Desk-friendly plants

If you’re anything like us, African Violets, Orchids or Peace Lilies keel-over in your work space in no-time. We’re officially terrible at keeping plants.

Still, we love having a little bit of the outside, in, so we’re thrilled to have found three indoor beauties that thrive upon desks nearly almost all by themselves.

Aloe

While we’re all pretty familiar with the ‘Vera’ species, there are many other varieties in this plant’s family. This one, the Aloe Polyphylla (or Spiral Aloe), is drought tolerant so no need to worry should you forget to give it a drink every now-and-then.

Snake Plant

Named after its vertical-shooting leaves, this yellow-edged shrub will continue to flourish again and again - no matter how often it's neglected.

Chinese Evergreen

Jewellery designer Winifred Gundeck, whose home is featured on the Design Sponge blog, shows a shining example of why we should opt for this perennial plant. Not only does it blossom year-round, it makes quite the focal point, too.

                                             

Washi Tape: mess-free adhesive that’s fun!

No longer saved for cover-up-while-you-D.I.Y moments, masking tape itself has had a make-over.

We have the Japanese to thank for the brightly-hued ‘Washi Tape’ trend, and in all its prints, stripes and polka dots, it can transform our home décor mess-free in seconds, plus re-imagine the way we hang everything from notes to posters. You (and the kids) can even create your own wall art with the tape itself.

If you haven’t caught on just yet, we’re sure it won’t be long before you develop a mild-addiction for Washi Tape too... pick up a variety of mixed prints here and let the creativity commence!

 

Simple (yet effective) stencilling

Stencilling. Just the word feels a tad outdated, and the 'doing' seems a little tricky - but we've stumbled upon some ultra-easy, yet totally modern ways to do it.

Use spraypaint and lace: You can buy nylon/polyester lace at any good fabric shop, but if you can bear to cover beautiful vintage lace with paint, this works like a dream.

Cheat with a print-out pattern: there's a whole host of pre-cut stencils on the internet so take your pick. Feel like creating your own? Pinterest has plenty of templates and ideas.

Opt for wall decals: just like stickers, these decorative adhesives update rooms in seconds and are often re-usable, too. We love Abode's windblown dandelion.

Short of time? Look out for soft furnishings with cut-out details such as our bloom throw - they add the stencilling effect without the work. 

Reinventing Flowers

One of the simplest ways to transform even the smallest of your home's nooks is to pop hand-tied blooms into an old (clean) jam jar. If you don't have one to hand, a milk bottle, or even a glass, makes the perfect vessel. 

Here are some ideas we love - including pastel painted bottles and ornamental cabbages in tumblers that photographer Leila Sanderson shot at furniture designer Greg Hatton's Melbourne home. Why not give it a go, too?

Images: Leila Sanderson, Greg Hatton, Pinterest.