A connection to nature with indoor plants is one of the top interior design trends for 2026.
Feeling inspired by the new year to refresh your home interior? The top interior design trends for 2026 feature soft textures, artful layering and a connection to nature.
In other words – indoor plants! They not only bring nature indoors, but add texture, depth, and colour when creating a warm and stylish interior.
Plants bring a room to life. The huge variety of leaf shapes, size, colour and variegation offer an almost endless palate for creative expression.
The basics
Like all plants, indoor plants thrive with light, water and food. Providing all three is not complicated.
Most indoor plants do best with medium to bright indirect light.
They need less watering than outdoor plants, and a general rule of thumb is to let the top layer of potting soil dry out slightly before watering.
Fertilise once a month with a liquid feed in spring and summer for healthy growth and new leaves.
5 Ways to style with indoor plants
Serenity with an edge
A colour scheme featuring earthy shades and textures evokes an atmosphere of calmness and serenity. But it also needs something to add a spark of life. Indoor plants with strong shapes like Delicious Monster, Crocodile Fern, ZZ plant and Alocasia can be standout features.
Microsorum crocodyllus, also known as the Crocodile Fern, will surely be a talking point as its leaves have the texture of a crocodile skin. The mature plant can grow up to 90cm, with large, glossy green leaves that are striking in any setting. Place in bright indirect light near a window and keep the soil lightly moist. Let the topsoil dry slightly between watering.
Light and bright
Declutter rooms to keep them bright and airy and use feature plants with variegated or textured leaves for a light touch that does not overwhelm the space. Ideal candidates are Philodendron ‘Birkin’, Calathea ‘Orbifolia’, Alocasia Dragon series and Begonia ‘Polka dot’.
Variegated leaves always stand out and that’s true of Philodendron Birkin. The large dark green leaves with white veins appear almost hand-painted and the new leaves sometimes start off as white before unfurling. Also, a rare variety, it can tolerate low light for a short while but is best displayed where there is bright, indirect light,
Third dimension
To add depth and dimension to large interiors, especially those with a double volume, consider using indoor Ficus trees that can act as a focal point, screen a section of the room, add texture or fill a difficult corner.
Take your pick from Ficus lyrata, the Fiddle leaf fig, and Ficus elastica varieties such as Abidjan (dark, burgundy leaves) or Tineke (variegated leaves) and Ficus Umbellata, the umbrella fig.
Ficus Umbellata seems to have more in common with philodendrons and monstera, having large, lush heart shaped and pleated leaves. It grows into a large specimen that needs space to show off at its best. Like other Ficus varieties, it likes bright light or filtered sunlight, a warm room without draughts, and is sensitive to over watering.
Pops of colour
The advantage of a neutral colour scheme is that you can cool it down or warm it up with a few well-chosen accessories, scatter cushions and throws. Indoor plants can add pops of colour as well. Stromanthe Triostar and a host of Calathea varieties offer a range of foliage colours.
The beauty of Stromanthe ‘Triostar’ lies not just in its variegated green and pinkish-cream leaves, but the dark pink under leaf, that glows like a stained glass window when the light shines through it. ‘Triostar’ stays compact making it easy to show off almost anywhere.
Accent plants
Use compact plants to bring texture and interest to counter tops, sideboards, floating shelves, coffee tables or bedside cabinets. Anthuriums, Peace Lilies, Sansevieria ‘Golden Futura’ and Guzmania are recognised air purifiers while pot roses, tuberous begonias and African violets are all loved for their beauty.
Mini anthuriums are the perfect countertop plant, being happy with medium light, minimal watering and regular feeding to encourage their petite flag-like flowers. For more information: www.lvgplant.co.za
Article by Alice Coetzee. Images by Salomè Coetzee
