appropriately and make sure they are safe for your furry friends.
With striking two-tone leaves, snake plants can effortlessly add some extra detail to your lounge.
The great thing about them is they don’t need watering very often, only when the soil feels dry every few weeks.
What’s more, they love all light conditions. Oh, and they’re natural air purifiers too.
Native to tropical rainforests, peace lilies are naturally elegant with their slim, perfectly-shaped leaves and eye-catching white flowers.
They’ll tolerate most conditions, but tend to flower most when they’re in a sunny spot.
Because of their tropical roots, they thrive in humid spaces (e.g. bathrooms) and are air purifiers too.
Note – keep away from pets because they are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten.
Moth orchids are stylish and eye-catching and look great in any living room.
Easy to care for once you’ve established the best position for them, these pretty plants are capable of flowering for months on end.
Note – keep them out of direct summer sunlight as it can scorch the leaves.
Actually classed as an evergreen shrub, cheese plants are easy to spot with their Swiss cheese-like leaves that can get rather sizeable and have a glossy sheen to them.
Low maintenance and happy in semi-shade or indirect sunlight, these plants only need watering every now and then.
Note - this evergreen house plant is toxic to pets.
If you’re new to keeping plants or may struggle to remember to water them, succulents are an excellent option.
Available in miniature sizes, leading up to more mid-sized dimensions, these plants excel in loads of light and rarely need watering.
Note - if they happen to have any spikes on them, be sure to keep them out of reach of snuffling little noses.
Linked to bringing good fortune and prosperity, money trees like to be positioned in light spots, but not exposed to direct sunlight.
The plaited trunk make these plants a statement in themselves. They also happen to be pet-safe and only have to be watered when the soil is bone dry.
Fact – almost camel-like, these plants store water in their feature trunk.
With their glossy, high sheen leaves, rubber plants make an attractive focal point that looks great in any interior setting.
A member of the fig family, they thrive in medium to bright indirect light and can be watered every one to two weeks.
Note – they are toxic to cats, dogs and humans if ingested.
These plants are great for adding some greenery to your living room at different levels.
Because of the way the long vines drape down, they look stunning up high on shelves or bookcases, with their layers of leaves trailing down.
Happy in moderate light, pothos are hardy plants that require little watering.
Note - they are toxic to pets, but if you’ve got them up high somewhere, they’ll hopefully be out of harm’s way.
Dragon trees or dragon plants are air purifiers and mildly toxic to pets.
Considered as being a symbol of good fortune in Africa, they provide a tropical vibe, with their long, spiky leaves, branching off from statement-shaped trunks.
They require little watering and are happiest in bright spaces.
Note - toxic to dogs and cats.
Part of a group of plants known as prayer plants (because the leaves close up at night and look like praying hands), maranta plants have vivid patterns on their leaves that look as though they’ve been painted on by hand.
Underneath, the leaves are an impressive deep purple with pink veins.
These plants are non-toxic and like medium light.
It is a question of personal preference, but if we’re taking the examples from above, orchids, peace lilies and maranta plants are incredibly pretty.
Other prettier plants you may want to check out include anthuriums, crotons, bird of paradise and ferns.
Plants that require minimal looking after tend to be the easiest to keep alive because they don’t mind how often you do or don’t feed and water them and can tolerate being in the sun, shade or mid-light.
Plants that fall into the easy-to-keep alive category include:
- succulents
- cheese plants
- spider plants
- pothos
- dracaenas/dragon tree
Feeling inspired? If you really want to bring more of the outdoors in, learn all about the Botanical trend here.
Published: 10the June 2022
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