Not just good for your #interiorgoals – garden rooms are the new Pinterest trend that could do wonders for your mental health, too.
We don’t have to tell you that house plants are already a staple in any stylish interiors set up. But according to Pinterest’s 2020 cultural shift report, which looks at the rising topics searched on the platform by millions of people around the world, cultivating exclusively green spaces inside our homes is becoming a self-care must.
The term ‘garden room’ has increased in popularity by 104% over the last year, and it looks to be on the rise for 2020, too. Pinterest describes the trend as “nurturing yourself with nature in your very own secret garden”. It’s like creating a mini sanctuary in your house that maximises on all the benefits of being around nature.
What benefits, you ask? Getting up close and personal with greenery can “enhanced creativity, improve productivity and mental wellbeing and improve air quality” according to a journal looking at how indoor plants can affect our health. Elsewhere, the NHS is now issuing ‘green prescriptions’, which sees patients spend more time in green spaces to help with their mental health. And it works, too; 95% of participants said that they started to feel better within six weeks. Impressive, right?
The phenomenon is something Stylist’s head of email, Kat Poole, is only too aware of. Poole finds the act of nurturing her house plants therapeutic, saying: “When I’m feeling stressed or anxious, the one sure way to unwind my brain is to shift all of my focus onto the green things growing around me.
“I feel busy constantly, and frazzled, often, but when I’m looking after my plants, there’s no room for that. I have so many now that it takes the best part of an hour to water them all; tapping the soil to make sure they’re not too wet or too dry, trying a new spot if they’re getting too much light or not enough, getting rid of the deadheads and clearing up the soil I inevitably spill all over my surfaces. It involves both hands and no distractions; I can’t do it with my phone in one hand or one eye on the TV.”
If you needed any more convincing, how about that (in true Pinterest fashion) garden rooms also look very cool. Think lots of shelving with teeny succulents positioned next to money plants, walls painted in calming tones, textures rugs underfoot and light-bouncing mirrors.
We’ve picked out the best inspiration pictures on Pinterest, to inspire you to create your own at home:
How to create your own garden room
Whether you have a spare room you can transform into a tranquil space or it’s more attainable to start with a planty nook, here are some simple tips to get your garden room going.
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Use plant stands to create depth
Lift you leafy friends off the ground to give your garden room another dimension, not to mention make room for more of them.
Shop Abuo Pink & Grey Ceramic Plant Pot & Stand Tall at Oliver Bonas, £55
Buy now
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Use shelving to stack your plants high
Keep your furnishings in-keeping with the ‘au naturale’ vibe of the room and stick to raw materials like wood, or decor touches that have an earthy feel, like this macrame strap. The more shelves you have, the more plants you can line your walls with.
Shop Double Macrame Shelf at Urban Outfitters, £39
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Paint the room in calming shades of green or blue
Really transform the space by adding a splash of colour you haven’t used anywhere else in your house, in a calming colour. We particularly love pale sage greens and deep, rich navy blues.
Shop So Swamped at Graham & Brown, £38
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Buy lots of plants!
Big, small, trailing, tall – the key to creating a botanical wonderland is getting a real mix of plants. Personally, we love Patch Plants, an online store where you can order all manner of indoor plants, and find lots of information on how to keep them alive.
Shop Patch Plants from £3
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Images: Getty / Pinterest / Courtesy of brands
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