How to decorate a bedroom with plants – 8 ideas to help grow greenery in your sleep space

Incorporating bedroom plant ideas is a good design-choice for more reasons than one. Along with looking aesthetically pleasing, the right plants in your bedroom will boost oxygen levels and purify the air – all while you catch some all-important ZZZs.

But don’t just take our word for it. As confirmed by NASA, the best house plants work towards banishing airborne toxins like those emitted by computers, gadgets and more. Without getting too technical, it’s all to do with photosynthesis and the way plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. So if you needed another reason to add plants to your home – this is it. 

If you're wondering where to start when it comes to plant-based bedroom ideas, you've come to the right place. From plants that work best in small spaces to top picks for stylish sleep havens, we've spoken to interior designers to find out their tips for adding plants into your bedroom.  

The best bedroom plant ideas 

1. Introduce small pops of green

New to the plant world? If you answered yes to that question, or you’re just stuck on where to start when it comes to adding some plants into your bedroom, we’d recommend starting small with the best houseplants for beginners.

After all, adding ‘pops of green in your bedroom with houseplants is the perfect mood booster,’ North Carolina-based artist and interior designer Natalie Papier of Home Ec tells us. 

‘Keep balance in mind by adding a small tabletop plant on a nightstand or dresser and add some visual height with a floor plant in a sunny spot. A go-to plant of mine is a snake plant for its sculptural and low-maintenance care. I also really love bringing trees indoors as potted floor plants. My on-trend favorites are a rubber tree and olive tree.’

2. Place your plants in corners

Can’t spare wall space for shelving ideas? Instead of popping your plants up high or on dressers, break new ground by placing them on the floor in any spare corners.

‘We love adding plants into bedroom spaces,’ Los Angeles-based interior designer Kirsten Blazek of A 1000xBetter says. ‘They add another layer from a styling perspective and most importantly, they bring life into a bedroom.

‘I use floor plants mainly in a corner to soften the space.’ But if you’re struggling for floor space, you can still reap the many rewards they bring but incorporating hanging plants.

3. Invest in low maintenance plants

While it’s all well and good adding plants to your boudoir, it’s also important for you to look after them. They might be there to look good, but don't forget they are living and breathing organisms that need a little TLC. So what's the best plant to choose that requires low maintenance, considering things like how often you should water the houseplant, and how much sunlight they need.

‘I really love the look of a Rubber plant, Kirsten tells us. ‘They come in a variety of colors and have a lovely shape to their leaves, and they are also very easy to care for, which is an added bonus.

‘I also love the look of a split-leaf Philodendron. For smaller plants, my favorites are the Pilea Money Plant and ZZ Plant. I love the added texture and color that these plants bring to any space.’

4. Play with height

Layering your plants is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but along with adding texture you can also height. 

Los Angeles-based celebrity interior designer and home stager Francesca Grace says she's incorporated many plants throughout her bedroom, including a monstera, spider, several pathos, and a fiddle tree. ‘I love playing with different height levels,’ Francesca explains, ‘And this is a great way to incorporate your plants into the space without sacrificing floor space.’

‘I love the way the green contrasts against the warmer red colors in the wallpaper to bring balance into the room. To provide symmetry, I have added my monstera plant on the opposite corner and the fiddle tree on the other end of the room to further bring life into my bedroom.’

5. Use plants to bring some calm  

Calming, soothing and mood-lifting, the benefits of adding plants to your home are tenfold. 

‘Plants are wonderful for softening a room and adding another layer,’ Holly Vaughan from Vaughn Design & Development says. ‘They also add a bit of your own personality, with the plant itself, the container it’s in and how you style it with other pieces in the room. In your bedroom, you want to evoke a calm and relaxing environment, so bringing a bit of nature in with a few plants is the perfect way to do that.’

But generally speaking, in bedrooms, there isn’t a huge amount of room to play with. 

‘So I wouldn’t go for any oversized statement plants,’ Holly explains. ‘I would tend to keep it simple and add a couple of smaller ones with a more relaxed silhouette. I like to use terracotta pots like the ones from Bergs Potter or baskets as containers, placed alongside piles of books and personal knick-knacks.’

6. Home plants on spare ledges or tables

While floor plants look great in their own right, sometimes when you've got a small bedroom, it’s time to think vertically.

‘I think a potted geranium on a console or side table work beautifully,’ Holly says.

‘These don’t just have to be for your coffee or kitchen tables. I also love ferns such as the Asparagus Fern – the vibrant green together with the softness of the leaves on these plants is mesmerizing. A plant that I always have somewhere in my home is Devil’s Ivy – this needs almost no light to survive which is ideal for a bedroom, and looks great as a hanging plant too.’

7. Pick plants that work harder than you do

A bedroom is for rest. And many of the most popular house plants know that. So while you’re resting, why not let plants do what they do best – and that’s looking great and absorbing toxins in your home.

One of the best plant picks? According to London-based Julia Thompson of Frank Interiors, Heart Leaf Philodendrons are one of the top performers. It also looks great in a minimalist bedroom.  Julia explains, ‘Firstly, they are so easy to care for as long as they are not placed in direct sunlight – they grow best in slight shade or indirect light, and they just need light watering.’

The fact they grow quickly is another these plants are firm favorites. 

‘They grow quickly so the leaves begin to dangle down making them the perfect houseplant to add character to shelves or bedside tables,' she says. 

But best of all? ‘Philodendrons are one of the best houseplants that absorb toxins in our homes,' Julia tells us. 'They trap all the harmful pollutants in their leaves and replace the carbon dioxide we exhale with oxygen – and they do this while we sleep. It's a win, win situation!’

8. Add drama with look-at-me palms

Sometimes, more is more. If you’ve got a big modern bedroom, or you're no wallflower, then opt for a palm plant. 

‘They may be a very classic plant but pop them in a striking planter and they will transform your bedroom,' says Julia. 'That big pop of green against even the most neutral color palette, will just liven up your bedroom and take it to the next level, giving your room an almost colonial feel. Palms are pretty ubiquitous at the moment, which means for their size, they are relatively inexpensive compared to some more unusual houseplants, so you can go large even on a smallish budget.'

'Top tip though, don't place in direct sunlight as you will scorch the leaves,’ Julia says, which is never a good look.

Which plants are good for bedrooms?

When it comes to picking the best plant for your bedroom, there are a couple of things to consider. For example, how big do you want your plant to be? How much light does your sleep space get? And how much watering does your plant need?

If you're looking for an easy maintenance plant, international interior designer Olga Ashby recommends choosing a Ficus Ginseng Bonsai.

'It is always aesthetically pleasing and very predictable, so no stress about replanting etc,' Olga tells us. 'It works well for shelves and chest of drawers across the bed. If your interior is clean and minimalistic or has a popular Wabi-sabi vibe, Ginseng would be a great choice.'

While if your bedroom is quite big, Olga suggests choosing a Rubber Plant. 'It grows quite tall and the color of the leaves is very rich and fresh. It is a great air purifier as well. Normally, I put it in a corner next to the chest of drawers as this space usually seems a bit empty and can benefit from some nice accent piece.'

And for those whose interior style is that of a Tulum luxury resort vibe, with lots of micro cement, white floating drapes and tone-on-tone palette, Olga recommends a cactus. 

She says 'It might be a bit prickly, but the flowers some of them have are extremely beautiful. It needs almost no care and if you travel for a month-long vacation you don’t need a responsible friend to come up and water it. Don't put it on your bedside table next to your alarm clock as it might wake you up a bit more than you hoped for!'.

Or if you're looking for a plant that oozes elegance and sophistication, Olga suggests picking an olive tree. She says, 'They need a bit more maintenance and sun, but if cared well, it would grace the corners of the room tall, proud and green all year round.'