As a utilitarian space, the office is often soulless.
Although minimalism works for some spaces, your office should radiate positivity and encourage motivation and productivity. Usually, brick walls don’t do the trick, which is why many opt for propping a few plants around.
But here comes another issue - who will take care of all these plants? After all, they’re different and require a variable degree of attention. But unfortunately, office employees aren’t necessarily the pinnacle of free time.
So what do you do?
You substitute them for artificial plants, of course!
But keep reading to find out why this is a good idea.
Why Use Artificial Plants?
We know what you’re thinking - if I’m decorating the office with plants, I might as well use the real deal. But we beg to differ!
Artificial plants and vertical gardens have their place in your office and it’s no surprise they’re becoming so popular. Especially if your space is limited and no office employee has enough time to look after foliage or clean a garden.
Generally, the main reason many opt for fake plants is because they are extremely low maintenance and don’t require time-consuming upkeep. Add the lower cost and the money saved on pots and soil, and you’ve got enough for an improvised garden.
In addition, fake plants don't move through life stages and are impervious to weather conditions. They don’t need to be watered and won’t wither even if the only thing you do is admire them. And we assure you, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a real and an artificial green wall or plant.
Benefits of Using Artificial Plants for the Office
After suffering through virtual confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees returning to the office (or doing hybrid) would greatly benefit from brightening their personal cubicles and dull meeting or communal spaces. After all, we’re trying to make the office more welcoming again!
Apart from ushering in an atmosphere of comfort, relaxation, and focus, artificial greenery has more to offer.
Stress Reduction
Work environments are conducive to high stress levels. But it’s common knowledge that people surrounded by plants and foliage have an easier time managing life’s stressors. In fact, green is widely known as the color of relaxation, so what better way to invite tranquillity than decking the office in green?
Working and creating in a green space can subsequently make workers more motivated, productive, and positive. And in turn, happy employees will be a business’ best ambassadors.
Creativity Increase
Unique combinations of walls, planters, and topiary balls can boost productivity and encourage creativity. By doing so, your employees will be more motivated to set your business apart from the competition and inject more drive and personality into the system.
For a touch of uniqueness and an inspiring environment, you can mix and match different faux plants with vertical gardens. With this, employees will receive a mood boost and benefit from improved concentration levels, just like what they’d get from real plants!
Versatile and Affordable
Although the upfront costs of most artificial plants might drive you away from getting them, they’re more affordable in the long run than real plants. Consider the fact that even the cheapest and smallest real plants require ongoing care and can wither from a lack of attention. Plus, they might grow too big for their pots, urging you to buy new ones.
Ultimately, you’re getting more bang for your buck from artificial plants due to their intrinsic versatility. Regardless of which type of flora you choose, it can fit in no matter where it’s placed. And if you’ve styled them a certain way to suit the decor, they’ll always hold the same shape.
No Risk of Allergies
What’s worse than spending time and money on real plants to adorn the workspace and discovering that many employees are allergic to pollen?
As it turns out, people itching, sneezing, and breaking out in hives don’t lend well to a productive meeting. For some, pollen can trigger even more serious allergic reactions that can be debilitating.
Artificial plants completely eliminate this risk and simultaneously provide the same benefits as real plants. Essentially, it’s all the good without any of the bad!
No or Low Maintenance
So artificial plants closely resemble the real thing, can be placed in any location, and look great, what else would one need to stock up on fauxliage?
Well, we can also add the fact that artificial plants require little to no maintenance and are as untroublesome as they come. While real plants demand frequent watering, the right fertilizers, gentle pruning, and daily attention, and can still wilt from not being in the right light, fake ones just need the occasional dusting.
Essentially, artificial greenery can brighten up any room without the help of natural light - perfect for even the dingiest office!
Outstanding Quality
In the olden days, fake plants were a nightmare for interior designers and the average person could spot the artificiality from a mile away. They were cheap, unnaturally green (some even neon!) and they often snapped when handled a little too roughly.
Unfortunately, these myths are still relatively commonplace. One could say old thought patterns die hard!
But nowadays, there is virtually no proof to sustain these tales, as artificial foliage is made so convincing, enriching, and inherently radiant. Plus, we add a sprinkle of love to all our flora, and we think it shows!
How to Style Artificial Plants in the Office?
Sadly, simply placing a plant in the corner of an empty room won’t do much for employee morale nor would it elevate the space in any way. That’s why it’s essential to know how to style faux greenery in a way that compliments the area and doesn’t take away from it.
But how do you do that?
Create a Desk-Sized Garden
If embellishing the whole office in green is not in the cards for a business, employees can make their own desk-sized gardens and decorate their workspace however they like. If you ever crave a moment of hygge, you can seek solace in your small desk garden and take a breather.
Plus, there isn’t a right way of making a garden. All you need is to take your chosen plants, be they artificial succulents or larger flowers, add some rocks or sand, and there you have it - your own zen garden.
Use Different Leaf Styles and Sizes
If you opt for numerous faux plants with the same leaf sizes and styles, don’t be surprised when the office still looks bare or a bit lifeless. To add vibrancy and capture attention, the office should be occupied with various different plants.
Diversifying the plant collection and alternating between small shrubs and oversized plants will lead to a more captivating environment. For example, you can go for a focal point like a large leafy plant by a window and hang a smaller colorful plant next to the door.
Add Artwork and Pictures
Sometimes the office can still look janky if the plants are the sole decorations. So, to instantly pull the space together and create unity, weave in objects like photographs, paintings, sketches, drawings, or sculptures for an eclectic environment. This will undoubtedly catch the eye of office visitors and help employees feel homely.
But make sure you don’t go too overboard, as maximalism might be detrimental to employee productivity and can achieve the opposite effect. Essentially, every decoration should be intentional and add value to the area.
Use Hanging Plants
To visually enhance a room and keep up with the trends, you should consider adding fake hanging plants in the office. Despite adding height to a room and embracing an alternative method of decorating, hanging plants can maximize the space while still being lightweight and safe.
Plus, fake hanging plants are surprisingly easy to hang by yourself, and thanks to the plethora of pot styles available, you will undoubtedly find something to fit the office vibe.
Take Advantage of the Walls
If you exclusively set your fake plants on the ground, you might be inadvertently making your ceiling appear lower. Plus, you’d be leaving your walls bare and inanimate. Think about it, your office walls are a blank canvas - so get creative and decorate!
Coupled with the hanging plants you can place around the office, an artificial green wall disc can amp up the space that much more and will give all office employees something nice to look at when pondering their next assignment.
Finishing Thoughts
On the surface, it might seem like there isn’t much an artificial plant can do for your office. But it turns out that couldn’t be further from the truth because fauxliage can completely transform the workspace and provide all employees with a productivity boost.
So what are you waiting for? Green it up!