Now that you’ve taken down your Christmas decorations, your living room or home might be looking a little bare or lacklustre. And if you’re missing that lavish greenery, designer Joanna Gaines shares a simple hack that will make your home bright and cheerful all year round!
The interior stylist and star of Fixer Upper alongside husband Chip, recently posted on Instagram with the caption: ‘If your home feels a little naked after the holidays, cut a branch and stick it in a vase. Don't screw it in the wall like I did though. That's a little too far.😅’
We then see Joanna bring a huge leafy tree branch into her cozy living room, and place it inside a silver decorative vase. She then spreads the branches before screwing them into the white wall behind. This lovely, decorative feature complements the earthy tones used in her living room. Here, we see her brown leather sofa and chairs, beige coffee table, warm rug and wooden beams. In addition, the panelled white walls provide the perfect, neutral backdrop for the colors to pop out.
Best of all, this hack is a simple, easy and cheap way to spruce up a room. Plus, this is a perfect way to bring the outdoors in — especially when it’s gloomy outside.
“Being around nature can help us to feel refreshed and reinvigorated,” says Camilla Lesser, interior expert at Essential Living. For this reason, bringing natural elements into your home such as plants and flowers, as well as indoor trees and ferns – as Joanna Gaines’ has shared on her Instagram page – can work wonders to improve your mood and reduce stress levels.
Since January is quite a dreary and long month, doing this can really help to breathe some life back into your home again. Using Joanna’s branch and vase display in her living room as an example, the greenery adds excitement to what was otherwise quite a dull area, and gives the illusion of a bigger space by opening it up further. This is the perfect solution following the festive period, especially if you’re missing your decorations and Christmas tree.”
How to get Joanna Gaines' look
And if you can't get your hands on a huge tree branch, there are other ways to decorate with houseplants. Giant, lush floor plants, botanicals or beautiful succulents can not only bring the outdoors in, but instantly transform a space.
The bigger the plant, the more impact it will have. Choose from tall plants, exotic palms, birds of paradise, corn plants or olive trees to add a touch of greenery. Similar to Joanna, place plants in beautiful decorative planters or pots, such as concrete/stone, resin or even woven baskets like these Artera Woven Seagrass Plant Basket ($16, Amazon), to add style.
“Nature-inspired homes are becoming increasingly popular for a whole host of reasons,” agrees Lesser, “besides boosting your mood and bringing the outdoors in, it can also complement the decor in your home by introducing new textures and pops of colour — brightening up a space without looking cluttered.”
What’s more, these 7 indoor plants will make your house smell nicer, so you’ll always have a fresh and welcoming home. If you suffer from allergies however, or don’t have the right conditions for plantcare, you can always invest in some stunning fake plants that look just as great as the real thing.
And if you want to impress your guests, you might need to know these 7 ways to make your fake plants look more real. In any case, Joanna’s simple hack is easy, won’t take no time at all, and a great way to create a fresh, cozy space.
