Transforming Small Spaces with Green Living Walls

Lush, green living walls are a sustainable and environmentally friendly design option that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional. Here’s how you can leverage the power of plant walls to transform and revitalize your space.

Besides their popularity as the latest trend in interior design, green living walls have become one of the most impactful ways to incorporate plants and biophilia into a built environment. Beyond their dramatic aesthetic and ability to enhance residential and commercial spaces, plant walls offer a multitude of benefits. They’re one of the most versatile ways to transform your space naturally. 

Natura has helped clients across industries liven up their space with rich, verdant plantscapes. We’ve used plant walls to pull together bland boardrooms and clinic waiting areas. We’ve also effectively used moss walls in place of artwork. This not only leverages the benefits of biophilic design but also cuts the unnecessary expense of sourcing prints or paintings that match your corporate identity. Moreover, plant walls won’t date (or cost a fortune!).

The Perks of Plant Design

The benefits of incorporating an indoor plant wall in your office space, or leveraging the impact of biophilic design in your commercial or hospitality space, have been well researched and documented.

Plant walls can significantly improve indoor air quality, aiding in air filtration, and purification by releasing oxygen and removing toxins and pollutants. Plants also tailor the acoustics of communal spaces by absorbing sharp sounds and diffusing distracting background noise. 

Living walls also have a lush aesthetic quality and an innate ability to soften harsh spaces in a way that appeals to all five senses. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why architects and interior designers keep turning to this trend in biophilic design.

No Space? No Problem

Doubling up on their benefits, living walls offer a verdant solution when horizontal space comes at a premium. Useful in small spaces and dense urban areas, plant walls are a space-intuitive solution that harnesses the power of plants.

Transform bare and barren walls into thriving ecosystems; add a touch of professionalism and class to your lobby, reception, or entryway; or use freestanding green wall structures to break up a work area. This can be done in a way that feels significantly less cramped and stuffy than generic room dividers. 

As vertical space savers, green living walls can also be used to direct movement in a building, without taking up valuable square footage. Moreover, they can grow and thrive almost anywhere—a perk of some plants’ inherent hardiness and adaptability. So why not take plant walls outdoors as well?

Effective Outdoor Façades

Vertical gardens have been implemented the world over to combat urban pollution, reduce a building or establishment’s carbon footprint, and to beautify private and public spaces. They’ve been particularly effective in concrete-heavy areas like high-density cities. They bring aesthetic appeal and functionality to rooftops, schools, cafes, public libraries and corporate headquarters.

A common assumption is that plants hail from the outside and are therefore especially beneficial when installed indoors. But the opposite can be equally as true, especially in cityscapes that lack greenery. Transform your outdoor space with a curated vertical garden or moss wall that adds class and sophistication to a blank façade.

Other Transformation Opportunities

Because of their space-saving appeal, green living walls can be leveraged across all industries—private or public, commercial or retail—to revitalize a space. 

If you’re thin on ideas or are struggling to imagine just how transformative plant walls can be, here are some examples of spaces that have the potential to showcase the efficacy of living walls, both outdoors and in:

1. Lobbies and Reception Areas 
   

   Before: Office or hotel lobbies and reception areas can sometimes give off a cold, clinical ambience, especially if the walls are white and the décor is minimal. No doubt you’ve visited a space with an inherently unwelcoming atmosphere that is particularly uninspiring for employees and visitors alike.

   After: A floor-to-ceiling plant or moss wall installed behind a reception desk will completely revive these types of spaces. Lush greenery adds warmth and vitality, not to mention a welcoming environment. The plant life will immediately shift your employees’ mood and productivity, and clients will arrive feeling equal parts relaxed and impressed by the innovative, sustainable, and professional design of your reception area.
   
   

2. Cramped Office Spaces

   Before: Small spaces with limited natural light and greenery can feel cramped, lifeless and depressing. And with more corporate environments embracing a hybrid work environment, large, sprawling office spaces are fast becoming a distant memory.
   
   After: Make office days the highlight of your employees’ week by bringing a burst of nature into the room. A single vertical garden installed along a bare wall will enhance the overall ambience of a space. Alternatively, freestanding garden trellises can serve as room dividers or partitions in an open-plan office. They also work to absorb loud noises and establish a sense of calm in a bustling office environment.

3.  Restaurant Interior

   Before: Even the best restaurants with Michelin-level grub can lack warmth and character if they fail to entice clientele with an inviting interior. Integrating plant life into your restaurant décor is the easiest way to transform a dull, lifeless interior into a warm and revitalized space. 
   

   After: Integrate several plant walls throughout the dining area to give your restaurant a fresh modern feel. Or, pair vibrant plant life with a nature-inspired menu to establish a cohesive theme. Moss walls can also serve as a distinctive focal point and conversation starter, setting your establishment apart from competitors. When it comes to hospitality, it’s all about the ambience!

Plant Walls: Strategic and Sustainable

Biophilia emphasizes our innate connection to nature. It’s at the heart of the living wall trend that incorporates plants into architecture and interior design—in a space- and cost-efficient way.

Effective both indoors and out, the strategic use of plant walls represent a sustainable and environmentally friendly design option that aligns with the principles of biophilic design and the International WELL Building Institute’s WELL Building Standards.

And, as part of our role as a WELL proponent and Works with WELL license holder, Natura is committed to helping companies utilize plants as part of their WELL journey. We are passionate about the restorative effects of plants on people’s wellbeing,  and we specialize in helping our clients incorporate natural elements into their built environment—whether it’s to meet preconditions for a WELL consideration or simply to enjoy the myriad of benefits of strategic plant design.

Ready to transform your space with the power of plant walls? Download our A Quick Guide to LIVING WALLS

If your square footage is what’s hindering you from exploring green living walls and other facets of plant design, rest assured that we’re here to work around space constraints (or any other hindrance).

Schedule a consultation with a Natura consultant today to see how we can help.