Hey! We're Becky & Ben;
We have been renovating our Victorian detached house in Birmingham for the past 18 months. What was once Becky’s Nan’s family home full of life and greenery went through quite the re-birth to the home we live in today.
Despite making great progress architecturally, the house was calling out to have some life injected into it, and for us that came in the form of greenery – so that’s what we did long before any of the rooms were complete we bought lots (and lots!) of plants...and what a difference it made, to the look, the feel and the atmosphere of our home as whole.
We were self-proclaimed houseplant novices, but rather than testing the water with a couple of plants, we threw caution to the wind and bought 8 plants in one go! We downloaded an app so we could keep track of what needed watering when, and how to look after them...they survived, one week, two weeks, three weeks...and were thriving, we were hooked! They are now an integral part of our home and feature in all of our Instagram posts – we think they really bring a room together and we love the aesthetics they bring to our designs.
...BUT there was one thing missing...the plastic measuring jug was not going to cut it to water our new babies – there was only one brand that was up for the job - Haws! I have been blown away by just how beautiful a watering can really can be, the shape, the size, the colours...oh the colours! We opted for The Smethwick Spritzer in brass and The Rowley Ripple in cream and both have pride of place hanging next to our hanging plants.
We have loved making a feature of houseplants in our home so we have put together our top 5 tips to make a feature of houseplants in your home too.
Number 1 - Get 'em up high
If floor space is limited, opting for hanging plants is a great alternative and it’s a fantastic way to draw the eye line upwards. Hanging plants work really well as clusters, try adding different shades, textures and lengths.
We had a fairly bland piece of wall in our newly built kitchen extension, but we wanted to add something a little different from the usual piece of art. We wanted to make a feature of our hanging plants, so we used an old ladder and painted it white to blend in with the ceiling (we didn’t want the ladder to detract from the beauty of the plants). We attached it using four ceiling hooks and got to work on making some macramé hanging pots.
It’s made a lovely feature behind our dining table – like a living piece of art. The ladder has also proven to be a great place to store our handcrafted Haws watering cans!
Number 2 - In every corner
Sometimes corners of rooms can be bland, uninteresting and unused spaces which get a little forgotten. They are a great opportunity to add a bit of interest with some greenery. If a room ever feels like it’s missing something, why not try adding a houseplant into a corner of the room. We have done this in most of our rooms and it has really added to the feel of them. Try adding either one tall statement plant or a cluster of varying heights. For smaller plants, elevated plant pots on stands also work well to add some height.
Number 3 - A tropical oasis
Have you got a little area of your home that you’re lacking inspiration for?...then why not create a little tropical oasis. We have done this in our living area – we have added a hanging chair (if you want to do something similar check with a builder that its feasible – we had to check with our structural engineer who advised screwing it into a triple joist).
We really wanted a little area of tranquility so we decided to add an abundance of plants around the chair and it really does feel like your in your own little tropical oasis when the sun is streaming in.
Number 4 - On the stairs
Plants are welcome everywhere – even the stairs! We go up and down them everyday, so why not add a houseplant to enjoy on the way down.
I love to add houseplants to the stairs, it definitely adds that bit of interest to an area that lets face it, nothing else is going to go there apart from the laundry that needs taking upstairs.
Number 5 - Botanical bathroom
One of our favourite places for houseplants has to be the bathroom. The bathroom can often be a fairly clinical space, frequently leaning towards practicality over style – so if you want to add a bit of interest why not add some plants to the space. Renovating bathrooms can be super pricey, but adding a lick of paint and houseplants can be a great way to freshen up the space.
We opted for a roll top bath in our bathroom, which I dreamed of spending hours in after a long week at work, however our plants have got more use out of it than I have as it has become their favoured watering location.
