Brilliant or bonkers? The neon light-filled plant paradise from the Chelsea Flower Show
...complete with disco balls and tons of macramé
There's no better place for garden inspo than The Royal Chelsea Flower Show. Taking place in autumn this year, it has brought lots of new and exciting concepts - and, for the first time, some bold and brilliant house plant ideas.
The Green Room, designed by plant stylist to the stars Ian Drummond, is a plant paradise of leafy green, with a distinct disco vibe. Definitely a little 'out there' for RHS Chelsea - so, is it brilliant or bonkers?
The Green Room house plant studio at the Chelsea Flower Show
First things first, it's impossible for any visitor at RHS Chelsea to walk past this houseplant studio without pausing to comment on its unashamedly fun design. This ties in with the project's focus on the symbiotic relationship between people and plants.
The bright pink macramé on the outside creates the surreal impression of the garden room being suspended in the air like a plant hanging from the bathroom ceiling. It really does feel as if it has just landed down at the Royal Hospital Gardens, soon to be flying off again.
The VIP houseplant hangout overflows with popular monstera deliciosa, polka dot begonia and three types of calathea.
Freddie Blackett, CEO of Patch Plants - the team behind the Silver-Gilt winning Pharmacy of House Plants, shared his thoughts. He comments that as the first time the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has ever had house plants, The Garden Room is 'an excellent modernising move.'
'My first impression is that it was very 70s funky disco vibes, and we know that houseplants were
popular throughout the disco era. A definite shake-up of the traditional RHS Chelsea formula,' says Freddie.
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Brilliant or bonkers?
Our Ecommerce Editor in Chief, Lindsey Davis, loves the concept. 'Sure, it looks mad from the outside, but the pink accents echo the look of some of the variegated plants inside,' she says. 'What a great way to encapsulate our passion for house plants in a very British tongue-in-cheek way – especially since that obsession has boomed for many of us in the last year and a bit.'
Ideal Home Editor Heather Young is also a big fan. 'This is brilliant!' she says. 'We've all been hanging out in our gardens so much more this year, and I'd love nothing more than to host an outdoor evening soiree in a fun space like this!'
'This shed is giving me serious ideas about how to incorporate glitter balls into my houseplant displays,' says News Editor Becky Knight. 'I'm not usually a neon pink person, but I think I might (almost) be converted.'
The clever use of lighting Lindsey mentions could certainly inspire some fun conservatory plant ideas. We think it's bonkers and brilliant - all it needs is a glass of rosé.
Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.
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