The word fake just conjures up negative images whereas faux has an air of mystic. When it comes to 'unreal' plants I like to use the word faux.
There are so many reasons to use faux plants throughout the home but the biggest one for me is not having to water them - although I have been know to water my faux plants as I go round the house every friday watering my house plants.
Faux plants or flowers can also be used outside and I recently saw a faux climbing plants in the Moroccan courtyard at the Port Lympne Reserve hotel (Kent), mixed with real plants in pots and borders. The effect is stunning and means year round colour in this space.
Using Faux Plants around the home
Here is a selection of the faux plants that I have at My Claybrick Home. It all started after a trip to Ikea and realising I could have an orchid – and it would never loose its flowers. I pick up most of my plants from Matalan, Sainsburys Home, TK Maxx and Dunelm but I keep my eyes peeled wherever I go.
[as a side note this table is an old iron sewing machine base which I had a top made for using the scrap left over from the deck build]
I mix faux plants with real plants throughout the house and on my kitchen window I get carried away most weeks with my watering regime. By mixing plants together the faux ones really blend in well, and its hard to tell which are the faux ones.
When displaying plants I either like to work in twos or threes. Two's are typically the same plant in the same pot, or threes different plants and different pots. With the trio's I just like to keep to a theme which here is black and white.
No natural light, or too much.
The powder room, also known as the downstairs loo, at My Claybrick Home has no natural light as it is a windowless room. This space is perfect for faux plants and I use both a combination of small plants on a shelving frame, as well as my first Orchid plant for height and interest.
I have the reverse issue in the family bathroom where two windows flood the space with light and plants often wilt in the heat of the room. (The real reason I use faux plants in this room is I never remember to water plants upstairs !!) Again in this room I use faux plants on a display shelf pulling from the mustard yellow of the bath towels, as the room is monochrome (white, black and shades of grey)
Hanging Plants
With the high ceilings of our sunroom I am now starting to experiment with hanging plants from the beams that span the space.
The use of macrame pot hangers is really on trend and if you are interested in learning how to make your own I highly recommend The Copper Cacti workshops.
Are you using faux plants in your home? If not I hope this post has given you some ideas and inspiration to try.