How many is too many?

13 years ago

How many natural elements in a room is too many? Our bedroom is 15 x 22 and I am redecorating after a paint job. As I look around my house I seem to rely on artificial and some real plants as filler. For the bedroom I just bought a large 5-6' palm tree for one side of the room, on the dresser (same side) I have an arrangements of peonies. On the opposite wall I have a low plant on a stand maybe 2"high next to a "table" that has a small arrangement of flowers. I think it looks good but I was just wondering what other people thought. I think room look so bare without some greenery but I'd hate to overdo it. So how much is too much?

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Comments (9)

homebodymom
13 years ago
My house is loaded with plants. It doesn't seem like too many for me as long as you have a nice variety. Can you post a pic and show us the room?
kathielo
Original Author
13 years ago
I'll post pictures ASAP. I've been meaning to do that anyway since I posted the "before" pictues looking for ideas. Now the "after" is just about complete.

Thanks.
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Sueb20
13 years ago
I have to say that I don't consider artificial plants "natural" elements. No offense intended, but I really don't care for artificial plants or greenery at all...but if they're real, healthy plants, I think the more the merrier! Well, there probably is a way to overdo, but I think if they're grouped nicely and in decent pots (not the green or brown plastic ones they're sold in), plants are great, inexpensive accessories! I have a couple of half-dead ones in my house that I need to deal with, now that I'm thinking of it...
kathielo
Original Author
13 years ago
sueb20, you make a good point...no offense taken. I have both real and artificial plants around. The artificial ones tend to be the larger ones since I probably could never grow them as big or as beautiful as the silk ones. It makes a difference when the price is considered.

Thanks.
igloochic
13 years ago
I have to go with sue's answer. In my opinion, only one really well done artificial is slightly ok (I really don't care for them) if it's disguised with a few real plants or flower arrangements.

As to how many is too many...I gave away 124 plants that were in this house when we moved in. I kept less than a dozen. I'd say 124 is too many :oP
User
13 years ago
I usually have a travelling collection of plants indoors, depending on the season and the available light.

I'm into clustering the pots for effect. And maybe one special plant featured by itself. I also have a brandy snifter terrarium. And I put some hooks on the ceiling of the bathroom (lots of humidity there) for my staghorn fern babies in the winter.

Have a lot, and rotate them. Change is good for you AND the plants.

I just got through moving some big scheffeleras and my ficus benjamina around on our sun porch, and brought in my bromeliads and some Christmas cactus that have a lot of new growth, but are not blooming. You can do lots of greenery, but I would only do one bouquet of flowers in an arrangement. Let it be real, and feature it prominently.

You can never have too many live plants.
kathielo
Original Author
13 years ago
homebodymom...here are the pics of my bedroom and the "plants/florals" I was asking about.

igloochic, yes I agree 124 is tooooo many plants. Unfortunately I don't have much lighting in our bedroom for real plants. Also there are no windows in our finished basement, so plants are out there as well. I do have real plants in some of my other bedrooms and kitchen but that's about it.

the rocking chair is temporary until I can get an upholstered chair.

Thanks for your opinions.
oopsie913
13 years ago
LOVE YOUR WALL COLOR! What is it?? I think the flower arrangement on your dresser is really striking with the silvery bowl it is in but I am distracted by the palm plant. I have learned the hard way that 'less is best' and I would definitely move the large plant away from the dresser and maybe put a nice chair there instead. IMHO :) And the small chest table with the white lamp, I think looks very pretty as is, but I would move it off to the right a bit so the lamp does not intrude on the round artwork on wall. Once again I would remove the green plant and just keep that table a bit off to the side and then keep just one chair next to the chest.
kathielo
Original Author
13 years ago
oopsie913, thanks so much for your suggestions. My walls are painted Behr Mocha Latte but it was color matched by Sherwin Williams. That bowl with the peonies in it is actually Waterford crystal which I thought would go with the table lamps. It was a gift from our children for our anniversary one yr. The leaf shaped bowl next to it is very silvery though and goes well with the bedding. That I found in Marshalls.

Thanks again for your comments. Hopefully I can find some chairs to fill in those spaces. I hate opening my eyes in the AM only to see a blank wall.