We love a good faux floral, but we'll be the first to point out that they're not all created equal. In fact, there are a lot of terrible faux plants that give the whole category a bad rap. If you've avoided faux plants for this very reason, you're missing out! These zero-maintenance decor pieces make it easy to enjoy natural elements in your home without the stress that comes from, you know, keeping them alive. Here are our five rules for making faux plants look so real.
Switch Up The Vessel
So many faux plants come in their own vessel—and they aren't always good, especially when they've used that unconvincing fake dirt. Instead, use a different vessel and pair it with items like Spanish moss, stones or even real soil to make it more realistic. You can fiddle with height, too, by stacking the vessel it came in on top of shredded paper and then covering it with moss.
Here at Third & Main, we've begun pairing our beautifully realistic faux florals with complementary vases and vessels in our individual curated boxes. Customers love it, since it makes things so easy—plant, meet vessel!
Stick To Smaller Sizes
The bigger they are, the less real they start to look. While there are exceptions, if you're buying sight unseen, it's usually safest to stick with smaller faux florals and plants.
Imperfections Are Important
The beauty is often in the imperfections, and faux plants that look too perfect—too glossy, too green—are often easy to spot as fakes. If the goal is a faux that looks as authentic as possible, some organic imperfection is important. They'll be more convincing if there are multiple shades of green, for instance, instead of just one bright tone.
Mix In Real Plants
If you're going faux, don't think you can't bring in some live plants. Instead of highlighting the contrast, mixing fresh and faux plants can help blur the line between the two. Try putting a faux plant where you might use a real one, like on the kitchen table or in the windowsill to keep up appearances.
Spend The Money
A really good faux plant can be expensive, but it's a worthwhile investment when you think about the longevity you'll get. They live, literally, forever, and all you have to do is dust them occasionally. Plus, faux plants go where real plants can't, so brighten up that bathroom counter or top a stack of books with confidence—these things thrive no matter where you put them!