Plants complete interior spaces. A quick look at Instagram and Pinterest and you’ll find plenty of plants in design spaces and people obsessing over them. From palm plants to hanging baskets, leafy vines to hanging plants, succulents, bonsais, and other tiny plants - plants are having a moment in the spotlight - and for good reason. Apart from adding refreshing color and energy to the setting, plants bring plenty of character and function as any other interior design element. Indoor plants are known to improve the physical and mental well-being of people and keep the surroundings and everyone in it happier and healthier. There are lots of benefits of indoor plants and how they can improve a space and everyday life.
Improving air quality
Indoor pollution poses a serious threat to human health. According to a research titled ‘Plants for Sustainable Improvement of Indoor Air Quality', indoor plants help in eliminating common toxins and indoor pollutants such as benzene, nitrogen, and formaldehyde from the air. Apart from improving air quality, live plants help in reducing carbon dioxide levels and airborne dust levels and will help you breathe easier. Plant size, room size, and concentration of toxins in the air define the extent to which plants can purify the air in a room.
Improving Mental Health
Not only do indoor plants bring gorgeous color and liveliness to the space, they help in improving the mental health of people around them. Research on the subject has found that people who live around nature feel happier as compared to ones who don’t have nature around them. Plants have a calming influence and since they clean indoor air, the brain feels less fatigued and cloudy, which in turn helps mental health.
More comfortable room
There are very few elements that can make a room more pleasant than plants. Indoor plants are known to increase humidity and can help in keeping indoor air temperature down which makes any space more comfortable. Apart from this, live plants also help in reducing noise and can be strategically placed to mask unsightly areas or frame ideal vantage points.
Better attention levels and reduced stress
A study conducted on elementary students found that live plants as visual stimuli helped improve concentration levels and attention. Brain scans of participants showed that students who studied with real plants in the classroom were more attentive and had better concentration levels as compared to others who did not.
According to a study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, plants in home or office can help make people feel comfortable and soothed. It showed that interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults.
Better recovery
Plants are known to speed up recovery from an illness, surgery, or injury. A study titled ‘Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals’ showed that people who were recuperating from surgery needed less pain medication and had shorter hospital stays than people who didn’t have plants or greenery around them during their recovery period.
