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When you love good food as much as you love good plants, there’s nothing as refreshing as walking into a restaurant that’s alive with greenery. Suddenly consumed by a dreamy jungle of soaring trees and exotic flora, the air feels crisper; your meal tastes better. It’s almost too tempting not to Instagram.
Plant-filled eateries have long inspired our inner wanderlust, but have you ever wondered how you can bring the magic home? From Marrakech to San Francisco, these 11 extremely Instagrammable spots are fueling our plant-filled dreams—here’s how to recreate a lush forest at home.
Bring flower boxes in.
We’re suckers for vertical gardens but caring for a lush living wall is no simple undertaking. Instead of investing in a cohesive green wall, mimic the same look by mounting flower boxes. At Segev Kitchen Garden in Israel, rustic wooden boxes house an outpour of fresh herbs which eventually lend themselves to the cuisine.
Mix liquor and leaves.
This lively display at Openaire at LINE LA has got us thinking: All booze stations deserve a little plant love. Try recreating this same unexpected combo on a smaller scale with the bar cart. A fresh dose of life and color will introduce a textural contrast to your go-to glassware.
Get busy on the ceiling.
Atmosphere is crucial for any good restaurant, so why shouldn’t the same standards ring true for your home? Amp up the ambiance by hanging your free-floating friends directly from the ceiling. The canopy-like effect created at The Potting Shed in Alexandria, Australia is a prime example of how cozy this plant approach can go.
Coordinate with wallpaper.
If you don’t want to be responsible for a slew of plant babies, make it look like you have more greenery than you actually do by translating your hopes and dreams to a wall covering. At Leo’s Oyster Bar in San Francisco, a vintage Hawaiian spin on the classic palm print echoes the same motion of the real florals that surround. The exotic result is multi-dimensional.
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Liven up your lighting.
Want your greens to swing from the ceiling? Consider having your plants mix and mingle with existing decor. At Le Brebant in Paris, a sea of tangled branches wind around the brasserie’s basket fixtures. Now, this is statement lighting your green thumb will thank you for later.
Embrace trees.
Delicate succulents and potted shrubs certainly deserve a place inside, but so too do your larger friends. Think beyond the fiddle leaf fig and consider taking on a lemon tree, olive tree, or fishtail palm as your next addition. Tucked inside a large colonial townhouse in Mexico City, Rosetta’s soaring plants make a visually powerful case for going vertical.
Divvy up space with leafy greens.
Roommate or no roommate, the hardest part about living in a smaller space is feeling like you have privacy. A divider won’t get you that spare room you’ve been dreaming of, but it will help you delineate one living space from another. We can picture a busy wall like the one at The Botanist in Vancouver working wonders in a studio craving separation.
Use plants as an excuse for color.
Those who tend to stray from decorating with loud colors may find it easier to incorporate the rainbow when plants are in play. You don’t have to go as bold or whimsical as the ombre wall at Piada, a Wes Anderson-worthy Italian eatery in Lyon, France. It could be as simple as a hot pink planter.
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Turn the dining room into an oasis.
We’ve seen our fair share of plant-filled bedrooms and plant-filled kitchens—rarely do we see a dining room suffused with tropical palms and towering leaves. Le Jardin in Marrakech is all the reason we need to dine in close company with plants more often.
Set the mood.
The plant-filled scene at Apres in Paris takes a darker tone with gloomy lighting, black leather seats, and rich copper tableware. Instead of working their happy magic, shady greenery sets a shadowy overcast—proving plants can be just as layered and moody as we are.
Take it to the shelves.
If you don’t have floor space to have your potted friends lying about, consider taking your plants up to the ceiling. The perfectly balanced plant shelf at Butler Bakeshop in NYC lets guests enjoy the greenery from afar.
See more plant inspiration:
Hacks We Learned From Our Favorite Plant-Filled Homes
This Plant-Filled Home Used to Be a Chocolate Factory
One Couple Turned a 650-Square-Foot Rental into a Plant-Filled Boho Oasis