Flowers are often used to liven up the kitchen, which usually uses a lot of white and could use some more color. But you may be wondering where to put them in larger, social areas like the living room. After all, there are plenty of interior design styles that welcome greenery. And you can get surprisingly creative when you have so much area to work with. For your convenience, we put together 10 great suggestions for flower placements in the living room.
There are many ideal places to position your flowers in the living room, which can help reinforce an interior design style in particular or just personal preference. But there are also some ways to create your own places for unexpected flowers, in addition to these traditional locations:
- Coffee Table
- End Tables
- Fireplace Mantle
- Console Table
- Window Sills
- Wall Shelves
- Hanging Flower Pots
- Bookshelf
- Neighboring Countertop
- Rolling Carts
Flowers are a fun, tidy way to add a lot of personality and color to your living room without creating too much of a distraction. Keep reading to learn about the advantages of each suggestion above, what other rooms could use flowers, and the pros or cons of artificial flowers.
10 Locations To Put Flowers In The Living Room
1. Coffee Table
This is the most common place to decorate with flowers in a living room. That’s because coffee tables are frequently positioned in the exact center point of the room. Since coffee tables are usually shorter than the rest of the décor and furniture in the room, flowers can add some verticality to the piece without feeling overwhelming.
You can even use a two-tier coffee table. For example, if you’re worried about flowers getting in the way of the television, you can have a vase of flowers fill up the deep lower tier. Since these tables are often circular, you can read the post "How To Style A Round Coffee Table" to balance your flowers with another décor.
2. End Tables
Most of the time, it’s more ideal if your coffee table serves a practical function rather than style. This is especially true if you frequently have guests or have a large family. So, with single-tiered coffee tables, you’re less likely to see them covered in books and sentimental objects. Instead, there’ll probably just be a lot of drink coasters to protect the wood.
That’s where end tables come in. They sit on either side of the couch and allow you to add some flair to the living room without getting in anybody’s way. Basically, all of the personality you wanted on the coffee table can be used here. This makes end tables very ideal for flowers, which will emphasize the gorgeous symmetry of the furniture.
3. Fireplace Mantle
Many fireplaces still have a vintage look and often brick or stone appearance. While this might seem cozy, it may also have a little too much mortar and iron to feel very colorful.
Also, any real or fake wood is going to present a lot of brown, which is nearly neutral and lacking color. You can brighten up the area by placing flowers on the mantle above, which balances out the flames with soft, natural contrast.
4. Console Table
This is a unique piece of furniture because it’s so narrow. Generally speaking, console tables are used for hallways or foyers, which is just another name for an entryway room.
But you can still put flowers on a console table in the living room. It is particularly useful when you need to work with less square footage, as in most apartments. The console table will remain out of the way, often sitting behind the sofa or paired against a wall.
5. Window Sills
Many times, you’ll find flowers sitting on the window sills in your kitchen. But this tactic can work in the living room if your home enjoys a lot of natural lighting. The sunlight will always look attractive when it blankets flowers because it’s a universally understood relationship.
You can use thinner curtains to maintain your privacy, too. And while you won’t have a lot of room for larger flowers, the symmetry of the windows will extend to the placement of smaller pots.
6. Wall Shelves
These are a great little fixture to add to any wall, creating a background for your living room that is both gorgeous and out of the way. Wall shelves can be sold in a larger variety of styles than traditional furniture like tables.
That’s because they only need to serve décor rather than support larger items. For example, coffee tables are often used to put your feet up. End tables might have stacks of books. But you can place flowers on wall shelves in any way you like, allowing a tremendous amount of freedom to use different kinds of flowers or pots.
7. Hanging Flower Pots
If this feels a little too bold for you, consider that there are many ways to soften the look of random pots hanging around. You can use rope or macramé to hang your pots, which will feel like more of a DIY cradle.
This will cover enough of the pot and make your hanging flowers appear more intentional. That way, you don’t have to worry about using specific kinds of flowers or pots. And they are more likely to fit in with other kinds of interior designs, instead of only those which lean towards a nature theme.
If you want to hang your flowers outside instead, then you can read the post "How To Hang Things On Vinyl Siding [4 Ways]" for suggestions on how to work with common vinyl siding.
8. Bookshelf
You can use plants both on top of a smaller bookshelf or even inside a larger one. There are fun little additions going around called book nooks, which are little dioramas that recreate the scenes of their neighboring books. Flowers could be paired very nicely with these nifty decorations.
But the flowers can also simply be used as bookends. You can even use a pot that will have more of an arts and crafts feel. Either way, bookshelves are typically made of wood, so the flowers will feel natural.
9. Neighboring Countertop
If you don’t have an open floor plan, then you might have a kitchen countertop on one side of the living room. This is especially common in smaller homes, such as apartments. The flowers can form a perfect bridge between a bright, airy kitchen and the living room. While this countertop is usually used as a bar, it can spring to life with some flowers on either end.
10. Rolling Carts
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/673077106791486455/
These interesting additions are available in many different sizes and styles and are usually used for extra storage. However, they actually make the perfect little interior garden. The shelves can literally be carted around, making it easy to restyle.
They can also fit just about anywhere and feel unexpected in the living room without appearing too bold. You can choose however many tiers you want. So, if you’re worried about the area looking too cluttered, you can choose a two-tier cart. You may even be able to find a stack that includes baskets, which are softer than metal or wood.
Live vs. artificial flowers in the living room
There are many advantages when you use artificial flowers instead of living plants. Naturally, you won’t need to worry about feeding or harming an artificial plant.
This is handy if you have children or pets who are likely to knock over or even eat flowers in the living room. Even a simple get-together can result in soil spilling on a precious rug. Unfortunately, you may not even be able to create the right temperature or natural lighting inside for some flowers to survive.
On the other hand, artificial plants are sometimes easy to detect, and they won’t give off a refreshing aroma. Also, live flowers will grow and change, becoming conversation pieces. If you enjoy gardening, it can even be fun to tend to real flowers and a point of pride when they thrive.
Where else Should flowers be placed in the house?
Bathrooms and kitchens are often the best places for flowers. That’s because both of those rooms tend to be smaller than the rest of the home. So, they often use a lot of reflective whites and other bright colors to make the space feel larger than it actually is.
Summary
It’s easy to put flowers just about anywhere, whether you need to soften a modern room or add layers to a tropical style. But with all that freedom, it can be difficult to find out where to begin. Now that you’ve got some ideal suggestions, all you need to worry about is shopping for the flowers you love.