Create a Magical Oasis With These Plant Room Ideas

From the spare bedroom to your bathroom and every room in between, you can create an indoor plant room practically anywhere. Whether you need to add custom built-in shelving or want to lay down some water-resistant flooring, you’re just a few small renovations away from seeing all of your plant room ideas bloom. Don’t have adequate space inside? Then a larger home addition might be necessary. Hello solarium!

There are several reasons you might want an indoor garden or separate room for your plants. For starters, having all of your plants in one central area means you don’t have to run all over the house to water each one. You can also use it to get a head start on your outdoor garden, especially if you have plants that are sensitive to temperature changes or plan to grow your own organic vegetables. Whatever your reasoning, plants are beneficial to our mental and physical health, and they deserve a place to thrive in your home.

How do I turn my room into a plant room?

There’s a lot to consider when adding a plant room to your home. For starters, you have to ensure you have adequate space and lighting for all the plants on your wishlist. Ideally, you’ll have large windows facing at least two different directions so you can accommodate a variety of plants with varying lighting needs. For the best results, you might even consider installing energy-efficient windows that help reflect light and keep your plants protected in the winter months. Windows with a low-E coating will help with this.

The type of flooring you lay down is also important. Indoor gardens often need to accommodate a humid and damp climate, so hardwood floors or carpets simply won’t hold up. Other plant room considerations include proper ventilation for plants, temperature control, and artificial lighting requirements. Remember, you’ll essentially be creating indoor microclimates, so the layout and arrangement of plants are crucial as well.

To give you an idea, here are some of the materials you’ll need to get your indoor garden started:

• Vinyl flooring or another water-resistant option
• Water-resistant walls such as ceramic tile
• Garden windows (ideal but not 100% necessary)
• A fan to promote airflow and ventilation
• Indoor thermometer to monitor temperature
• Mounted grow lights
• Built-in or freestanding shelving
• A humidifier

If you don’t love the idea of renovating an existing room in your home to accommodate your plant addiction, don’t worry, that’s not your only option. Building a sunroom or solarium addition means you can fully customize your plant room aesthetic and functionality without sacrificing any indoor space.

How do I build a plant room?

In many ways, building your plant room is a lot like designing a bathroom. Both spaces are exposed to wet and humid conditions and the materials you use in each room should reflect that. If you’re renovating a room in your house for your plants, consider using the following materials.

Plant room flooring materials

Unless you’re building a collection of small succulents, you’ll need a flooring material that can withstand potential spills and humidity. Here are a few options.

1. Terracotta or clay tile. Clay tile is a durable flooring option that’s less likely to fall victim to mould and bacteria. But remember, because these materials are so porous, you should have them professionally sealed to avoid damage.

2. Vinyl. Vinyl floors are a water-resistant and cost-effective flooring option for your plant room. Although they are resistant to moisture, mould and mildew can still grow on vinyl floors, so always be sure to clean up any spills straight away.

3. Teak wood. Typically, wood is not a great option for plant room flooring because of the damp and humid conditions. But if you love the look of wood, teak is the way to go. Keep in mind that for teak wood to stay looking sharp it will require regular maintenance including sanding and oiling.

Plant room wall materials

When it comes to plant room walls, you might need to do some repainting. Choose a paint with a semi-gloss or satin finish as they are easiest to wipe clean. Additionally, be on the lookout for paints that boast a mildew-resistant additive. When choosing a colour, consider one that will easily reflect light.

Plant room layout and design

The layout of your plant room will depend partly on each of your plants’ care needs. For example, it makes sense to group plants that need direct light together in one spot and those that need shade in another. However, you’ll also want your plant room to be aesthetically pleasing. Here are some additional design considerations.

• Think about proportions. Evaluate the size of your room and buy plants that make sense within that space. For example, if your room is small, a large plant will appear overwhelming.
• Play with form/shape. The shape of your plant will also determine where to place it. For example, a large plant that grows straight up would fit nicely in a corner with a high ceiling, whereas a smaller plant with long draping vines would look best on top of a shelf.
• Mix textures. Plants come in all different shapes, colours, and textures for you to experiment with. Don’t be afraid to fill your windowsill with a variety of plants that contrast well with each other. 
• Create a focal point. Consider adding a central feature to your plant room that draws the eye in. This could be a particularly unique plant, a small reading nook, or even an indoor fountain.

Plant room ideas

Now that we’ve gone over the technical aspects of building and designing a plant room, here are some plant room ideas to inspire you!

Sunroom addition or solarium

Sunrooms, often referred to as solariums, are wonderful home additions that help bring natural light into your space. Typically these rooms are attached to the exterior of your home and can be accessed from indoors. Though, building a detached standalone solarium would work just as well.

Normally these rooms consist of large glass or screened-in windows. However, there are lots of different types, from prefab glass sunroom kits to custom four-season solariums built by contractors. The latter is your best bet if you want to maintain your indoor garden all year round.

While the cost of adding a sunroom can be higher than simply renovating a room in your home, the payoff is worth it. Solariums allow you to grow a wider variety of plants and even some vegetables.

Deck or balcony

Despite the vast array of plants you can grow indoors, some plants need outdoor conditions to truly thrive. If you’ve got your heart set on an outdoor plant oasis, a deck or balcony addition will be your best bet. If you want to get creative with your deck or balcony, here are a few ideas:

• Build a multi-level deck to provide separation between your plants and your sitting area.
• Instead of traditional wood, build your deck using water-resistant PVC.
• Add a lattice wall to the perimeter of your deck or balcony. This provides privacy and a place to grow an outdoor plant wall.

Home office

There are several benefits of having plants in the office. For example, plants can increase your productivity and even reduce stress. So, it seems like a no-brainer.

If you want to completely level up your work-from-home experience, consider building a backyard office. You can add all the plants you can fit and huge windows to take in the nature surrounding you. Your backyard office could be a sunroom addition or a completely detached shed. Shipping containers would also work well for this sort of project.

Kitchen

Whether you like modern or traditional kitchens, adding plants to it can really liven things up. One efficient way to turn your kitchen into a plant room is to fill it with useful herbs. Think of it as your personal indoor garden room. You can fill the windowsills with basil and mint or get creative and make an indoor plant wall. Here are some indoor plant wall ideas:

• Install custom wall shelves to store your plants.
• Use magnetic planters on the fridge for a mini plant wall or go a step further and install magnetic wall panels.

Bathroom

As stated before, plant rooms and bathrooms share many similar requirements. Because of this, your bathroom is an excellent room to host your plant collection. Adding some greenery to the bathroom gives off serious spa vibes, and who doesn’t love that?

Ideally, your bathroom should have a window – most plants need a source of natural light. If not, certain ferns and low-light plants such as peperomia can work. Pro-tip: you can put all of your plants in the shower and water them at once. This is an easy way to bring nature indoors.

Basement

Basement plant rooms can be tricky. Basements don’t typically get much light and they tend to be a bit cooler. Consider enlarging your basement windows before trying to grow plants down there. Other helpful changes for a basement plant room include updating the flooring or installing shelves and artificial lighting.

Indoor plant room FAQ

Now that you’ve set your sights on your dream plant room, it’s time to focus on the plants themselves. If you’re new to the plant world, odds are you have some questions about which plants to start with. Below, we’ll answer some of the most commonly asked questions new plant owners have.

What plants should beginners start with?

It’s easy to get sucked in by the beauty of certain plants like the fiddle leaf fig, but, if you’ve never owned a houseplant, starting off with something low maintenance is the best way to get your feet wet. Beginners will do best with plants that aren’t too picky, such as

• Snake plants;
• Pothos;
• Philodendrons; and
• Monsteras.

Another tip for beginner plant owners is to group your plants together based on conditions and care. This makes it easier for you to tend to the plants.

What kind of lighting do you need to grow houseplants indoors?

While all plants require light to grow, the type and amount of light vary from plant to plant. Generally speaking, LED lights make the best plant grow lights because they can often be programmed to meet your plants’ specific needs. You can even get indoor garden kits with lights and timers.

Indoor plants will require anywhere from 12–18 hours of light per day, so finding energy-efficient lights would be helpful. You also need to consider the size of the room you’re lighting up. Plan to use about 20–40 watts per square foot of space.

How do I protect my floor under plants?

Carpets or hardwood floors can be damaged by wet and humid conditions, so you’ll need to protect them. Now, replacing your existing flooring with a water-resistant option would be best. But, if that’s not an option, use rubber mats and water your plants with extreme care to avoid spilling. You can place trays under your potted plants to collect the drainage. You’ll also want to keep an eye open for any bugs that may form on your plants so you can address them ASAP.

How do you style a room with plants?

One look at Pinterest and you’ll find hundreds of ideas for styling a plant room. For a boho look, you can use a variety of macrame hangers. For something more modern, try incorporating a few plants between books and decor on floating shelves in your office or living room. Hang a DIY terrarium in front of your kitchen window or a massive fern in the bathroom for a spa-day feeling. The possibilities are endless.