As we’ve seen major businesses shift toward remote work and work-from-home capabilities in the past year, creating an intentional home workspace and establishing an area where you can be productive and efficient is vital to your success away from the office.
While numerous studies have shown that productivity, mood, company satisfaction, efficiency, and work-life balance have drastically improved while working from home, it’s still important to take the time to invest in a home office space that inspires and motivates you to do your job to the best of your abilities.
Most home office designs will feature a healthy blend of fashion and function with items like a desk, swivel chair, cabinets, and accessories to give your office a personal touch. If you feel comfortable in your remote workspace, you can use this to your advantage.
One way to add a level of comfort to your home office is with the addition of houseplants. Adding house plants to your interior design will provide something pleasant to look at and give you something to care for to prevent going stir-crazy indoors.
If you’re reorganizing your desk, leave some space available for your leafy friends and follow our blog to discover the benefits of house plants and how they can improve your health.
Benefits of Office House Plants
Plants are known to improve air quality, health, mood, and productivity. They remove harmful particles from the air that are often a result of chemicals found in furniture, carpet, pet hair, and even printer ink.
In addition, plants are also natural humidifiers, which help reduce illness rates and alleviate symptoms of headaches, dry skin, dry coughs, dry eyes, and sore throats.
House plants can be mood enhancers, and keeping plenty of foliage near your desk can reduce stress, boost mood, and improve the perception of your workspace. If your home office is appealing, you’ll be more encouraged to put in a full eight hours. A positive attitude lends itself to a productive schedule, as well as alertness and attentiveness throughout the day.
House Plant Considerations
Office plants offer so many tremendous benefits, but before you run off to your local nursery, there are a few things to keep in mind when on the hunt for house plants.
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Space: Much like people, plants require plenty of uninhibited space for proper airflow. You don’t want to shove any plants behind a piece of furniture; it should be a location that has good circulation and access to sunlight. If your home office resembles a congested cubicle, keep the door open so your plants can still get the air they require.
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Lighting: Sunlight is certainly important, lighting needs do vary across specific plants. If your home office doesn’t have windows or much natural light, choose a plant that can survive with very little light. If your home does have good lighting, be mindful of where you place the plant so it isn’t under direct sunlight during the warmest parts of the day.
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Maintenance: If you’re new to the world of foliage and haven’t cared for a plant before, start with a plant that doesn’t require a lot of attention. Some plants flourish with very little water while others need routine pruning, watering, and replanting. It is very possible to over-water and under-water a plant, so this is something else to keep top-of-mind.
It isn’t so much about choosing a plant that’s “right” or “wrong,” but about choosing a plant that is right for the space you have. We highlighted the importance of space, lighting, and maintenance, but your level of decorating expertise can also play a role.
If space is at a premium in your home office, try your best to utilize the vertical space on shelves or hang plants on ceiling hooks if you don’t have enough room on your desk. Keep your desk and file shelves organized and free of clutter to make as much room as possible. Once again, pay attention to the amount of light that enters your office and consider how much attention you’re willing to give each plant.
Health Benefits of Plants for Home Offices
We briefly mentioned a few of the health benefits, but we want to reiterate that house plants are much more than decoration. Beyond reducing pollutants from the air, house plants are an incredibly effective method to combatting work-related stress and improving your quality of life from your home office.
To keep it simple, remember these core health benefits:
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Plants are known to improve air quality.
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Plants can boost and speed up your immune response system.
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Plants are stress reducers.
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Plants increase humidity.
The Best Plants for Your Home Office
There are plenty of easy-care houseplants that are perfect for a home office. They’re visually appealing and require little maintenance so you can focus on the task-at-hand each day. Explore our list and decide which plant is best for you.
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Sansevieria: A great beginner plant. Ideal for a home office because they can thrive in low-light areas and require very minimal watering.
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Ivy: Ivy can survive in low- to medium-light, but it will grow faster in brighter light. Ivy acts as a tremendous air purifier for your office.
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ZZ Plant: The ZZ plant is a form of succulent. This variety is perfect for any level of light and can even thrive in a low-light environment. They hold onto water in their underground rhizomes, so they require very little watering.
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Spider Plants: If you take a true liking to planting, spider plants may be the reason why. They’re an excellent choice for medium-light offices, and they reproduce easily so you can repot them and enjoy the plant in other areas of your home.
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Pothos: This plant variety survives in low-light environments and will be just fine if you forget to water it for a day. You’ll know what to watch for because they droop when they need water, letting you know they’re thirsty.
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Jade Plants: The perfect plant for office feng shui, jade plants are symbols of luck and prosperity. As another form of succulent, they do best with bright light and little watering.
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Schefflera: Also known as the Dwarf Umbrella Tree, this tongue-twister of a plant offers a joyous and cheerful display of leaves that will certainly brighten any office space. It will look great on your desk or near a windowsill where the bright light can reflect off the plant.
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Fittonia: One of the best air-purifying houseplants, fittonia can survive in low light but does require consistent watering.
A Breath of Fresh Air
If your home office is feeling a little stuffy, then it might be time to invest in a display of house plants. You’ll enjoy your work environment and notice an improvement in your efficiency each day.
If you need to freshen your space even more, consider upgrading your office furniture. You’ll feel like the CEO when you’re sitting behind your brand-new desk, and after a year at home, you deserve a small improvement to your workspace.
If you have questions or would like more information, give us a call, browse our digital catalog, or visit us in-store to shop our entire collection of office furniture, decorations, and home furnishings.