Welcome to the Jungalow: How to Make a Personal Oasis

By Eden Spatz

 

The term “jungalow” is a home design term rumored to originate from the likes of Urban Outfitters or Tumblr, and originally referred to a room styling that’s typically found in a loft or studio space. The look of this interior design style is inspired by tropical bungalows, meaning its full of plants, natural fibers, and sunlight. But even if you don’t currently reside in a 1,200-square-foot loft with floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed wood beams, you can still create your own personal oasis of lush greenery with these straightforward room planning guidelines.

 

 

The most important element of a jungalow room styling scheme is obvious: plants, and lots of ‘em! Unfortunately, many of us are limited by a few key elements (namely lighting and available space) to successfully grow plants indoors. But don’t worry! The same jungalow design ideas can still be achieved with just a little bit more planning and forethought.

 

 

Let There Be Light

First, take stock of the natural light in your space. There is a boundless variety of indoor plants that require varying levels of light to thrive, many that require less light than you think. Take stake of your space and identify the best areas for plants to thrive. Stay away from heaters and air vents because artificial air and widely varying temperatures generally create problems for plants.

 

 

Once you’ve identified the potential spaces within your home to accommodate your urban jungle, begin researching the different types of indoor plants. As a general rule, trees, cacti, and succulents thrive in bright, direct light. Most other types of plants vary in their light requirements and may prefer low to medium light. Being right in front of a window is too intense for most plants. With that in mind, you can scatter trees, cacti, and succulents throughout your space in places that would be less than ideal for other plant types.

 

 

Plant Placement

While large plants will typically need the most light and are usually limited to only being peaceable on the floor, think about other creative placement ideas for your plants. Hanging plants from the ceiling are a great way to maximize space, drawing the eye upwards in a room plan and creating height in a space. Shelving and wall-mounted planters double as wall decor for other small items and can houseplants in an attractive way.

 

 

Vine and tendril-like plants (usually native to jungle environments) typically don’t need a lot of direct light and lend themselves well to creative placements. Different effects can be created by hanging the plants from the ceiling or positioning them on a shelf to cascade down. The great news about the “jungalow” interior design plan: the more crowded your plants are, the better. A dense concentration of greenery gives a lush, vibrant feel and look to your space.

 

Health Benefits

Studies show that besides their obvious complement to home decorating schemes, plants have health benefits as well. Research shows that for optimum air environment in a home, 10-12 plants at minimum should be utilized.

 

 

The greenery in jungalow-style decor is a simple an inexpensive way to unify a room decorating plan, and even just the sight of green living elements can soothe your mind. This organic home decorating idea is a win-win for both your home decor and your personal health.

 

Images used with permission, courtesy of www.shutterstock.com