the-best-plants-for-a-bathroom:-houseplants-that-thrive-in-humidity-and-low-natural-light
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Best plants for a bathroom: Houseplants that thrive in humidity and low natural light

ByHazel Sillver

As well as being that haloed place where one can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet and a hot soak, the bathroom is also one of the best rooms to grow house plants. Its high humidity is a haven for a lot of indoor plants because so many of them hail from tropical or subtropical forests. There they flourish in the consistently damp, warm air and the light that pours in between the trees. These plants will feel right at home in bathrooms, shower rooms, and kitchens, if provided with the indirect light and average-to-warm temperature that most of them crave. African violets are one of the best plants for a bathroom Flowerphotos/Getty Images The best plants for a bathroom Small bathroom plants Air plant (Tillandsia argentea) This weird and wonderful epiphyte from the warm, humid forests of Cuba and Jamaica can be slotted into glass globes, narrow-necked vases, or shells, without any soil. Place in bright indirect light. Soak in rainwater or filtered water once a week, then drain. Temperature: 15 to 27°C. Forming a small mound of burgundy-backed green textured leaves, this easy evergreen perennial from the rainforests of Brazil enjoys bright indirect light and warmth, where it will send up cream flower spikes. Water when the soil feels dry; feed in spring and summer. Temperature: 15 to 27°C. The green leaves of this small evergreen from Java and Sumatra are clothed with pink-purple hairs that make them soft and velvety. It’s best to remove the winter flowerheads should they appear, as the orange blooms don’t smell pleasant. Place in bright indirect light. Water when the compost feels dry and never leave the plant waterlogged. Temperature: 15 to 23°C. Saintpaulia ‘Top Dark Blue’ There are few plants that rival the intensity of purple that some of these small plants produce when they flower between spring and autumn. Sit in bright indirect light. Water from below when the upper compost feels dry and feed during spring and summer. Temperature: 16 to 25°C. Medium-sized bathroom plants An attractive upright evergreen subshrub from Paraguay and Brazil, bearing lush, glossy lobed leaves. Sit in medium to bright indirect light. Water when the soil feels dry and water less in winter. Temperature: 10 to 27°C. This airy African evergreen perennial is a close relative of the asparagus fern. Place in medium indirect light in a cool bathroom. Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged. Temperature: 10-25°C. Resembling a miniature Swiss cheese plant, this wonderful fuss-free climber from the damp forests of Malaysia is best grown around a moss or coir pole in medium to bright indirect light. Temperature: 12 to 27°C. A subshrub from the damp, warm forests of the Philippines with huge arrow-shaped green leaves above striped stems. Sit in low to bright indirect light. Water when the upper layer of the compost feels dry. Temperature: 15 to 25°C. A fiddle-leaf fig in an Edwardian villa designed by William Smalley Alexander James Large bathroom plants A lovely tree from the wet tropical forests of New Guinea and Australia, with ferny green foliage around slender, upright, woody stems. It will grow well to around 2 metres in bright indirect light and will grow more slowly in lower light. Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. Temperature: 15 to 27°C. This African tree can reach over 2 metres, its big paddle-shaped leathery leaves are dark green, and it likes a lot of bright indirect light, so it is only suitable for a spacious, light bathroom where it won’t dominate. Water when the upper compost feels dry. Temperature: 15 to 24°C. A beautiful evergreen fern from the South Pacific, with lush bright-green fronds from a trunk-like rhizome. Place in medium indirect light and keep the compost moist (but not waterlogged) using rainwater (or filtered tap water with a dash of vinegar). If it’s happy, it can grow to 1-metre wide and 2-metres tall. Temperature: 10 to 24°C. From China and Vietnam, this evergreen palm produces dark-green fans of blunt-ended leaves from upright canes. Place in medium to bright indirect light. Water when the upper compost feels dry. Slow growing to 3 metres. Temperature: 15 to 26°C.

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Hallway ideas to make a great first impression

ByCharlotte McCaughan-Hawes

An antique runner adds further colour to the hallway, which features an antique Welsh dresser sourced by Tamsyn Mason in this handsome Georgian rectory in Hampshire Christopher Horwood “It is easy to forget that an entrance hall is a room,” says decorating maestro Rita Konig. “It often receives corridor status, but it is, in fact, an important space. As the place for arrivals and departures, it sets the tone for the rest of the house, so it needs to be welcoming.” For this reason, pay as much attention to the stuff in a hallway as you would in any other room, and don’t use it as dumping ground for furniture or art that has no home elsewhere. Just because you’re moving through a space regularly to get to another room where you might spend longer, that doesn’t make it less important – if anything, it makes it more important. The hallway is nearly always the part of a house that you and your guests will encounter first, so make sure it leaves an impression, perhaps by hanging a statement piece of art in it or by introducing an unusual colour. Hallway ideas: decoration Since hallways, especially in city houses, tend to be narrow, the walls are an important feature. Opt for a warm paint colour, some elegant wall panelling, or a patterned wallpaper to lend the space character. Also consider adding wall lights, for a gentler glow than an overhead light. This is a great place to display art. We’ve seen some brilliant examples of statement pieces taking up practically an entire wall, but gallery walls are also a great option in a hallway, perhaps displaying a collection of photographs or botanical prints. “Traffic is a consideration when you are decorating,” notes Rita. “The floor, for example, has to be practical while remaining in keeping with the style of the house.” We love a flagstone hallway, or the traditional tiles you can still find in Victorian houses, but sisal or jute can also be a great, hardwearing option for this space. Don’t forget to take into account the other rooms you can see from a hallway – if you have easy views into lots of rooms or one particular room, try to keep the colours of the walls tonal, and think about positioning hallway mirrors to allow unexpected glimpses throughout the house. Pocket or sliding doors can also work well for the rooms that lead off a hallway, especially if it is a dark or narrow space, allowing the doors to be open most of the time, letting light flood in. Hallway ideas: furniture “The furniture here should be good,” continues Rita. If you have enough space, consider a hall table, either a console table that can provide a space for keys, post, along with flowers, lamps and decorative objects, or something a bit grander to go in the centre of the hallway if you have a larger space. “The hall table can be quite magnificent – just as it is in many of Robert Kime’s projects, and in William Yeoward and Colin Orchard’s house in Gloucestershire.” A bench or pair of chairs can also be a great feature, allowing people to perch and take off their shoes, or providing a place to wait as you prepare to leave the house. Hallway ideas: storage Finally, hallway storage is absolutely key if you want to maintain tidiness. Hallways are always prone to get cluttered up with shoes, bags, umbrellas, coats and other paraphernalia. A bench with storage built in underneath can be a great option, while wall-mounted storage or a simple row of hooks can work well in super small spaces. If you have a bit more room, a coat rack, wardrobe or built-in joinery can look rather distinguished.