Living Decor

This book is quite impressive by its size and its content. I am naturally not fond of living decor with plants that are not productive of fruits, medicinal herbs, vegetables. So I was really interested in this book as I like exploring everything related to nature. First, I feel like this book is interesting to give ideas of plants that can be used indoors easily. Also, projects described are really well done and can help newbies to get into living decor. Finally, it is just a great inspiration to understand how to make a great living and natural decor.

This is a well put together guide to using plants to enhance your home's style and decor. Many popular plants are covered here along with many the average plant lover may not recognize. Colletti discusses style points as well as care tips. I highly appreciated the inclusion of a section on having plants along with cats and dogs. A short list of toxic plants is included in addition to a (clickable in the digital version) link to the ASPCA site with a more inclusive list. Sharing my home currently with a kitten has definitely changed my plant decor options (not to mention making watering more "fun"). =) The author discusses many options for planters/pots and where to find them. The planter chosen can add a bit of interest or whimsy or allow the plant itself to draw interest. This book has given me more ideas for adding hanging plants and terrariums - both safer options with a very curious kitten. Projects are included for a living chandelier, terrariums, framed moss art and various table decor which are explained well in writing as well as with illustrative photos. This book would be a wonderful resource for those desiring more than just a plant on a shelf.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review will post to my blog on 3/1/2019 at www.simplystashless.com

Living Decor is a practical guide filled with ideas on how to design your botanical style with indoor houseplants such as moss, ferns, monsteras, terrariums and so on. This book is filled with step-by-step instruction, accompanied by photos to inspire the gardener to create their own gardening style.

Living Decor is divided into three parts: The first chapter introduces a design concept called Display Mixology which involves using a still-life portrait of objects. Here, the author gives an insight into her design style and her choice of houseplants. This chapter also covers plant care tips; watering the plants, light, photosynthesis and how to look out for bugs that may harm houseplants.  For each houseplant mentioned in this book, the author also includes their botanical names; tips on how to place the plant to receive optimum sunlight, watering technique and the design mixology.

The second chapter features some indoor gardening styles, and planters suited for the houseplants. It also features planting techniques alongside step-by-step projects to create your own design style. Here, you will find tips on how to match your houseplants with your home decor. 

Finally, in the last chapter, you will find resources on where to get plants, planters and other design materials. This chapter also includes flea markets, craft fairs, and workshops; bloggers, and houseplant delivery service. I came away from the book knowing a great deal more about houseplants (including my aloe vera plant in my backyard :)

This book has renewed my passion for indoor gardening, and if you're a plant lover like me, you will love this book. 

Many thanks to Maria Colletti, Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While this focuses more on the design aspect of houseplant care, several plants are highlighted and given care advice for, which I found helpful as many design books skip the part about what each plant will eventually need. I liked that pet owners are taken into consideration, and given tips on what plants to avoid, and some possible solutions for cats digging in pots (which is a frequent problem for me). A lot of thought has gone into each of the arrangements, and the author explains her reasons for each selection, whether for lighting or colour so you understand and make changes that fit the vision if you want. There is a heavy diy emphasis, especially with moss and terrarium design that feels approachable for the average crafter. I don't really like using moss, but I do love  Pilea peperomioides and any Peperomia plant alive which are given attention. I wouldn't buy this as a plant reference book, or a care guide, but as a design book that incorporates easy to find plants into attractive home settings.

Gardening is a great stress buster , but all can't get space for gardening in this modern urban culture. It's better to have indoor plants in your apartment.....This book showcases many decor ideas with living plants........

This is a gorgeous aesthetically pleasing book. 

I cannot rate this any lower than 5 stars as it provides everything it says it will. From gorgeous pictures to project ideas to houseplant care tips. It also has some added information about having indoor plants with pets.

This is definitely a "coffee table book". I can't see someone wanting to buy this for themselves, it's more a book you'd give as a gift.

“Plants make people happy.”
If you are looking for a book that could be affectionately known as “decor porn,” then Living Decor is the right book for you. It is filled with gorgeous pictures of plants in immaculately decorated homes. The colour scheme in this book is vibrant. It shows how plants can warm up a minimalistic decorated living space.

“Plants can reduce dry skin by increasing humidity indoors, which makes us look and feel healthier. Plants also purify our air indoors, which improves our respiratory comfort.”
Living DecorThe book is a guide to taking care of your own “urban jungle.” The book tells you to “greet your plants every day like you’d greet your children, partners, and pets.” It stresses the importance of the right amount of sunlight and water for each specific type of plant. Grow lights can help plants that need a lot of sun to flourish in the winter, but even a regular, everyday lamp placed near the plants can help. It says to keep in mind the direction the window you put your plant in faces. East, for example, gets direct morning light and is perfect for orchids. Southern windows get afternoon sun. Western windows are often hot in the evening during the summer and thus require heartier plants. And northern windows receive very little sun.

Rotating your plants so all the leaves get some exposure to the sun is important or else they will not all undergo photosynthesis. In terms of watering, it is important to pay attention to how your plant reacts to the water you give it. If it looks vibrant and the leaves look healthy, then maintain that level of watering. If not, determine whether you should water it more or less depending on the species. This is called “threshold watering.” Making sure excess water can drain out of the plant is also extremely important.

This book introduced me to the names of several plants I didn’t know, including the fiddle-leaf fig (popular in IKEA catalogues), the Swiss cheese plant (Monstera Deliciosa), the rattlesnake plant, the Chinese money plant (not new to me. I have one in my bathroom), the snake plant (which sounds indestructible, and may therefore be the right plant for me), the elephant ear plant (beautiful with a cool name), the air plant (Tillandsia), and the zebra cactus (a succulent). Each of these comes with instructions for how to care for them.

There is a section on how to protect your pets from getting sick from eating your plants and how to protect your plants from your pets. This section was very interesting to me. I bought some “cat friendly” ferns a few years ago only to have my cat eat them and lose her appetite for a few days. Not knowing about her plant nibbling habits, I rushed her to the vet for all the tests. Baby (my cat) has always had a healthy appetite, so I knew something was wrong. When it turned out to be my new ferns I a) felt terrible and like moron and b) was so disappointed that i’d have to put them up on a high shelf where she couldn’t get them.

The next section involves how to style your plants to fit your decor motif. This author favours a boho look, but also references retro and kitsch decorating techniques [Side note: did you know that “kitsch” refers to a time in 19th century Germany when inexpensive art was all the rage. I didn’t.]

“Planters elevate outstanding houseplants.”
The author discusses planters in some length (as you do when plants are your life). Her point is that they can be both functional and beautiful. She talks about how different coloured planters play well with the deep greens of the plants themselves. She suggests finding cool planters at flea markets (and there is an index of some cool flea markets in the United States in the back of the book).

Throughout the book there are spotlights on different plants (for example, aloe and holly fern) and it lists how much sun and water to give them as well as how to incorporate them into your decor (“design mixology”).

The part of the book that most interested me was how to plant and take care of succulents, because I have a lot of them.

The author includes a step by step guide to making a hanging wire chandelier for plants to rest in. This is one of many “projects” in the book. You have to find the wire chandelier yourself (I was hoping we’d be making it ourselves, even though that would probably be beyond my skill level), but then she teaches you how to set it up properly.

The joys of moss are expounded heavily in this book. The author lists the different kinds of moss and there is even a project to make a moss jar garden. Moss and plants have a symbiotic relationship. Terrariums are also discussed at length.

I really enjoyed this book. It is filled with tons of great projects and ideas to create your ideal “urban jungle.”  It inspired to to add a few more plants to my living space. The highlight of this book is definitely the pictures. I wasn’t joking before when I called it “decor porn.” Each photo makes you wish your home looked as lovely, peaceful, and plant filled as the living spaces depicted.

Thank you to Net Galley and Cool Springs Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Grade: A

Indoor plants have been something I have been looking into for quite some time now. I have a small city studio apartment but I love adding things like mint and basil into my diet, knowing how expensive they can be. This was the book for me to explore on a alternative gardening option versus buying a $300 indoor gardening kit.

I didn't realize the book was about "Living" Decor - lol! I was pleasantly surprised. It was very well organized by starting off with which plants you would like and why to how to place them around your house. I really enjoyed reading the step by step instructions, it definitely is a book that you would use for DIY projects. The pictures are great, so it can serve as a great coffee table book and to start conversations. 

The only thing I would suggest is maybe not emphasizing so much on the medicinal and health advantages of the plants. That wasn't the focus of the book and whenever it was mentioned, it seemed like it was forced. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Quatro Publishing group for the opportunity to read this book! :)

I'm not sure if i should love this book or hate it, its costing me a fortune !
Ok so i now have an obsession with glass terrariums and moss.

There are some brilliant projects in this book, and so many useful tips.
I love the ideas Maria has put in here but the information on different plants is very useful., she really covers a wide range of topics.
Great book and would make a great gift too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not regurgitate the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it.

There's more to living with plants than simply bringing home a houseplant. Living Decor shows you how to artfully integrate greenery into your space.

Living Decor is a manual to introducing the life, beauty, and health benefits of plants into your home in creative ways. Authored by Maria Colletti (Terrariums: Gardens Under Glass), this lovely book is an easy read and brings fun to the act of creating your own arrangements with moss, succulents, air plants, and other favourite indoor greenery. To tie it all together, Living Decor also offers simple guidance for taking care of your plants and DIY tips.

This guide to houseplants takes you through modern trends in filling your space with plants, such as a display with macramé, concrete planters, new plant stands for popular botanicals like Fiddle Leaf Figs and Monstera, and also shows what a beautiful, unique, and even artistic experience living with plants can be.

More than that, you'll find endless ideas for botanical styling from the author, as well as a large network of shopkeepers and interior designers who bring you into their homes to see a remarkable interior design that celebrates everything green.

I always have wanted plants and living decor in my home but was never sure where to start and if I could actually keep plants alive as my living room sliding door area is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I have also wondered about hanging said plants - luckily, I have a #macramé book to review on #bnetgalley as well so I can make my own hangers a I have to keep them away from my cats AND a book that I reviewed recently that helped you make flowers out of paper for those with black thumbs like me!

The instructions and directions are clear and concise and the information easy to understand (great photos, too!) and I think that both a green-thumbed or black-thumbed person could get a lot out of it. 

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use on Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

Green is in….and indoor green has never been as ‘in’ as it is now! Having plants indoors is beneficial, and that’s a no brainer. The question is, how? And, how to have living décor actually flourish within the house? How can you present it aesthetically? Living Décor by Maria Colletti has some answers. 

Striking and beautiful images supplement the text as the book expresses the myriad aspects of including living décor within your home. There is a section devoted to practical care for plants. There are tips on watering, giving sunlight, taking care of pests and so on, in view of the fact that the plant is kept indoors. The book then talks about specific indoor plants and the care that each of them requires. Elsewhere as the book progresses, many names of specific plants or categories (such as succulents) come up. 

However, the part I found most exciting was the mix and match of the plants with various other decorative or utility items within the house. It is not just about displaying the potted indoor plant by itself. What kind of pot is it in? Where is it placed? What decorative or other items will you place around it? Will you create a story to it? How will it blend in or stand out in the décor scheme of your setting? How will you change and redecorate it? These were some of the aspects that I paid attention to while reading the book- and I got plenty to ponder over!  

I also enjoyed the project section which is a recipe-style writeup of how to create specific projects, such as a plant chandelier, a glass globe terrarium, a pumpkin inspired centrepiece and a couple of other DIY projects. The author provides an insight into the concept of Herbariums and how ‘found’ objects such as leaves and flowers can be preserved for décor. 

Tips to takeaway:

Apply the right plant to the right planter! 
Understand the unique soil, light and water requirements of the plant you choose to have indoors. 
Living décor is for the indoors as well as for entertaining! Scout home décor stores to find pieces that go with the theme. (For instance, plant themed tableware would look great with actual plant arrangements on the table)
Terraniums offer a beautiful way to merge plants and décor within the home. 
Herbariums and displaying ‘collected’ and ‘preserved’ leaves and flowers from your travels are also authentic items that lend an extra edge to your décor scheme. 


Living Decor is a book that is packed with implementable tips and many images. It will also lead you to discover and identify your unique décor style and understand how your indoor plants can blend in your specific surroundings and décor schemes.

Inspiring guide to cultivating, caring for, and decorating with indoor plants. Includes instructions for making plant-based crafts, planters, and more. Beautiful photography will make you want a million houseplants.

I love indoor plants but never know how to display them, this book gives such wonderful ideas, as well as information on how to look after them. There are little DIY project to make and how to incorporate living plants into your décor.
Many ideas, lots of how-to info and lovely displays - no excuse why one shouldn't have a house full of indoor plants.

This is a perfect book for the person looking to update their existing accommodation or have recently moved in somewhere new and looking to give it that green touch that makes a place feel more alive and is proven to be beneficial for mental health and general wellbeing.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

A lovely book on how to decorate your apartment by using plants. Overall, the photos in this one are beautiful and very inspiring. Another plus is that the tidbits of information on caring for various rypes of plants are very useful and nicely organized. However, the actual ideas/ projects for decorations featuring plants looked a little too complicated for me. I have to admit I'm more of a "put it on the shelf in a nice pot" kind of girl than "spend a lof time glueing moss to a frame" one. Still, the book is really worth it just for the photos - looking at beautifully arranged plants just gives me so much joy!

So many plants offered in unique ways to turn your home into a bower. Great information presented in a modern way, and with beautiful photography throughout.

I am giving this a solid three stars. I actually never got the book to open correctly so I could not read it. The only  reason I am rating this book is because NetGalley will count it against me if I did not finish. So here I am rating this as I maybe recommend it because I never read it so I cannot give an honest review. I will not post this on goodreads because this is not a real review. Sorry for wasting your time.

A lovely book about houseplants and how to best use them to decorate your house, but also care about them properly.

Lots of tips, gorgeous pictures!