By Viktor Chong

It is normal for our mind to gravitate towards items like furniture and fittings when it comes to our house decoration. As a proud homeowner, we should not pigeonhole our creativity to such measure alone. The incorporation of “green leafy friends” could do much in turning around your house, giving it a more refreshing look.

Houseplants can be much cheaper and space efficient compared to those large and bulky furnitures. The fact that they are alive also sends a strong message that your house is eco-friendly.

Here are some green pointers to consider:

Fresh air for the owner

Unlike other conventional house decorations, house plants refresh the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen for the occupants. Your pricey antiques certainly won’t be doing that. At night, however, photosynthesis ceases to occur and plant absorb oxygen instead. This problem can be easily rectified by incorporating plants such as orchids and epiphytic bromeliads that do the opposite.

Cultivating a therapeutic atmosphere

Plants also release water vapour into the atmosphere via respiratory processes, making your living space more humid. The humidity in the air provides relief to individuals who have dry skin, dry cough and sore throat.

Say goodbye to toxins

If this isn’t persuasive enough, plants also purify the air by removing toxins such as trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde. Such impurities are usually found in plastic bags, paints, grocery bags, cigarette smoke and more. The plants trap these harmful substances in their tissues and break them down into harmless by-products.

The land shall provide

Place your tomato, avocado, carrot, onion and lemon plants in a pot and watch them grow into bountiful machines that will fill your larder. Tomato and chilli plants, especially have endearingly beautiful fruits that ripen into natural decorations. Beautify your house and reap the fruits of your labour at the same time. Win-win.

Some choice of plants to consider:

The Snake plant is an excellent choice for an indoor plant. It can be placed at almost any corner as the plant does not require much sunlight to survive. As a bonus, Snake plants also absorbs carbon dioxide during the night.

The Spider plant is a good purifying agent, removing pollutants such as Benzene, Xylene, Formaldehyde and Carbon Monoxide. Spider plants are also easy to grow, and they take up little space in your house.

The beautiful colours of a ripe tomato is in itself a decorative statement, not considering the fact that it is some of the most used ingredients in food recipes.

It is time to make that green move:

With humanities inception into the industrial age, our civilisation has mostly forgotten the bounties of mother nature. Now, more than ever is the time for us homeowners to embrace nature and weave its green thread into the fabric of our life.