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Thursday, February 7th, 2019
Uttermost Accessories Moth Orchid Planter
Indoor plants are a hot thing nowadays because of their inclusion in interior design. They are not only luxurious to look at but are also known to give a lot of benefits. Here are some ways that your green home décor can help you –
Improved Air
The body takes in oxygen each time it breathes. And as it exhales, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This has been the eternal pattern which is why plants, animals, and humans have been partners for a long time.
Adding greeneries to your indoor space will improve the oxygen levels there. At night, you just have to bring them out since plants tend to respire like humans during that time.
Some plants such as succulents, orchids, and epiphytic bromeliads don’t do this so you can place them inside the bedroom even at night.
Increase in Humidity
A part of the plants’ respiratory and photosynthetic processes is the vapor release which can help increase the humidity in a room. This water release is approximately 97% of the total water intake of the plant. Bring in several plants indoors and you will definitely increase the humidity in a room.
Purified Air
Plants are also known to remove the toxins from the air. You can look forward to about 87% of VOCs or volatile organic compounds being removed from the air that you breathe. This data is according to NASA research.
Of course, you wouldn’t want VOCs to be present in your home. These are substances that are present in vinyl, rugs, grocery bags, and cigarette smoke. Trichloroethylene and benzene, on the other hand, are found in paint, inks, and solvents.
Living in a climate-controlled home increases the risk of trapping VOCs indoors so it is best to bring in plants so that these contaminants will become food for your plant instead.
Better Health
It’s been proven that hospital rooms that are decorated with potted plants tend to have patients that recover faster. Compared to the patients who do not have plants in their rooms, the patients who have plants in their rooms require less pain medications and they also suffer less anxiety and fatigue.
A Norwegian university even declared that the sickness rate in offices fell by more than 60% where there are plants brought in.
A Colorful Interior Décor
So, how many potted plants should you bring in?
The reduction of stress and fatigue requires at least one huge plant that’s about 8” in diameter. The bigger the pot, the better.
Classroom and office settings require more. If you want to purify the air, use 6-8 inch diameter pots for every 1,800 square meters.
Remember that the key to a colorful and fresh interior is to decorate with the most colorful plants. You could choose from the following –
Just about any room can have a lovely corner beautified by any of these plants. Optimize the use of every nook and cranny in your space by adding corner shelves where you can put your choice of potted plants. You can then complete the look by adding your book collection and accessories.
A wide coffee table that’s sitting undecorated in the middle of the living room would do well to have some plant life on it. a table made of wood can be polished or painted then decorated with plant life. You can also make use of planters to bring in even more plants.
The bathroom could use a bit of freshness as well. Have an accent wall made of wood or natural stone then have it decorated with fresh plants. Even the kitchen would also look great with small planters decorating the window sill.
The Uttermost Outdoor/Patio Niya Oversized Planters can help beautify the corners of your home.
Tags: decorating with houseplants, houseplant benefits, indoor plants, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, plant benefits
Posted in Accents, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on Greenery-Happy in Your Charming Home
Friday, December 14th, 2018
Uttermost Accessories Moth Orchid Planter 60039
Spring is far from manifesting and many are just left, wondering, how in the world are they going to get through winter without getting bored or cranky?
In yesterday’s post, http://mccreerys.blogs.eprevue.net/2018/12/13/6-coping-tips-for-cabin-fever/, we listed six ways that people can cope with cabin fever. Today, it’s all about making use of our leafy houseplants as an ally in battling the winter blues.
The Leafy Prescription
If you’ve been feeling down lately because of the weather and because you can’t go out that easily, then know that you’re not alone. The frigid weather affects one in three Americans. Those months of heavy snow, gray skies, and freezing temperatures are simply too much to bear.
Have a trio of potted greens brought in at first. These go in the living room, the kitchen, and the bedroom. These are, after all, three rooms where you spend most of your time when you’re home.
These three potted greens will not just brighten your surroundings, they will also help you breathe a lot easier as they help in cleansing the air.
Add Some Citrus
Plants that provide juices are not just there for your morning beverage but also to provide a citrus, tropical look to your home. Taking a lemon or orange tree indoors requires a loam-based mixture. This should be slightly acidic at pH 6-7.
If you’re not certain about how to begin, then you can just buy pre-mixed potting soil for your citrus trees. Just remember that your citrus trees need to have no less than 12 hours of sunlight each day. As you choose to grow them indoors, then be sure to position them right beside a south-facing window. Check the airflow in that area, too.
Bromeliads can also be grown indoors for the long haul, not just for this winter. Just like most tropical plants, bromeliads need bright light but not the direct, prolonged hot sunlight.
When outdoors, these plants grow under canopies so this sort of limits the amount of sunlight that they get. Consider this as your inspiration for setting up your indoor bromeliad garden.
During winter, you need to move these to spots that get ample light. As for their watering needs, they need a good one each month. Since they are epiphytes (plants that grow on rocks, logs or some other plants), they should not be kept soggy. Allow the water to drain as you shower them each month.
Flowers for Happiness
It is believed that flowers can help boost mental wellbeing. And the best ones that can help with one’s levels of joy and happiness are the following –
Gerberas and daisies for their vibrant hues. They also fill your mind with memories of sun-filled summer days and the outdoors.
Tulips, on the other hand, remind us of spring. They are gorgeous, colorful, and they represent new beginnings. If you want to add a touch of femininity in a room, then this is the go-to flower.
Roses are classic. Rose cards in the Tarot are considered as symbols of balance. They also represent hope, promise, and new beginnings. The elegance of this flower is sure to attract any beholder. Which is no surprise that it is the most preferred flower for weddings.
Did you know that roses also have the power to eliminate stress?
Hydrangeas are romantic blooms that have a soothing effect to the senses. These are commonly found in gardens but they can also be brought indoors since they are easy to care for.
Lastly, the orchids are both beautiful and elegant. Having them indoors means you won’t feel too bad during the dark winter days. These flowers are known to increase the level of positive energy in a room. They are also effective in cleaning the air at night.
Tags: indoor garden, indoor gardening, indoor plants, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, winter garden, winter gardening
Posted in Accents, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Winter Season | Comments Off on Indoor Winter Garden – Leafy, Citrus, Flowers Or All of Them?
Wednesday, April 25th, 2018
Houseplant decorating does not require a green thumb. This is great news since every home requires a touch of greenery. These potted beauties have a way of livening and brightening up any room but more than these reasons, they also can filter the very air that you breathe.
Unfortunately, not a lot of people realize the importance of breathing in fresh air. Air purifiers might be easy to install and all but nothing beats the inexpensive and natural look that potted plants can offer.
There are many types of plants that are known for their air purifying capacity. These include the English Ivy (this tops the list because of its air-purifying properties as well as its elegant beauty), the rubber plant (yup, this is no joke as they emit a high oxygen level), Lady Palm (this is as tropical as tropical could Spider Plant (it may not sound too plant-y but it helps in improving the air you breathe), the Barberton Daisy (which even combats xylene, formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene), Moth Orchid, and the Dwarf Date Palm.
There are many ways to display these natural air filters.
Hooker Furniture Bedroom Ozark Bed Bench
Bench, Credenza or Cart Display
The bench or cart is the simplest way that you can display your potted beauties. These come in handy when you don’t have a lot of space to work on.
Create a lively plant shrine by adding pots of greens onto a narrow credenza or a low bench. Just imagine this Hooker Furniture Bedroom Ozark bed bench filled with lovely greens.
White Pot ‘Em
Instead of the usual clay or ceramic pots, try a different look by planting your greens in white pots. Your evergreen foliage would even look and feel more elegant as you add these small 10”x8”x6” Uttermost Accessories Oval Domes Preserved Boxwood. Uttermost’s greens fuse quality with style. It also comes with advanced product engineering which promises the lowest damage rate. Every product is shipped out to you with quality in mind.
If the white pots don’t tickle your fancy, then you can always go for geometric pots or geometric greeneries. Here’s where the Uttermost Accessories Two Sphere Topiary Preserved Boxwood comes in. it is a plant arranged with two spheres and a mossy stone finish.
It is perfect for the living areas.
Uttermost Accessories Oval Domes Preserved Boxwood
Uttermost Accessories Two Sphere Topiary Preserved Boxwood
Plant Hangers
Another way that you can decorate with potted greens is to hang them. You can either suction them to the walls or build a special indoor trellis for them. These can then be classified as wall art and easily become the piece de resistance in a living room.
They can also be hung from the ceiling and you would need plant hangers for this. Make sure that the potted plant will be able to fit into the hangers. A macramé plant hanger can be made with some cotton cords. Learn the technique here.
You can also place long, hanging plants on wall shelving. Add some of your bottle or ceramic collections to complete the look.
Vase the Branches
Sometimes, all that you need is a part of the plant. You can get a lovely vase (it’s up to you whether you’d want glass, ceramic or any other material) and place the branch of a green plant there. This should last a few days up to a week. This kind of design is perfect for the Bohemian-inspired home.
Gotta Love Those Succulents
Creating your plant corner means you have to learn about layering. Your plant sanctuary does not have to be filled with leafy plants all the time. For added texture, you can use succulents. These tiny pots can be arranged right on the floor or you can have them grouped on an open shelf.
Tags: decorating with indoor plants, decorating with plants, hanging plants, houseplants, indoor plants, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Accents, Accessories, Decorative Elements, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on Indoor Plants: Your Home’s Natural Air Filters
Monday, January 29th, 2018
Uttermost Accessories Tree Topiary Preserved Boxwood 60095: Be stylish and healthy with this indoor plant.
There are many clear benefits to spending a few hours or even just a few minutes outdoors. This is what the Japanese refer to as forest bathing, that moment when you walk through the greenest trees and bushes. But would you just like to experience this awesome feeling when you’re outdoors? Or would you like to reap the benefits of having houseplants brought in?
Houseplants are a lot more than mere decoration. A lot of studies have shown that greenery in your home or even the workplace can contribute to positive moods, lower stress levels, and a clean feeling because the air gets filtered somehow.
If you want to improve your health as well as the aesthetics of your home, then you can hit these two birds with the single stone that are house plants.
A single potted plant for every 100 square feet is highly recommended. This or you can ask an interior designer how to best customize the indoor plant placement in your living areas.
Grade A Air Quality
Indoor plants have amazing air purifying effects. This was declared by no less than NASA in 1989. According to them, plants can easily detoxify space stations. If the plants can do it in there, then they could just as easily do it inside energy efficient buildings.
There are many different kinds of indoor plants that can be effectively used to remove benzene, formaldehyde, and other types of pollutants in any sealed chambers. Common golden pothos and spider plants have been observed to be most effective.
Other plants that offer air cleansing benefits include the ficus, dracaena, English ivy, Chinese evergreen, peace lily, bamboo, reed palm, and the philodendron.
If you want to lessen the risks of stroke, ischemic heart disease, respiratory infections, COPD, and lung cancer, then be ready to embrace these new decorative elements.
Experts have yet to agree as to the reasonable amount of houseplants that could cleanse a significant pollutant level. But for as long as you have potted plants indoors, you, somehow, take the first steps towards a cleaner environment.
Increased Productivity
Who wouldn’t want to have an increased amount of activity in a home office? Since we all live in a world of computers and gadgets, humans tend to be disconnected from Mother Nature so it makes sense that you bring in a little of nature to enhance the mood in a workspace.
Science supports this concept as was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2014. If you like to increase productivity and job satisfaction, then be sure to bring in a potted plant or two in your home office.
Healing Influence
How would you like to be free from ailments? Studies on flowers and plants show that they have a positive effect on the recovery of surgical patients. In fact, these patients tend to have less need for painkillers when they have greeneries to cheer them up. They also reported less fatigue and anxiety.
Plants are known to significantly reduce the time that a patient heals inside a hospital. There are also pieces of evidence of the positive effects of horticulture therapy where patients actually take part in caring for plants while they are recuperating.
It is possible that these healing effects take place because plants are amazing filters of airborne microbes. A study at the Washington State University proved that a house with plants has 20% less dust.
Just be careful that you don’t bring indoor plants as gifts to patients who have recently undergone transplants or are immune-compromised. These people are more susceptible to bacteria in the soil so it is best to wait for them to recover before you even consider giving them indoor plant gifts.
Tags: decorating with houseplants, houseplant, houseplant benefits, houseplant decor, houseplants, indoor plant benefits, indoor plants, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Accessories, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on House Plants and Your Wellness
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
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
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: decorating with houseplants, decorating with indoor plants, houseplant, houseplant benefits, houseplant decor, houseplants, indoor plant benefits, indoor plants, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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