How to Improve Your Home Office With Houseplants

Studies have shown that offices with plants make the people who work in them happier and more productive. With more WFH employees in complete control of creating their ideal office environments, it's possible for anyone to add houseplants to their workspace for improved efficiency and satisfaction. 

The Benefits of Houseplants In the Home Office

There are many benefits to adding houseplants to your home office. From making us more productive and creative to helping us with memory retention, focus, and concentration, here are some of the mental benefits houseplants can bring to our work lives. 

Houseplants Improve Our Mood and Lessen Stress

Being outdoors in nature improves our mood, so it makes sense that bringing the outdoors in with potted plants can have a similar impact as well. Horticulture Therapy, established in the 70s, posits that growing plants can have a therapeutic effect on improving moods and creating positive emotions. And gardening does not have to happen outdoors or with a large plot of land to count. Even the smallest patio container garden or a single houseplant can bring many benefits. 

Houseplants Help with Focus and Memory

Gardening and caring for plants has been shown to increase cognitive function and memory. A 2019 Korean study found that twenty minutes of low to moderate intensity gardening resulted in a significant increase of brain nerve growth factors related to memory and cognition in seniors.

While the study focused on older adults, it is widely believed that people of any age can benefit from the memory-improving aspects of gardening. And while caring for a houseplant is not as rigorous as outdoor gardening with a plot of land like in the study, the calming presence of ornamental indoor plants is believed to increase concentration abilities. 

Houseplants Make Us More Creative

A 2014 University of Exeter study found that the presence of indoor ornamental plants in the workspace gives a boost to employee creativity. In the study, the employees who worked in an office space enhanced with plants came up with design solutions that were 45% more creative than decisions made by those who worked in spaces devoid of greenery. 

Houseplants Boost Productivity

That same University of Exeter study found that adding plants to an otherwise spartan office increased productivity by 40%. Results showed that just by adding plants to the employees workspace, self-reported levels of concentration and air quality increased. By adding plants, researchers found that worker's engagement with their jobs was improved by making them "physically, cognitively, and emotionally involved in their work."

How to Add Plants to Your Home Office For Peak Productivity 

From countless research studies and empirical evidence, it's clear that adding something pleasant and pleasurable to your work environment—like plants—has motivating and mood-boosting results. When people feel motivated and uplifted, their desire to engage deeper with their work and the feelings of gratitude they have for that work all increase. 

Today, employees who work from home are now in control of their home environments. You can make your space exactly what you want! Here are some tips for adding houseplants to your home office for peak productivity. 

Brighten Your Desk with an 8" Tabletop Planter 

For the beginner houseplant host, starting with something small, easy, and cheerful is a great way to reap the mental rewards of houseplants with minimal effort. A small plant for your desk in a tabletop planter is a great way to add warmth and comfort to your workspace. Consider something drought-tolerant that requires minimal watering or maintenance if you're worried about accidentally neglecting your new friend. If you're going to place the plant on your desk near computers and cords, make sure to always move your plant elsewhere when watering. 

Consider the Solid Goods 8" Ceramic Planter with Stand as your perfect desk buddy. Small and compact with a gorgeous teak stand, it provides an attractive and spill-free home for your plant that looks sleek and professional enough for work. We love planting something like a Chinese Evergreen, Aloe, or Snake Plant in these compact cylinders. 

Cheer Up Your Corner Office with a Creativity-Boosting 10" Ceramic Cylinder

If you are lucky enough to have some more space in your home office or desk area, a 10" planter that can be kept near your desk or cheering up a corner will really feel like a luxury. The larger size will give you lots of options when it comes to picking a houseplant. Monstera, Peacock Plants, and Aloe are all great varieties to grow for pots of this size. 

The Solid Goods 10" Ceramic Cylinder is an excellent choice for mid-sized houseplants. Because all Solid Goods planters are conveniently sized to fit nursery pots, it's easy to place your plant directly inside the container for no-muss, no-fuss office spaces. 

Create an Oasis to Escape to with an Oversized 12" Planter

If you have a whole room in your house dedicated to your home office and are craving a big plant for big impact, a large 12" planter can completely change the game of your workspace. Fiddle Leaf Figs, Banana Leaf Palms, large Dracaenas, and Money Trees are all excellent examples of large, statement-making houseplants that can add a whole lot of cheer and happiness if you have the space for them. Consider placing your plant near an armchair to create a cozy place to chill out and escape when you need a break from your desk. 

The Solid Goods 12" Ceramic Cylinder is the perfect size for large plants that need ample room for their roots to grow. It can also be paired with the accompanying stand to add additional height and drama. 

Conclusion: Houseplants + Home Offices = A Perfect Productivity Match

In the age of remote work, more employees than ever before are in complete control of creating their own office environments. People who used to work at desks all day or drive in to the office are now waking up at home and simply padding over to another room to in the house or a different space in the apartment to begin their work day. With freedom comes flexibility to create a working oasis that helps you focus and find greater fulfillment in your work. From boosting our creativity to lessening stress, houseplants and home offices are the perfect WFH productivity pair.