Millions of people around the world spend approximately 90% of their average day indoors. Sturdy, modern constructions protect us from the elements and provide us with a sense of safety and comfort. However, we have not always lived in solid and sealed manmade homes. Early humans lived in nature. They took shelter in caves or simple huts made from materials found around them. Dwellings have indeed come a long way since then.
Yet, although more comfortable to inhabit, our modern homes have increasingly distanced us from our natural environment. While our ancestors were surrounded by plant life on a daily basis, some of us today consider it a luxury just to pass a tree or patch of grass on our way to work.
In today’s world, rural communities might still get a daily dose of green, but big-city-dwellers mostly take shade cast by towers rather than trees. Urban living might be more fast-paced and exciting than the country life, but concrete jungles have robbed us of a luxury early man took for granted. Clean air and calming vistas are rarely experienced by city-dwellers, to the determinant of their physical and psychological well-being.
a modern problem
Have you ever heard of ‘Sick Building Syndrome‘? No really, it’s a real thing. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, loss of concentration, and throat irritation, to name a few. According to the WHO, symptoms “tend to increase in severity with the time people spend in the building, and improve over time or even disappear when people are away from the building”.
When you really think about it, it makes sense. In today’s world, most people spend the majority of time indoors, surrounded by artificial light sources, and breathing in chemical emissions from contemporary building materials, cleaning products, and furniture.
Windows are often kept shut in order to maintain a comfortable temperature ensured by air-conditioning or heating system. As a result, the air we breathe is usually stale, and levels of humidity too high or too low.
polluted air everywhere
Air pollution can be several times higher indoors than outdoors. In fact, scientists have identified over 300 toxins, referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to be present in indoor air.
Modern world homes, offices, and schools, no matter how comfortable or beautifully designed, truly have the potential to make us sick.
These toxins can have a major effect on our health. They are often the cause of eye, nose and throat irritation. In extreme cases, they can even lead to irritation of the lungs and damage the liver, kidney, or central nervous system.
Modern world homes, offices, and schools, no matter how comfortable or beautifully designed, truly have the potential to make us sick.
The caves and huts our ancestors called home we’rent nearly as comfortable as the indoor spaces we occupy today. However, they definitely offered better air quality – unless they had a fire burning, that is. If only there was a way to “clear the air” without having to trade in our apartment for a hut.
an easy solution
As it turns out, there is quite an easy, and decorative, solution to this contemporary urban problem; house plants. These lush and living decorative items will purify your air while enhancing your décor. Greenery always adds a bit of luxury to a space, dressing up otherwise odd corners or empty windowsills. While bringing the outdoors in makes for vibrant and lively interiors, houseplants do much more than just embellish a space.
Numerous studies have shown that the presence of plants in an interior can remove dust from the air and help add humidity to a room. Studies also showed that houseplants can clear the air of toxins, making it cleaner and safer for us to breathe.
Instead of buying filters and humidifiers, choose among an array of houseplants that will do those jobs naturally while giving you something pretty to look at. There are even plants that will help you sleep better by giving off oxygen at night.
Indoor plants have also been shown to uplift our spirits, and calm our nerves. Some studies even showed patients with plants in their hospital rooms experienced lower blood pressure, higher pain tolerance, and quicker recovery times than patients without any greenery present.
Houseplants provide us with a fantastic way to get “in touch” with nature while we are stuck indoors at our desk jobs, in school, or in our studio apartments. Being surrounded by greenery improves mood and relieves stress and anxiety. Tending to your plants and watching them flourish can even boost self-esteem.
plants instead of paintings
If you need another reason to add a bit of foliage to your décor, how about the fact that indoor plants can make an impressive impact on a space for much less than what a bespoke piece of artwork would cost?
Ancient Chinese cultures started adorning their interiors with potted plants and trees as early as 3,000 years ago. They considered houseplants to be a symbol of prosperity. The trend carried on through many civilizations around the world. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all used houseplants to show off their wealth.
But indoor plants are no longer only for the rich. Anyone can create a lavish look to a space with the help of the right plants. Any room, no matter how well decorated, would be enhanced with a few pots of greenery. Plants can breathe life into an otherwise stale interior, no pun intended.
And with so many physical and psychological benefits to having indoor plants, it’s no wonder they are becoming more and more popular in urban interiors. While they require a little more care than other things you may choose to decorate your home with – they are living things after all – these ever-changing ornaments are worth it in every way.
So why wait for your weekend hike to see a bit of flora, breathe a little easier, and feel the relaxing effects of nature? Introduce a plant or two into your home or office for a trendy and affordable upgrade to your surroundings. With a little bit of tending, a more beautiful and healthy space will soon follow.
