Bring More Greenery Into Your Living Room

A few well-placed plants can change how a room feels, especially in small Maltese homes where light and space are both precious. Here is how to build a calmer, greener living room without needing a garden at all.

Create a quiet corner for yourself

A good well-being corner does not need much, just a chair you actually want to sit in, placed where the light falls in the afternoon. Surround it with plants on every surface within reach, add a lamp for the evening, and bring in a soft throw and a cushion or two. In a long, hot Maltese summer, a spot like this by an open window also catches whatever breeze there is, making it a natural place to slow down with a book.

JÄRRESTAD pouffe, with storage/Tonerud dark beige, 46 cmTOLKNING pouffe with storage, handmade rattan, 50 cmGLOSTAD 2-seat sofa, Knisa dark grey, 121 cmSANDARED pouffe, beige, 45 cmALSEDA stool, banana fibre, 60 cmGLOSTAD 3-seat sofa, Knisa dark grey, 171 cm

Shop IKEA Living room seating

Make the most of a narrow windowsill

Many apartments and townhouses have windows that let in good light but offer very little ledge space underneath. IKEA's VARIERA shelf is slim enough to sit on a sill without blocking the view out, giving several small pots a place to catch the sun through the day. Building upwards like this is a practical way to fit more greenery into a compact room, rather than fighting for floor space that simply is not there.

VARIERA pot lid organiser, stainless steel, 14.5x10 cmVARIERA plastic bag dispenser, white, 16x45x13 cmVARIERA storage turntable, 26 cmVARIERA bottle rack, 26x2.2x24.5 cm

Shop IKEA Variera

Let plants travel with the light

A small wheeled side table makes it easy to follow the sun. Keep books on the lower level and let the top hold a changing display of pots and a glass or two, then wheel the whole thing from a sunny window in the morning to beside the bed at night. It is a simple way to wake up to something green rather than a bare wall, and works well in bedrooms or living rooms where furniture often needs to earn its keep in more than one spot.

NISSAFORS trolley, black, 50.5x30x83 cmLACK side table, white, 35x35 cmNISSAFORS trolley, white, 50.5x30x83 cmLACK side table, white, 55x55 cmTONSTAD bedside table, oak veneer, 40x40x59 cmLACK side table, black-brown, 55x55 cm

Shop IKEA Side Tables

Turn an awkward corner into a feature

Every home has a corner that never quite knows what to do with itself. A small round table with a single leg takes up little floor space yet can hold a whole cluster of pots, instantly giving that spot a purpose. Add a lamp with a strong, warm light nearby and the corner becomes somewhere worth looking at in the evening too, rather than somewhere the eye simply slides past.

Try a miniature garden under glass

Not every plant needs a pot. A single small plant inside a glass jar, such as IKEA's KORKEN jar with its cork lid left slightly ajar, creates a tiny self-contained garden that catches the light beautifully on a shelf or plant stand. It is a neat solution for anyone short on surfaces, and opening the lid now and then lets a little air in and stops things getting too humid inside, which matters in Malta's own damp summer months.

KORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 1 lKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 0.5 lKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 1.8 lKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 2 lKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 13 cl, 3 packKORKEN bottle shaped jar with lid, clear glass, 1 l

Shop IKEA Korken

Small changes like these add up to a living room that feels calmer all year round, and the pieces here are available to order online for homes across Malta and Gozo.

More living room ideas