My Favorite Things: 5 Indoor Planting Tools

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

April hosts one of our favorite holidays, Earth Day, coming up in a couple of weeks! There are many ways to go green, from making easy, small changes, to checking your carbon footprint or donating to great causes. You can also go green by adding a little actual greenery to your space! Look out for our list of indoor trees next week, but before then, take a peek at my favorite indoor plant necessities!

Hand Pruning Shears

Whether you're just keeping your plants up or sharing them through cuttings (which I love to do!), you'll need pruning shears if you're growing indoors. 

There are many varieties of hand shears, but it's important to make sure you choose a pair that is easy to use for you and strong enough for your plants. I love these pruning shears from Gardenite, because they're high quality, strong and the ratchet feature makes using them a breeze!

Available at: Amazon

Double Macrame Hanging Planter

Some of my favorite houseplants are hanging in windows in my bathroom and kitchen. Double hanging planters are the perfect tool for getting plants great light and brightening your space. 

This planter is handmade with natural cotton sourced locally in Canada and comes in three different lengths to match your space perfectly! I love the neutral color and gentle material. It's like cuddling your plants!

Available at: FreeFille

EM-1 Microbial Inoculant

My mother-in-law and her husband are plant experts who teach all around the world, and a few years ago, Hugh (her husband) recommended this conditioner for my houseplants. I love it!

EM-1 is great as a general conditioner for all plants and can fight issues like chlorine poisoning and more by creating healthy micro-organisms. Just add an ounce to a gallon of water!

Available at: TeraGanix

Recycled Glass Spray Bottle

Many plants, including at least one of our favorite indoor trees, require significant amounts of humidity in addition to just water in the soil. Keeping a spray bottle of water nearby is perfect for providing this indoors. 

This bottle is made from recycled glass and holds 8 ounces of water for small or larger houseplants. It's also BPA free, handmade and features a clean, holistic design that won't stick out like a sore thumb! 

Available at: Rail19

Ceramic Planter

Don't forget the most important thing for keeping nature in your holistic spaces - planters! The type of planter you use will depend on what your plant needs, but I love this handmade stoneware option from RehnWorks. 

These hand-thrown, hand-glazed planters are made to order, include drainage holes and are even available in larger sizes than listed. Not to mention they add a beautiful Wood element color to your space in addition to the plant itself! 

Available at: RehnWorks

How To Make The Most Of Your Teeny-Tiny Home

featured this month on Nylon by Jenna Igneri

All of us could probably stand to have a bit more space when it comes to our home—we, New Yorkers, know that to be a fact. (Really, though, what’s a girl gotta do for a walk-in closet around here?)

However, just because our living space is tiny doesn’t make it any less awesome. Home is where the heart is, after all, even if our living room is nonexistent and our bathtub is in our kitchen. Moving into a shoebox-sized studio may seem discouraging at first, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t have the potential to look and feel as spacious as your dream loft. We chatted with experts in the world of interior design to get their insider tips and hacks for making the most of a small space.

Read on for ways to make your space look larger (even if it is just an optical illusion), utilize your walls space, and help keep your spirits high, even if your square footage is low. 

Your choice in paint can make a huge difference

Whether you choose a darker color or not, painting your walls and your ceiling the same color can also trick your eye into thinking a room is bigger. Anjie Cho, architect, certified feng shui consultant, and author of 108 Ways To Create Holistic Spaces: Feng Shui and Green Design for Healing and Organic Homes, suggests going for an all-over color, as the monotone look creates a continuous surface, thus making the room look more expansive.

...read full article

Yes, You Can Use Rugs (Even With Allergies!)

Our goal at Holistic Spaces is to help you create a nurturing home where you feel safe, nourished and uplifted. This can include anything from the way you choose to design your space to the type of artwork you hang to the materials of your furniture, bedding, rugs, etc. This last aspect of creating an ideal home can be incredibly important if allergies are a concern for you. Fortunately, you don't have to forego beautiful rugs to avoid the sniffles!

If carpeting is a problem for you because of allergies (or even if you live in New York City, where carpeting is rare), rest easy in the knowledge that washable rugs and hardwood floors are actually much better, health-wise! It's easy to understand with hardwood floors; they're easier to clean and contain no fibers to trap icky dust mites and the like. Hardwood is notoriously not so great on cold feet, though, so don't kiss rugs goodbye! If you choose washable rugs and pay close attention to the material, it is absolutely possible for gorgeous rugs and allergies to co-exist.

Swing Low (Pile)

First things first, opt for low-pile rugs. While lush, thick carpeting is comforting during the cold winter, it offers many more places for mites and allergens to hide out, which is no good for those of us who are sensitive. In choosing shorter threads and less plush materials, we can add rugs to our space and still breathe easy.

Go Natural

In the same vein, check out natural material options, for a variety of reasons. Many natural materials, like jute, contain organic substances like tannin that repel some of the gross creatures that make us sneeze and tear up. In addition, there are a variety of companies who produce jute and other organic rugs that contribute directly to Fair Trade practices and serve to help others in developing countries and save on your pharmacy bill. 

Keep It Clean!

Finally, no matter what type of rug you choose, make sure to clean it regularly! This should go without saying, since part of having a holistic space is having a clean space, but especially in the case of allergens, it's important not to skip the rugs. Vacuum rugs regularly with a HEPA filter to ensure you're picking up everything you can, and be sure to take them out for a good shake from time to time! 

If you've read any of our rug posts and wished you could add rugs to your holistic space, this is the way to go! By taking care to pay attention to materials and styles and keeping your space clean, we're confident you can bring rugs into your space without buying an extra box of tissues. If you decide to go for it, let us know! 

by Anjie Cho