HAPPY HOUSEPLANTS
Plants are having a moment and with good reason: they’re good for us and they make us happy. But how best to display them? By thinking creatively and making considered design choices, explains author, designer and ‘plantfluencer’ Hilton Carter, you can transform your space and bring a sense of contentedness
i’m often asked what my style is, and I’d describe it as “modern lush”,’ explains Hilton Carter (pictured, right). ‘My home is a mix of modern, Scandinavian and Mexican influences and once I add the plants, that’s how modern lush is birthed. For me, the same energy and thoughtfulness that go into selecting paint and furniture should go into selecting the plants, planters and accessories. Plant styling requires an eye for understanding exactly which colours and shapes will vibe with each other. These things are necessary when designing a living home…
EXPLORE THE ART OF THE PEDESTAL
Every surface has the potential to become a plant stand – aside table, a stool, an old chair – on which you can display plants like living art. That’s why I think I’m over the term “plant stand”. I believe it’s about time that we elevate (pun intended) the way we see the plant stand and give it the recognition it deserves. The plant stand as you’ve previously known it is now the pedestal.
When you think about what a pedestal is and what it represents, its main function is to lift a work of art higher in a room, giving the viewer the opportunity to take in the full beauty of the piece. First devised in ancient times to support statues, columns and other art, they did a lot of heavy lifting (OK, at this point, just know that all puns are intended). In a gallery setting, most pedestals are designed to fade into the background and are often painted to match the walls so that the art is the only thing you see. At home, however, the pedestal is meant to be seen. Fortunately, the o
