Written by
Tommie
Working from home requires something different from your workspace than working in an office. Your surroundings are more personal, but often also multifunctional, because you may be working at the dining table or in a corner of the living room. That is exactly why it is important for your workspace to radiate calm and help you maintain focus. Plants play a bigger role in this than is often assumed. Not only as decoration, but as part of how a space feels, sounds and functions. Below you will find three benefits of plants in your home office, together with practical tips on how to introduce greenery in a smart way!
1
More calm and better concentration
Anyone who works from home a lot will notice how intense it can be. You sit still for longer periods, spend a lot of time looking at a screen and change environments less often, which means mental strain can build up more quickly. Plants help soften that strain.
Research shows that looking at something green for just forty seconds can support your attention and refresh your focus. Such a brief glance at natural shapes can also reduce stress and mental fatigue, although the effect is subtle.
A plant on your desk or within your line of sight therefore offers a simple way to build in a micro pause. Your eyes briefly get the space to recover while you continue working. That small reset helps your mind feel less overloaded and keeps your concentration more stable, especially during intensive thinking tasks.
2
Better acoustics in your home office
Plants improve the acoustics of a room. They absorb sound waves and break or soften them, making a space sound less hollow. The positive effect of plants on acoustics is especially noticeable in home offices that are part of a larger room, such as the living room.
You may notice this during online meetings or phone calls. Your voice sounds warmer and calmer, background noise is less noticeable and conversations feel less sharp. That makes working more pleasant, both for yourself and for the person on the other side of the screen.
Preferably place plants together so they reinforce each other’s effect and contribute to a calmer sound environment in the room.
3
Plants for your desk
Plants make a workspace feel more human. They soften clean lines, break up the visual dominance of screens and furniture and bring more balance to a room. Especially when your workspace is part of your living environment, greenery helps work and home life blend together more naturally.
Above all, plants make a space more pleasant to spend time in. They bring visual calm, create cohesion and soften the overall atmosphere. That directly influences how long and how comfortably you can work.
Which plants suit a home office?
Plants for your desk
Do you have limited space? Then one compact Plant is often enough. Choose varieties with a calm appearance and minimal care requirements. Good options include Sansevieria, Zamioculcas or the Chinese money plant. These plants stay compact, require little maintenance and still provide a clear green presence on your workspace.
Plants for a dark corner
Not every home workspace receives plenty of daylight. Fortunately, there are strong shade plants that grow well even in low light, such as the Spider Plant, Peace Lily and Aglaonema.
The Spider Plant has elegant arching leaves and tolerates shade and humidity well. The Peace Lily is stylish and air purifying, and its white bracts bring a fresh look to darker areas. Aglaonema is strong and decorative, with leaves in silvery grey or pink tones, and feels perfectly at home in a low light space.
Curious to discover more ideas? Take a look at this article about 10 houseplants that need little light for extra inspiration.
Plants for a bright spot near the window
Do you have a large, bright space available? Then choose a striking statement plant such as a Monstera, Ficus or Alocasia. If your home workspace is bright but smaller, go for more compact varieties such as Succulents, Snake Plant or Carnivorous Plants.
Looking for more ideas? Discover 10 houseplants that need lots of light and get inspired.
Small space? You can still add plants
Not everyone works in a separate room. If you are working in the living room or at a flexible workspace, greenery requires a slightly smarter approach. Fortunately, it hardly takes up any extra space!
Hanging plants are a logical choice here. They make use of the vertical space in a room and keep your desk and floor clear, while still creating a noticeable green presence within your line of sight. Suitable hanging plants for a home office include Scindapsus, Rhipsalis and Philodendron. These plants cascade downwards gracefully, thrive in indirect light and maintain a calm appearance, even when they grow larger. You could also explore these 10 hanging plants with practical styling tips to make your workspace even cosier.
Hoya and Spider Plant are also good choices. They remain tidy, require little care and fit well in a bright or semi shaded spot above or next to your workspace.
Alongside hanging plants, you can use a few taller plants as a soft room divider between work and living areas, or place smaller plants on a shelf or cabinet at eye level. This subtly marks your workspace without the need for hard boundaries or extra furniture.
Do you still have some wall space available? With a narrow plant rack or a small plant wall, you can easily bring greenery indoors without sacrificing valuable space. It also makes your workspace feel just a little more personal.
Playing with colour for extra energy
Plants do not always have to be green.Flowering or colourful varieties can add extra energy and dynamism to your home office. Think of an Anthurium, Bromelia or Caladium as a striking accent.
Use colour consciously and in moderation. One colourful accent is often enough to make your workspace feel slightly more energetic without creating visual clutter. You can find more inspiration in this article about colourful plants and their effect on your energy and career!
Office plants
You do not have to transform your (home) office all at once. Even a single plant can already change how your workspace feels. See what suits your space, the available light and your way of working, and expand gradually from there.
Do you also work in an office regularly? Then it is interesting to notice what greenery does there. Office plants contribute to calm and focus and bring more balance to the workplace. They do not solve everything, but they do add warmth to a space. And you notice that immediately!
*Based on research by South Bank University in London.
