By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
These skills will help you create beautiful, inviting indoor environments that brighten spaces and improve people's well-being.
Interior landscaping, also called interiorscaping, is the design and arrangement of living plants and related natural and built elements inside buildings to improve their appearance, comfort and wellbeing. Its elements fall into two main groups: softscape, which is the living plant material, and hardscape, which includes planters, stones, pebbles, wood, water features, sculptures and structures, supported by growing media, lighting and watering systems. Each element has a role, and good interior landscapes combine them so that plants thrive and the space looks attractive. Example: in the atrium of a telecom company's headquarters, a designer uses tall palms and fiddle-leaf figs in fibreglass planters, a pebble-edged water feature, a preserved moss wall and self-watering inserts to create a calm green space for staff and visitors.
| Plant | Light needs | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Snake plant (Sansevieria) | Low to bright indirect light | Offices, bedrooms and corners |
| ZZ plant | Low to medium light | Reception areas and low-light rooms |
| Pothos (money plant) | Low to bright indirect light | Shelves, hanging baskets and trailing displays |
| Peace lily | Low to medium light | Offices and lounges, adds white flowers |
| Dracaena | Medium indirect light | Floor plants for corners and corridors |
| Areca palm | Bright indirect light | Large spaces and lobbies |
| Fiddle-leaf fig | Bright indirect light | Statement plants in living rooms and atriums |
| Monstera | Medium to bright indirect light | Feature plants with large leaves |
| Aloe and succulents | Bright light | Desks and window sills |
| Boston fern | Medium indirect light, high humidity | Bathrooms and humid areas |
| Element | Description | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Planters and containers | Pots and troughs in ceramic, fibreglass, metal, concrete, wood or woven materials | Hold plants and set the style |
| Pebbles and stones | River pebbles, gravel, lava rock and decorative stones | Top-dress soil, edge features and add texture |
| Wood elements | Logs, slices, driftwood and timber boxes | Add natural warmth and structure |
| Water features | Fountains, ponds and water walls | Add sound, movement and humidity |
| Sculptures and ornaments | Art pieces, carved figures and lanterns | Create focal points |
| Trellises and frames | Supports for climbing plants and green walls | Give structure and vertical interest |
| Room dividers and plant shelves | Shelving and screens holding plants | Divide spaces with greenery |
Volume of a cylindrical planter = 3.142 × radius² × height
Potting mix needed = planter volume × fill percentage ÷ 100
A cylindrical planter for a pharmacy chain's flagship store is 400 mm in diameter and 450 mm high, filled to 90% with potting mix.
Volume = 3.142 × 0.2² × 0.45
Volume = 3.142 × 0.04 × 0.45 ≈ 0.0566 m³ = 56.6 litres
Potting mix needed = 56.6 × 90 ÷ 100 ≈ 51 litres
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