If you’re looking for a peaceful space in your home, there’s nothing more calming than a wall shelf for indoor plants. A plant wall shelf brings nature inside, cleans your air, and looks lovely.
Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also an extremely trendy look for homeowners and designers alike. Here’s what you should know if you’re looking for plant-shelf ideas to brighten your place.
What is An Indoor Plant Shelf?
An indoor plant shelf is dedicated to your plants (or plant babies). This way, you can group them to create a welcoming look that will impress guests and give you a perfect space to meditate, do yoga, or read a great book. Making one is easy; you can use various tools to create such a space. Which, by the way, doesn’t have to be limited to a shelf. You can use a ladder, a side table, a console, or a bookcase. Anything that will act as a supportive wall shelf for indoor plants will work.
How to Build a Plant Wall Shelf
The first step to building an indoor plant shelf is to decide where it will be. This is also essential, as it determines the kind of plants you will buy for the stand. Indirect (or east-facing) sunlight works best, as low light means your plants will have a more reliable and less frequent watering schedule — making the wall easier to maintain. However, if you use a west-facing wall or an area of the home with a lot of light, that can still work. It will just mean your plants will have more frequent watering needs.
Next, purchase the plants and the pots. The plants you choose will determine the size of pots you buy, and from there, you can get creative and use the pots to showcase your style. There are many pots to choose from, so you can match them to your interior décor or go for something unique to create a contrasting space.
Finally, decide on the kind of shelving you want. Floating wall shelves look great, but make sure they are deep enough and strong enough to support the weight of the plants you want to buy, including the pots. As noted, you can also use a variety of surfaces to create a unique plant-focused area in your home, like an antique bookshelf, coffee tables, a console table, or even a bar cart. The options are endless — focus on what appeals most to your eye as long as it can support the plants you want to feature.
Ideas on What Type of Plants to Buy for Your Shelf
Anyone who has had a plant before has probably experienced losing the plant. It can take time and effort to properly care for a plant long-term, and some plants are fussier than others.
To create visual interest, you will want a variety of plants, but if you’re new to plant parenting, consider plants that are lower maintenance overall, like succulents and cacti. These work well even in west-facing (bright light) spaces as they love sunlight, and you won’t need to water them frequently.
If you’re a little more experienced and going for a low-light area, consider plants like the Cork Screw Rush, ZZ Plant, Pothos and Snake Plant. Look at the watering instructions for each plant, as some will thrive in moist soil while others will prefer dry soil before being watered again.
Inspiration and Plant Shelf Ideas
There are many plant wall shelf ideas and options to be inspired by when choosing the direction. Consider these plant shelf ideas when shopping for your shelves, plants and pots.
Look for a Ladder Shelf
A ladder shelf is an easy, no-fuss way to set up your plant wall shelf area. Instead of installing shelving, you can use the ladder as the base. It will automatically space your plants in a visually pleasing way.
Bookshelf Style Plant Shelf
If you love your books like your plants, consider combining them. For example, you can make an extensive bookshelf special by adding plants to the shelves to spice things up.
A Space-Saving Corner Shelf
If you’re tight on space but still want a dedicated plant area, a corner shelf is a perfect place to install your new plant home. It won’t take up much space but will provide significant beauty and brighten up a smaller room.
Look Above Your Bed
If you want to wake up to the smell of fresh plants every day, consider installing a shelf above your bed dedicated to your plants. Not only will it look and smell stunning, but it will also clean the air while you sleep.
Consider a Mobile Shelf
If you can’t decide which area in your home you want to dedicate to your plants permanently, an excellent way to start is with a mobile shelf setup, like a bar cart filled with plants. This way, you can move it around from room to room and get a sense of where the plants look best and which area has the best lighting to support your plant schedule.
Final Thoughts
When looking for plant shelf ideas, the best advice we can offer is to choose the option that makes the most sense with the type of plants you aspire to have in your home and the amount of time you can dedicate to taking care of said plants. Greenery can be beautiful, so long as you take the time to ensure your plants stay healthy and happy.
