The Advantages of Interior Plants

Aesthetic Benefits

• The most obvious reason for adding plants to the interior design is for their aesthetic and decorative benefits. Plants are beautiful additions to the space that add instant personalization and create a feeling of comfort. They break the monotony of an office or home and add natural color to the room. Because of the variety of plants available, interior decorators can select plants of a specific color that blend with the theme of the room, or choose a contrasting color to form a striking focal point that stands out. Arrange the plants in decorative planters or containers to enhance their effect.

Air Pollution Reducers

• Common interior plants not only serve decorative purposes, but also help control and reduce the rising levels of indoor air pollution. B.C. Wolverton, an environmental engineer at NASA, submitted a report in September 1989 that concluded that 10 common interior plants, including bamboo palm, English ivy, gerbera daisy and peace lily, reduce air contaminants and clean indoor air. Research has determined that the roots and leaves remove minute levels of toxic vapors, naturally purifying the indoor air in homes and buildings. The plants absorb pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and xylene, making the air purer for occupants.

Physical Discomfort Reducers

• A study conducted by Virginia Lohr, a professor of horticulture, and Caroline Pearson-Mims, a technologist, both from Washington State University, concluded that interior plants reduce physical discomfort and their presence helps people tolerate short-term pain. They expanded the research conducted by a researcher at the University of Delaware in 1984 that concluded that patients recovering from surgery used fewer pain-relieving medicines if their hospital rooms had plants and views of trees as opposed to plain brick walls. The pain perception study by Washington State University concluded that volunteers placed in a room with plants could submerge their hands in ice water for longer periods than those in an empty room.

Other Advantages

• Interior plants lift the spirits, reduce stress and add a splash of fresh color to the interior environment, which is calming and refreshing. The positive energy interior plants create is an integral part of the Feng Shui theory of decorating, which focuses on the use of plants to create a calming environment within a home. Interior plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, improving the air quality of the space. According to the University of Hawaii Extension, adding interior plants to a workspace increases productivity, improves employee morale and reduces absenteeism.