Houseplants provide unparalleled value to any home. They purify and freshen up the air, raise humidity on dry days, and some studies even suggest that being around plants can boost concentration and reduce stress. All of these benefits are great reasons to invest in a little interior greenery, but another reason is even more obvious: plants are beautiful! Both homes featured in this post embrace different creative techniques. The first apartment creates miniature forests from raised planters and vertical gardens, and the second home embraces a subdued desert theme centered on a collection of tall cactuses.
Abundant indoor gardens and natural materials blur the lines between the indoors and out. This tour opens with a view of an interior garden that goes so far beyond simple potted plants – the raised beds offer an authentic experience, complete with large rocks and small bushes. Tall ceilings, open spaces, and a strong green thumb make it possible.
Pink, yellow, green, and orange make up just a few of the many colorful accents that brighten this home. Leaf cuttings in glass vases echo some of the yellows and greens found throughout.
MDF Italia's famous Random Bookcase is the perfect centerpiece for an eclectic space. How appropriate for birds to make up a few of the select accents!
A lush vertical garden reaches to the heights of the atrium and is easy to appreciate from the mezzanine level above. Note the small wood platform in the middle of the rock garden – certainly a wonderful place to read or meditate.
The home is alive with creative indoor plant inspiration. Here, strings hold trees and plants aloft by their root balls, which are covered in mud for protection. With the addition of moss, the owner would have a lovely kokedama garden.
Although the plants are main attraction, there are several smart architectural features to admire as well. This sliding door/wall can make the dining room feel more formal or shield the plants if guests visit during garden maintenance.
This stylish bedroom includes its own sliding wall behind the headboard, revealing extra storage space behind.
While the public-facing areas are a veritable timberland, the private spaces are much more subdued. Here, the only plants occupy creative hidden spaces.
AIM pendant lamps by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec dance above this low-slung bench, the perfect place to read from the books stored in the niche below. That log table is a wonderful complement to the natural theme!
Our tour takes us back to the main section of the home for a look at the striking white kitchen. Small potted plants and a few wooden accent walls hint back toward the overall interior theme.
Who wouldn't want to spend more time perfecting their culinary skills with such an inspiring view of the vertical garden?
The bathroom also enjoys a calming and organic aesthetic. The rock border is a nice touch, and the small tree brings out the natural beauty of the all-wood vanity.
Here's a clearer view that shows how all of the natural elements and interior materials work together to create a cohesive visual experience.
This next space was designed for a passionate collector of rare cactuses - to reflect those interests, the designers decided to decorate the house with the browns and sandy grays of a desert environment. The open plan living room features a beautiful display of tall cactuses lit from below for a unique view. Enclosed between glass walls, they add privacy to the bedroom area without sacrificing the open visual communication between rooms.
A spacious spacious leather sofa meets a variety of needs. The right side seating is ideal for viewing the fire, and the other side accommodates the library just out of frame to the left.
Its position near the kitchen and dining area also makes it easier to host parties, as friends can relax and chat with the host while refreshments are being prepared.
Reaching to the top of the low ceiling, the vertical garden serves as a breathtaking backdrop to the dining arrangement.
Like the sofa in the living room, the kitchen island also pulls double duty by combining its breakfast bar and dining set.
This bright blue and red painting pops out from among the natural interior materials. It's a cool drink of water in the middle of this stylish desert environment.
Despite the natural themes, no loft is complete without a little industrial appeal. The brushed concrete backsplash matches the ceiling and the practical entryway.
Cables routed neatly along the concrete portions of the ceiling turn an ordinary utility into a source of chic urban decoration.
But the conduit and concrete abruptly stop at the living room. Instead, a dropped white surface draws the eye with strong vertical lines created by bars of studio lighting.
Back in the living room, we finally get a good look at the library and its corresponding section of the sofa.
If you've been looking for a sofa that looks good in the middle of a room, this style is definitely a winner. The division of open spaces would have been less effective without it.
Don't miss the small office tucked away near the window. Ample storage space provides all the resources a diligent worker could need.
Now let's finally see what's hiding behind the cactus divider. The bedroom extends the orange, gray and wood theme of the living room and enjoys a private sitting area beyond yet another glass wall.
The living room's painting finds its companion behind the headboard, straddling the line where the mirrored wall meets wood paneling.
While this lovely view highlights the painting, it's also hard to miss the gorgeous potted tree in the sitting room to the right.
The space feels private, but still maintains an open view of the rest of the loft.
The end of our tour brings us to the entryway, where the sight of the cactus enclosure immediately welcomes guests. Such a perfectly framed view!
