All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Green thumbs or not, we could spend hours researching how to care for houseplants, from watering tips and soil selection to the best pots for indoor plants. No shade to pets or actual human children, but we very much view our plant babies as members of the family. For insight on how to give them the best possible home—which can in turn help them thrive—we tapped Lindsay Wallstrum, plant stylist and founder of L.A.-based Leaf and Lolo, for her pro tips. 

Number one on her list? Determining the right size pot to buy for each plant. “I always recommend buying a pot that’s one to two inches larger than the previous pot for smaller plants, and three to four inches larger for big plants,” she explains. “This ensures that the plant has ample room to grow, but not so much that it has more soil than roots.” 

Ahead, find Wallstrum’s additional guidelines for selecting the best pots for indoor plants, from brand-new babies fresh from the nursery to free-flowing air plants and propagation cuttings. 

Best Pots for Nursery Plants

New plants straight from the nursery afford a bit more creativity in the planter department. Because they’re already housed in their plastic nursery pots and will be comfortable there for the next few weeks to months, you can simply plop them in a more aesthetically pleasing vessel right off the bat to conceal the plastic exterior.

Another bonus: Drainage holes aren’t as important here since the plastic nursery pot will have them, meaning the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing a pot. Wallstrum recommends woven baskets for a decorative touch, adding that you can line them with a saucer for drainage purposes or remove the plant entirely for waterings.

Best Pots for Indoor Plants

Once your plant grows out of its nursery pot and is ready for a more spacious home, it’s time to invest in a more long-term vessel. Considering that overwatering is one of the most common reasons for dead houseplants (RIP), drainage holes are incredibly important. Without them, your plant can easily become waterlogged and suffer from potentially life-threatening conditions, like root rot.

Drainage holes especially important for desert natives like succulents and cacti, which prefer their soil to dry out at least 50% between waterings. Material is also a consideration—plastic pots tend to retain water more than their natural counterparts, like stone, ceramic, and earthenware. Wallstrum swears by a solid terra-cotta pot with an accompanying saucer to protect your floors and surfaces post-watering.

Best Pots for Trailing Plants

Trailing plants bring some drama to your space, and while the same rules as above apply for these, they’ll really thrive in a pot that allows their foliage to cascade and trail downward. Ceiling and wall planters with ample space around them are great options for houseplants like pothos, philodendrons, ferns, spider plants, and string of pearls. You can place nursery pots directly into these vessels and remove for waterings, or look for a hanging planter with a proper drainage hole (again, removing it for waterings).

Best Pots for Air Plants & Cuttings

Hanging glass orbs and dramatic wall planters may look enticing online, but Wallstrum contends that these planters are really better-suited to small air plants and propagation cuttings. “These vessels are adorable, but don’t really allow for soil and therefore may not be great long-term homes for proper plants,” she explains.

The more transient nature of air plants and cuttings makes them a great candidate for more precarious environments, like glass orbs, arched frames, and small wall planters. Of course, make sure all cuttings are submerged in water, and regularly dust and soak your air plants for optimal health. 

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission

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Designer and founder Justina Blakeney has lived a life: There was that time while living in Italy that she worked as a TV host for a local Tuscany-based show. There was also that time she and her sister, Faith, opened up a boutique in Florence selling handbags and vintage T-shirts—then, a novel concept for Florentines (Hey! it was the early 2000s). And those were just the early years.

By the time Blakeney turned 30 she spoke five different languages and had already spent time in Barcelona, Buenos Aries, Copenhagen, Cordoba, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Madrid, and Marrakech.

Though in 2009 it was the sunny, open-air lifestyle of the West Coast that lured the Berkley native back home. After spending a decade amid cobblestone and concrete, she moved into a 1920s bungalow-style home in Los Angeles. Blakeney was relieved to be immersed in so much greenery outside of her window.

It was also the first time she lived alone and could create a space that purely reflected her taste. So she filled her home with wild patterns, lush textures, and kaleidoscopic colors. And it was that winding path that ultimately inspired her to create her blog, Jungalow—a portmanteau fusing the word bungalow and jungle. Years later, the experience morphed from a blog into a full-on brand, an endeavor she bootstrapped herself.

Now, a wife, mother, and New York Times best-selling author, Blakeney’s recently released her third book. In Decorate Wild, Blakeney offers readers a mix of memoir with a heavy helping of inspiration to DIY their own homes in an authentic way. “The last two books were really outward-focused and this book is really inward-focused,” she says to Glamour.

Whatever your taste—modern, rustic, boho— there’s a global message to Blakeney’s design approach. Our homes should be “a place for creating and growing.” And speaking of growing, she also recommends we all go hard on the plants—the brand is named Jungalow after all.

For Glamour’s Doing the Work column, entrepreneur, and interiors maven Justina Blakeney gives us a glimpse into her career, how we can all be a bit happier at work, and the work essentials she just can’t live without.

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Glamour: What time do you get up? 

Justina Blakeney: I sort of wake up with the sun. So that means around a quarter to six.

What’s your typical morning routine?

Each day looks a little different. When I get up early, I have an outdoor shower, so I’ll just go rinse off. The sun is rising and I have a moment to myself. Then I’ll go into the kitchen and make a coffee or tea and check my emails and see what’s happening in the world. I check the news, my stocks, all that stuff. Then, my family usually starts to wake up around 7:30 a.m. at which time we usually have breakfast together.

Are you a breakfast person?

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Erin Hiemstra’s cozy home office is a lesson in functional and stylish small-space design. The creative behind Apartment 34 transformed a snug 10×10 accessory dwelling unit in her backyard into her dream home office when the pandemic hit. “We added the ADU to our yard months before quarantine, and I’m so thankful we did!” she shares. “I couldn’t wait to create an elevated escape, especially as the rest of the house devolved into chaos — it’s not easy to get work done with a Kindergartener.” 

She worked with California Closets to create a custom built-in desk that optimized the limited floor space, and had room leftover for a meditation corner. She went with grey herringbone floors from Cle Tile, a soft Roman Clay treatment on the walls for a texturized, plaster-like finish, and a dark, moody color palette for a modern and minimal look. “I breathe a sigh of gratitude every time I step in here,” she adds. “I love that I can display my favorite treasures, and my husband is happy that my magazine collection is out of the house.” 

To recreate the look at home, Hiemstra swears by three design tips: select a spot with great natural light to improve focus, invest in a comfortable chair, and carve out space for pieces that inspire you. “It can be a gorgeous desk lamp, a plant, artwork, a mood board — just something that makes you smile.” 

Interior Designer Shea McGee

Interior designer Shea McGee is all about function when designing a space — especially something as utilitarian as a home office. “I always start by asking myself, ‘How can I make this space as functional as possible?” In her book, a comfortable chair, spacious desk, plenty of storage, and some degree of separation from the rest of your home are the building blocks of a successful home office. 

“Having a designated office or desk is important so that on some level, you can still ‘leave work’ at the end of the day,” she notes. If you’re working with a multi-use space like a kitchen table or closet, she recommends investing in a comfy chair and adding luxe touches like a candle or flowers to make the space feel intentional. 

As for home office design, McGee always aims to create an organized, relaxing atmosphere that’s conducive to productivity. In her husband Syd’s home office, for example, she went with a coat of calming navy paint, plenty of built-in storage, and personal touches like artwork, books, and greenery. 

Design Blogger Jessica D’Itri Marés

The next time you’re thinking about bringing a squiggly vase or cute desk chair into your life, don’t hit the checkout button without first shopping at a Black-owned home brand. From macrame wall hangings to colorful throw pillows and jewel-toned glassware, Black creators are making just about everything for your space at a range of price points, and in styles far more interesting than the now-exhausted midcentury modern fare. On top of wholly unique pieces, many also work within their respective communities to give back and find inspiration in Black heritage to bring you goods that tell a deeper story.

One such place is Goodee, a socially-conscious marketplace that curates sustainably-made, artisanal pieces from around the world. Byron and Dexter Peart, the twin brothers behind the company, recognized how undervalued Black creators were in the sustainability conversation and were determined to change that narrative. Byron says, “We felt that there were so many extremely skilled and underrepresented ethical makers around the world who desperately needed a platform to connect with an equally committed conscious consumer.” 

Speaking directly to the importance of having Black talent in the interior design and home decor space, he says “the issue isn’t that there is a talent gap in design fields, it is that there are very clear and persistent barriers to entry in access, education, mentoring, career opportunities. There is no doubt that there has been a broad awakening over the past months and a very promising shift that has ensued … but there is a long way to go.” True industry representation is something that drives and connects many Black-owned home decor bands, and Nicole Gibbons, founder of Clare, a direct-to-consumer paint company, echoes this sentiment. 

“It’s important to focus on the community you serve,” Gibbons says, especially in decor and interior design because everyone wants to live in a beautiful home surrounded by the things they love.” And after nearly a year of spending most of our time indoors, it’s clear that surrounding ourselves with things that speak to us can go a long way in boosting our mood or providing comfort during stressful times. 

There are plenty of Black-owned home decor brands to fill every corner of your space, so whether you’re looking for gifts for loved ones, statement items, or sourcing vintage, below is a small sampling of creators to keep in rotation.

Goodee

Head to Goodee for ethically-made pieces that last a lifetime. The platform carries just about everything—ceramic trays, artful scarves, colorful woven baskets—for interiors and exteriors, and they recently partnered with Nordstrom to launch “Goodee 100,” a virtual pop-up of 100 home essentials all under $100. Keep an eye out for its terracotta plant vessels, which Byron says will be big among nesters this year “to ensure our surroundings always remain connected to nature.” 

Clare

Thinking about refreshing the color of your walls? Check out the direct-to-consumer brand Clare, which designer Nicole Gibbons created in order to simplify the process of paint shopping. Her peel-and-stick swatches are mess-free, and features like the Clare Color Genius and the Paint Calculator make choosing colors overall more creative and accessible than traditional home goods stores. Gibbons says the Clare customer is “someone who embraces boldness and color,” with many shoppers gravitating towards moody tones like deep navy and dark green. For spring, she’s seeing a rise in cheery, uplifting colors like shades of yellow and pink, as well as more airy neutrals to give a sense of calm.

Estelle Colored Glasses

Estelle Colored Glasses is the kind of stuff you lust over on Instagram or Pinterest. The soft pastel stemware and cake stands are hand-blown by glass artisans in Poland, and the brand itself is inspired by the founder, Stephanie Summerson Hall’s grandmother, who loved antiquing and decorating her table with colorful glassware during Sunday dinners. (PS: If the designs look familiar, there’s a chance you’ve seen them at Anthropologie, West Elm, or Food52.) 

Raini Home

Raini Home is an extension of Sincerely, Tommy, the Brooklyn-based concept store that sells eclectic women’s clothing and accessories. Consider Raini if you want statement pieces for your home. The brand carries a unique mix of furniture and decorative accents that all have a distinct minimalistic, sculptural feel—and each piece is handmade in a factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Savoy’s Objects

Prepare to fall in love with Savoy’s Objects and its founder, Reegan Savoy Houston, who expertly curates vintage decor and shares her finds on the brand’s website and Instagram. Houston says the pieces she sources “resemble womanhood in its most glorious state—at the helm of luxury and sex appeal.” One look at those undulating candle holders and we couldn’t agree more.

Candice Luter

Candice Luter’s macrame wall hangings are perfect for anyone who wants to add texture to blank walls without having to pull out the paintbrushes. The artist uses natural cotton rope to create abstract designs, and each piece is handmade. You can shop her designs at West Elm, or work closely with her on a custom piece via Etsy.

The Jungalow

What started as a design blog by Justina Blakeney in 2009 has since grown into a full-fledged lifestyle brand and store known as The Jungalow. Whether you’re looking for designs by Blakeney or unique pieces from artisans around the world, it’s a one-stop-shop for feel-good art and eclectic home decor.  

Bolé Road Textiles

Interior designer Hana Getachew is the founder of Bolé Road Textiles, a home-goods store that sells one-of-a-kind textiles and fabrics (think soft towels, patterned pillow covers, and stitched throws) that are designed in Brooklyn and handwoven in Ethiopia. 

Yowie

Yowie is a Philadelphia-based home and lifestyle boutique founded by Shannon Maldonado. The store is so popular, it’s rare to find things in stock on Yowie, but on a good day, you can snag unique housewares, kitchen goods, and trinkets made by independent artists and friends of the brand—like the blue vase below.

54kibo

Look to 54kibo for contemporary African design across a variety of items, including ceramics, decorative pillows, and table linens. The 54kibo team says on its website that it sources pieces from “designers leading the next wave of Africa’s creative economy,” and curates unique items “that help your home stand out.” 

Bloom & Plume

Bloom & Plume is a celebrated Los Angeles floral design studio that makes museum-worthy installations and arrangements. It’s the brainchild of visual artist Maurice Harris, who opened Blume & Plume Coffee, an extension of his celebrated floral studio, in 2019. The shop is community-oriented and designed to “uplift people through aesthetics.” Shop its mini online webshop, or stop by the café for some really good coffee if you’re in the neighborhood. 

Harlem Candle Co.

The Harlem Candle Company is a luxury home and fragrance company inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. Founded by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson in 2014, the brand celebrates the legacy of Black icons like Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes with aromatic soy candles that can “transport you through time and place.”

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.