If you've never worked with a plant stylist before, knowing what to prepare can feel like a mystery.
Since implementing our free design consultation for both residential and commercial clients, we’ve gotten our fair share of prep questions.
So, we decided to bring all our tips into one concise post to walk you through exactly what to bring, what to expect, and how to make every minute of your free consultation count.
If you’re ready to get a few ideas, keep reading.
What Is a Plant Stylist Consultation and What Does It Cover?
Our free design consultation with an artificial plant stylist is a focused, expert conversation about your space and how high-quality faux greenery can serve it. Your plant stylist will work with you to find the artificial plants that meet your space requirements and vision.
In the end, you can either accept our suggestions and buy those products, adjust the recommendation and choose different products, or leave without buying anything.
The consultation isn’t a sales pitch, but a design session where both sides are working toward the same goal.
At Designer Plants, our consultations are led by expert plant stylists who work across both residential and commercial projects. They'll ask about your goals, assess your spatial constraints, advise on product selection, help you understand quantity requirements, and flag any technical considerations (such as whether you need FireTex fire-resistant panels for commercial compliance or UV-rated products for outdoor or high-sun environments).
For commercial clients, the stakes are higher: ordering 40 panels for a hotel lobby without specialist advice is a very different risk than buying two plants for a living room. This is exactly where the consultation pays for itself, before you spend a dollar.
If you want to get it right the first time, talk to our team and make magic happen.
Book your free consultation with Designer Plants →
Before Your Artificial Plant Consultation: 6 Things to Prepare
If you’re ready to talk to our expert team, here are 6 things we need to see from you before your consultation to make sure we bring our A-game.
If possible, we prefer not to work off vague descriptions of the space; the more details you can show us, the better.
1. Photos of your space from multiple angles
Photos of your space is the single most useful thing you can bring. Even smartphone photos give our stylists enormous information: the quality and direction of natural light, the color palette, ceiling height, existing furniture and finishes, and the spatial proportions of the room or zone you're working with.
For commercial clients, bring photos from the entrance, the main trading or working area, and any specific zones you're considering (a reception desk, a dining area divider, a terrace screen). For residential clients, shoot the room in natural daylight and again in your usual evening lighting.
The more angles, the better. Our stylists have worked with clients on everything from compact apartments to full-scale restaurant fit-outs, and great photos are the starting point every time.
2. Accurate measurements of your space
If you're considering vertical garden panels or green walls, measurements are non-negotiable.
Our panels are 40" x 40" (approximately 3.3 ft x 3.3 ft), and knowing your wall dimensions allows us to calculate coverage, seam placement, and quantity on the spot. In general, you’ll need to multiply the wall width by height in square feet, then divide by 11 (each 40×40in panel covers 11 sq ft). So, a 10ft × 8ft wall will need 8 panels. Note that we recommend adding 10% extra for wastage (wrapping awkward parts of the wall).
You can also calculate the number of artificial vertical garden panels you need with the help of our panel calculator on each product page.
If you want to do it manually, here’s a tutorial of Georgina showing you how that’s done in under 2 minutes:
For floor-standing plants, topiary, or hanging garlands, note the ceiling height, which will determine whether a tall statement piece will work or overwhelm the space.
Don't worry if your measurements aren't perfect. A rough sketch with approximate dimensions is enough to work from in a consultation.
3. A sense of your style or aesthetic
You don't need to arrive with a finalized mood board (though if you have one, bring it), but we will need a sense of the atmosphere you're going for. Words like "tropical," "modern minimal," "warm and earthy," or "clean and corporate" give a skilled stylist a strong starting point.
For commercial clients, think about brand alignment. A contemporary tech office has different greenery needs than a boutique hotel spa or a casual café terrace. Our Coastal Collection, Contemporary Collection, and Traditional Collection each speak to distinct aesthetics, so knowing which direction you're leaning helps your stylist narrow down recommendations quickly.
For residential clients, reference a room you love (either from a magazine, Instagram, or a space you've visited). Visual references are worth a thousand words, and they’ll help our team find exactly what you like.
4. Your light conditions
Artificial plants don't need sunlight to survive, but light conditions directly affect which product will look best in your space, and whether UV protection is a priority.
If you're placing greenery in a sun-drenched outdoor terrace, a pool area, or a south-facing window, UV-resistant materials are essential to prevent any fading over time. If the space is largely shaded or interior, a broader range of products opens up.
Note whether your space gets direct sun, indirect light, or is primarily artificially lit. For commercial spaces with dramatic accent lighting or colour-wash projections, even the way shadows fall on foliage matters and affects realism, and that’s something our stylists are trained to factor in.
5. Any compliance or safety requirements
Hotels, restaurants, retail fit-outs, event venues, healthcare facilities, and public spaces often have fire safety requirements that dictate what materials can be used.
Our FireTex fire-resistant range is built to meet NFPA 701 standards and is the preferred specification for architects and designers working on compliance-sensitive commercial builds.
If you're operating in a jurisdiction with strict fire codes, particularly in California or other high-risk states, your stylist needs to know this upfront to recommend the right products from the start and ensure safety is prioritized.
For outdoor installations, note whether the area is exposed to high UV, coastal salt air, or extreme heat. These environmental factors shape product selection just as much as aesthetics do.
Explore: 5 Questions Before Buying Commercial Artificial Plants
6. Your budget range (even a rough one)
You don't need a precise figure in mind before you speak with our team, but sharing a rough range allows your stylist to prioritize recommendations that will work for you.
At Designer Plants, we carry options across a wide price spectrum, from individual hanging garland stems to full commercial-grade green wall systems and custom plant builds, so just sharing a “vibe” won’t help you much in terms of accurate product recommendations.
Knowing your budget also helps determine whether the right approach is a statement installation in one zone, or a more distributed approach across multiple areas. There's no wrong answer, but those approaches require different strategies which our team will need to focus on.
What to Expect During the Consultation
Once you're in the consultation, your stylist will work through your photos, measurements, and brief. Most often, this will mean asking clarifying questions and presenting product options that suit your space, style, and budget.
For commercial clients, this typically includes:
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Product recommendations with specific panel styles and quantities
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Guidance on fire rating and UV protection requirements
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Advice on installation approach, DIY or professional
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ROI framing around faux greenery longevity vs. live plant maintenance costs
For residential clients, the conversation tends to be more focused on aesthetics and styling, i.e., which pieces will anchor the room, how to layer height and texture, and where to place statements vs. supporting pieces.
Our stylists can also walk you through the installation (if you’re going DIY), or connect you with our professional installation team if the project calls for it.
The consultation is free, and there's no obligation to purchase. But in our experience, clients who arrive prepared leave with a clear action plan, and the confidence that what they've chosen will actually work in their space before they spend anything.
Finishing Thoughts
A free design consultation with a plant stylist is one of the most underused tools available to anyone investing in artificial greenery. Most people browse products alone, make a guess on scale or style, and only discover whether it works once it's installed.
A consultation inverts that process entirely.
The brief you bring to your stylist is what separates a generic recommendation from a tailored one. Photos, measurements, light notes, and a clear aesthetic direction are the difference between a space that looks considered and one that just looks like plants were added.
At Designer Plants, we've worked with Coca-Cola, BMW, five-star resorts, interior design studios, and thousands of homeowners. The projects that land best are always the ones where the client and the stylist started the conversation well.
That conversation is free. And it's waiting for you.
FAQs
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What is a plant stylist consultation?
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A plant stylist consultation is a free, expert-led design session where a specialist assesses your space and recommends artificial greenery solutions based on your aesthetic goals, spatial dimensions, light conditions, and any technical requirements. At Designer Plants, consultations cover both residential and commercial projects.
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Do I need to know exactly what I want before booking a consultation?
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No. You don't need a finished brief or a specific product in mind. Bringing photos, approximate measurements, and a general sense of the aesthetic you're going for is enough. Your stylist's job is to translate your instincts into precise recommendations. The more detail you can provide, the faster and more tailored the advice will be.
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Is the consultation really free?
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Yes. Designer Plants offers free design consultations with no obligation to purchase. The consultation is a service designed to help you make a better decision. It’s not a sales call or a pitch; you can leave without buying anything.
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How long does a plant stylist consultation take?
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For residential projects, a consultation typically takes 20–30 minutes. For commercial projects, especially those involving artificial green walls, large-scale fit-outs, or compliance considerations, allow 45–60 minutes, particularly if you're bringing a full brief or floor plans.
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What if my project requires fire-rated or UV-rated products?
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Tell your stylist upfront. Our FireTex fire-resistant range meets NFPA 701 standards and is available across a wide range of green wall panels and hanging plants. UV protection is built directly into materials across the outdoor and commercial range. Your stylist will ensure the right specification is matched to your compliance requirements.
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Can I book a consultation if I'm outside the US?
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Yes. Designer Plants works with clients globally, including commercial projects across Australia, Canada, the UK, and beyond. Remote consultations are available, and our team can advise on international shipping and installation support.
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Is a consultation still worth it if I only need one or two artificial plants?
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Absolutely. Even for a single statement piece, a short consultation ensures the scale, style, and product type are right for the space. It takes far less time to get it right up front than to return a product that doesn't work in context.
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What products are best for commercial spaces?
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For high-traffic commercial environments, our commercial-grade vertical garden panels, fire-resistant artificial plants, and boxwood hedges and planters are the most commonly specified. Your stylist will advise on which suits your specific environment.
