Practical Tips
Before you do anything, you need to follow proper planning and installation techniques to ensure you get a professional finish.
Here’s what our decades of experience have taught us about DIYing an artificial plant wall with lights:
Wall prepping
The most important step when starting your project is to prepare a sturdy, weather-resistant surface for your artificial vertical garden. If your existing wall is rough, uneven, or made of porous materials like brick, you’ll need to smooth it out to provide a suitable foundation for your panels.
Taking our client’s idea, a great way to do this is by installing cement sheets, which provide the solid base needed for attaching the greenery.
For added contrast, we recommend painting the surface black before attaching the faux plant wall panels. A dark background makes the foliage appear fuller, hides any small gaps, and brings in more depth.
Remember to also check if the base material is properly sealed to prevent moisture damage.
If you’re working with a non-solid structure, attach a timber or metal frame first to create a reliable structure for securing your panels.
Position planning
Before you start installing, take time to plan the positioning of your faux vertical garden. Set your decor up for success by ensuring it’s protected from fire hazards, wiring, and severe weather conditions.
While our faux green walls come with 5-year warranties, they don’t cover damage done by extreme weather, so take precautions.
If you’re incorporating wall art or lighting like our client, map out these placements in advance to ensure your design is balanced. Mark out the dimensions using painter’s tape or chalk to visualize the layout before making changes.
After this, you can start covering the wall with your panels. We suggest starting from the edges and working inwards to ensure even coverage. For a more detailed walkthrough, check out our installation guide.
Adding lights
To make sure your artificial green wall is visible at night, add lighting. The best way to highlight textures and depth is by using LED strip lights, spotlights, or backlit panels with designs (like our client did).
When installing your lights, conceal the wiring to keep it clean and polished. You can run cables behind the panels, use battery-operated LED lights, or connect them to an outdoor power source with waterproof casings.
We also suggest using a timer or smart lighting system to automate the lights so you don’t have to remember to turn them on every evening.
You can also control the ambiance of your space with the light color you choose. Namely, use warm white LED lights to evoke coziness or cool-toned lights for a high-contrast effect.
Decorating with wall art
Lastly, don’t skimp out on wall art - it’s one thing that can take your artificial green wall from simple to spectacular. A metal cut-out design or laser-cut panel, like our client used, will do wonders for texture and contrast, which in turn makes the greenery feel even more dynamic.
Choose materials like weather-resistant aluminum, steel, or acrylic to ensure longevity in outdoor conditions. Or, you can even cut and shape the panels themselves to serve as wall art.
When placing your art, make sure it’s securely mounted to withstand wind and outdoor elements. If you’re using a lighted metal panel, align it with your lighting plan so that the backlighting highlights the design at night. Make sure you don’t completely cover any other accessories.
Remember to keep the size of your artwork proportional to the green wall. A large statement piece works well as a focal point, but you can also group smaller pieces together for an artistic touch.
