Faux Or Real

For many years I had a real aversion to faux trees, plants, florals. I always advised clients to use real, live plants or nothing at all. Lots of Stagers were BIG on faux trees & plants because they didn’t have to worry about staging a property and having to constantly make sure the plants were properly watered. I was always more concerned about all of the dust the faux plants collected and how dead & flat a faux plant seemed to always make a room feel. I always strongly suggested both my staging and my design clients get rid of ALL faux plants. ALL. OF. THEM.

Then I met a vendor that was offering the most beautiful preserved boxwoods. They were always so nicely potted too. They were a bit pricey but to me they were (and still are) well worth every, single cent. They aren’t exactly faux and they aren’t live either. They are a go-between because they were once live and then preserved for lasting a truly long time. They bring in the much needed greenery & feel of a live plant without all of the maintenance (and fear of killing them).

For years I sold these in my retail & online shops and also sold a ton to design & staging clients too. I still sell them to this day. Actually, I sell so many that I’m often sold out. They are my go-to favorite for bringing in low maintenance greenery as they come in various sizes & shapes so they can be added into just about any space needed.

Potted Preserved Boxwood/Spruce-us.com

Preserved Boxwoods will be a go-to for me for years to come if they keep making them available in such a quality way. Many know that I also love using white orchids in my spaces (personal & business). For years I used real orchids because again, the faux orchids were well…just cheap looking to be honest. Faux orchids (and other florals as well to be honest) have also come a long, long way. I still love a live orchid and personally have many in my home but I realize that some people are a bit intimidated by them as they can be tricky.

I’ve found a couple of really good faux orchid & floral vendors over the past couple of years which I love and use often. I actually use a mix of real AND faux even in my own home (so you know they are good because I LOVE a real orchid). A good orchid (real or faux) can bring such grace & calmness to a room! It brings in a good bit of sopistication & zen to a space. Now, having said that…not all rooms can carry off an orchid. It depends a lot on the decor of the room. Some rooms a basket of really good faux hydrangeas would work much better or a small vase of really good faux roses. AGAIN…”really good” is the key. Really good in my experience means the faux plants are usually pretty expensive. Well worth it if you ask me. A little goes a long way too. One really good orchid (real or faux) on a fireplace mantle or on a entry way table or in a guest bath will do the trick. Too many scattered all through the house takes away from the specialness (is that a word?) of the one really good one.

Same goes with a vase of roses (again, whether real or really good faux). One vase on an entry way table or tucked in a special corner of the kitchen is plenty. You don’t want your home to look like a funeral parlor which can surely and quickly happen with too many florals & plants over all & through out. Pick your spaces carefully and remember…a little goes a long way.

An orchid adds interest & sophistication to a fireplace mantel. Placed in front of an antique mirror. Spruce-us.com

So…to recap, you now know I’m a big fan of preserved boxwoods (for a bit of greenery i.e.-life) and you know I love an orchid (real or really good faux). I prefer white orchids (Phalaenopsis) because I find them most calming & they never fight with the decor. It’s also believed that white orchids symbolize innocence & purity. It’s also believed that orchids bring good luck and fortune in love. I’m good with all of that but I mostly love them just for their sheer beauty.

Now back to my past thoughts on “ALL faux plants have to go”. Faux trees & plants & florals have come a LONG way! Take the oh so poplar Fiddle Fig Tree. I’ve had both real & faux. Both are pretty expensive. A REALLY GOOD faux fiddle fig can be rather expensive but seeing as how a real 6ft fiddle fig will run you about $200 or more (depending on where you live) and they are one of the most finicky trees out there…paying $300 or $400 for a really good faux one that won’t die is basically a no-brainer if you ask me. Just make sure it’s a really good one!

A really good faux fiddle fig is one that I’ve seen even seasoned designers have to go up to and do what I call the touch test. They are SO good that sometimes even after touching them it’s hard to tell. THAT’S REALLY GOOD! Worth every cent you will pay for it. Just a bit of dusting now & then and you are good to go for years to come. Really good faux has become a life saver when staging which I never thought I’d ever say. Really good faux plants are just that good these days (still don’t over do it…not going for the jungle look, ever!).

There has been an insurgency of really good faux plants in the past couple of years. Thank goodness! I still say a little goes a LONG way, but a really good faux tree in one room and a really good faux plant tucked into a bookcase here can do wonders for a space, a budget & is a huge time saver maintenance wise.

I still love to bring in real seasonal flowers but again, a little goes a long way. Mix it up! Don’t over do it! Shop around & only buy “really good”!

“REALLY GOOD” Fiddle Fig Tree (Ballards). Basket (Target). Add moss to fill basket & add interest (fill basket with newspaper or styrofoam you have around the house first to cut back on amount of moss needed). Spruce-us.com

A REALLY GOOD faux Olive Tree! Just plop into a pretty, decorative basket or pot and find just the right spot to make its home. Another great faux choice. Faux has come a LONG, LONG way!

Check out Ballards for great “really good” selections. Also, Pottery Barn has great options.. West Elm has good choices too as well as places like Target & World Market. Check Kirkland’s, Hobby Lobby and Michaels too, they have good smaller sized faux plants that work well in a nice little spot that needs some greenery. HAPPY SPRUCING! ~Scarlett