Plants in a Space — Real vs. Fake
Did you know that real estate agents, when staging a home, are actually doing a little Feng Shui in there to raise the vibration, and “up the feel,” so that the home is more desirable to buyers?
I even heard of real estate who did zero staging to an empty house except one thing — she put a nice plant in the corner of each room!
It’s no wonder plants make a difference in a space. From a “chi” perspective (the Chinese word for “energy”), since plants are alive, they do bring a lot of fresh, good chi into a space.
HOW PLANTS HELP:
- positive, life-giving chi/energy
- provide oxygen
- clean the air
- green is lovely
- bring in the Wood element, representing growth, expansion, and forward movement
- pretty
- recall a connection to nature…and that feels good
NOTE: Some plants that bode better in a space than others. You’ll want the plants to be healthy, well-maintained (watered, dead-headed, potted in the appropriate size pots, etc.), and exude friendliness. (This eliminated pokey, spiky, and pointy plants in most cases — sorry, Cacti-lovers!)
All of this begs the question: what about fake plants?
Well, obviously because they aren’t alive and they aren’t emitting oxygen, a live plant would (most of the time) be more ideal, chi-wise. However, that doesn’t mean that fake plants don’t have their place! Maintenance of live plants aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and fake plants these days are looking more and more real!
I say YES, in SOME CASES to fake plants. If your fake plants give the illusion of “life-giving, happy, and fresh,” then they are Feng Shui approved! But if your fake plants are looking tired, cheap, dusty, or just plain ugly, please get rid of them.
West Elm store in Birmingham, AL knows the power of plants — even if they’re fake! photo credit: Emily Cone Creative
Check out this array from West Elm — no one can deny the liveliness of these!
So, for all you Non-green-thumbs, there is hope for you to have some green in your space yet! Get creative and make sure to wipe the dust from them every once in a while, and see how some plant life can add so much to your home or office!
