Modern homes can be architectural wonders nowadays with a sleek and minimalistic look and feel. Living room designs are often functional and practical with clean lines that focus on simplicity. But to make your home aesthetically pleasing, what better way than to add a touch of life and a pop of color by greening up your living room with plants?

The power of plants can elevate your décor, improve air quality, and create a more inviting atmosphere. Moreover, greenery has Feng Shui significance, bringing positivity and luck to the space. 

So, if you are after some insightful living room plant decoration ideas, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to find a list of 21 stunning living room plant options to suit every style and space. 

How to Choose Plants for Your Living Room 

The living room is the heart of your home. When guests visit, the living room often creates their first impression. Plants can significantly enhance its aesthetic appeal, add visual interest, and create a welcoming ambiance. But which plants to pick and how to arrange plants in living room interiors can be often a daunting task for beginner plant enthusiasts, right? 

So let’s help you out with some tips on what you should keep in mind:

• Consider the size of your living room when selecting plants. Compact spaces benefit from small plants on shelves or tables. And in larger rooms, big plants for living room areas become accent pieces. 
• Pay attention to the lighting conditions in the room. Some plants thrive in bright, indirect light, while others are better in medium to low light. 
• Your furniture arrangement matters. Go for smaller plants that won't overwhelm If your space if it’s cluttered. For a minimalist decor, larger plants can add drama. 
• Plants can sometimes pose risks. Consider that some plants can be harmful if you have pets or young children. Choose non-toxic plants or keep them out of reach, like in hanging planters. This will also prevent them from being damaged by curious pets and children.

What Is the Best Living Room Plant?

The best indoor plants for living room decoration depend on the existing interior design, the size of the room, and the furniture arrangement. Ideal living room plants should enhance the overall look and feel of the interior. Tropical plants like Monstera can add instantly an exotic vibe and become the focal point in a room. On the other hand, trailing or hanging varieties like Hoya plants add life and soften the harsh lines of a minimalistic living room design.

In addition, lighting, as mentioned is also key. For instance, plants that prefer low or medium indirect light, like the ZZ Plant, are great for dimly lit living spaces, while the full-sun Hibiscus will enjoy a brighter location.

You can also choose succulents for shelves or coffee tables in your living room if it’s small. For a dramatic touch, add indoor palms like Areca, which are perfect statement floor plants. 

Of course, when lifestyle is a factor, other classics, such as the indestructible Cast Iron Plant, are low-maintenance living room plants that will suit busy plant lovers.

21 Best Living Room Plants to Elevate Your Interior 

Plants in living room interiors bring Nature inside your home, reducing stress and promoting serenity. Below is a list of the 21 best living room plants that fit different styles and spaces. 

1. Umbrella Plant -Tropical Fast-Grower

Meet the gorgeous Umbrella Plant (Shefflera gold capella), a low-maintenance, fast-growing houseplant that can reach 6 ft. or more. However, you can control its height and give it a bushy shape through regular trimming. This plant thrives in medium, indirect sunlight and has low watering requirements. It’s super easy to take care of, making it a popular houseplant among beginner indoor gardeners. 

2. Areca Palm - Easy-Going Air Purifier

Areca Palms (Dypsis lutescens) can be excellent floor plants for living room interiors. Their long, arching leaves bring a piece of tropical forest straight to your home. They're fairly easy-going plants that grow well in medium, indirect light and require a drink every ten days. These pet-friendly plants hate sudden changes in growing conditions, so ensure you don’t change its location too often.

3. String of Pearls - Mother Nature’s Precious Necklace

Hanging plants in living room spaces is ideal if you have naughty pets or kids. The String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus), with round, pearl-shaped leaves, is an excellent option in this case. The beads-like foliage on trailing stems adds a touch of elegance as they flow from hanging planters or high shelves. This drought-resistant plant has a forgiving nature and doesn’t mind being underwatered. 

4. Ruby Rubber Tree - Rosy-Leaved Wonder

Are you looking for tall plants for living room decoration? The Ruby Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica 'Ruby') is an excellent choice for a pop of natural color. It can reach an impressive height of 8 ft. indoors, creating drama with its large, glossy variegated leaves. It's easy to care for as you only need to water it when the soil dries out. 

5. Maranta Red Prayer Plant - Nature’s Pious Devotee 

The houseplants with an internal clock, the Maranta Red Prayer Plants (Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana), are truly unique. They lift their leaves in the evening and lower them in the morning as though in prayer. The broad leaves feature dual-toned variegations on the top and a reddish hue underneath. But these beautiful prayer plants require a little extra care as they can’t handle being unwatered for too long.  

6. Jade Plant - Resilient Lucky Charm

The Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) is one of the best coffee table plants known for bringing fortune to the home. It’s a natural masterpiece with thick, evergreen branches and glossy, round leaves that store water. This perfect living room plant is a resilient succulent that requires little care. However, it needs bright, indirect light, which is why you should place it in a well-lit spot.

7. Monstera Thai Constellation: Starry-Leafed Wonder 

Monstera Thai Constellation (Monstera deliciosa 'Thai Constellation') stands out as it’s a large plant, perfect for living room decoration. Their variegated leaves with unique fenestration feature a unique spatter of creamy white on green for a galaxy-like pattern. These decorative stunning plants are best for plant enthusiasts with a little extra experience. 

8. Syngonium Holly Bianco - Snowy Arrowhead Plant 

Syngonium Holly Bianco (Syngonium podophyllum) can grab attention thanks to its large silver-toned leaves with green margins. This tropical stunner is also believed to bring good luck, according to Feng Shui. It needs medium/bright, indirect light and can easily thrive in a well-lit living room without cold drafts. Make sure to water the plant 1-2 times a week, depending on the weather conditions.

9. English Ivy - Verdant Cascading Vine  

Living room indoor hanging plants can add natural elegance and countryside vibes to your space. And English Ivy (Hedera helix) is ideal for that, with its vining stems flowing from a hanging planter.  It hates too much light, making it ideal for a not-so-well-lit living room. It also prefers its soil to dry between waterings. Beware, however, that English Ivy is toxic to pets. 

10. Peace Lily - White Flag of Peace and Purity

Houseplants that symbolize tranquility and bring good luck to the house? Yes, please! The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) plants are every home gardener's favorite because of their significance and meaning. These blooming plants also clean the air, making them one of the best plants for living room areas. They are quite forgiving, too, as they’ll handle any intensity of indirect light. Peace Lilies also prefer to have their soil dry between drinks.

11. Golden Pothos - Classic Lucky Charm

Are you a newbie plant enthusiast looking for low-maintenance best indoor plants for living room areas? The Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a classic favorite that brings wealth and prosperity, according to Feng Shui. This air-purifying beauty doesn't demand much attention. Place it in low to medium, indirect light, and water it every 1-2 weeks to help it thrive and prevent leaf issues. 

12. Pink Polka Dot Plant - Color-Splashed Delight

The Pink Polka Dot Plants (Hypoestes phyllostachya) can be cute living room plants that add color to your space. It’s easily a conversation starter with gorgeous green leaves speckled in reddish-pink splashes. Moderate to warm temperatures are ideal for this red plant to flourish. You must ensure the soil remains consistently moist but doesn’t become soggy. 

13. Snake Plant - Striped Statement Succulent 

Snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata) are excellent beginner-friendly living room houseplants. Because of their forgiving and drought-tolerant nature, they can easily handle infrequent watering and neglect. However, it’s best to water the plant once every 7-10 days and keep it in low light. These charming succulents have slim sword-like green leaves featuring yellow variegations. 

14. Calathea Rattlesnake - Rare Beauty With Purple Leaf Undersides

Calathea Rattlesnake (Calathea lancifolia) boasts striking leaves and is one of the best living room plants. This rare variety of the prayer plant family features distinctive dark strokes on its lime-green leaves. The plant raises and curls its foliage in the evening to show off its burgundy underside. Give it medium bright indirect light, lots of humidity, and warm, stable conditions. 

15. Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree - Broad-Leafed Tropical Plant

Are you looking for big plants for living room areas to get noticed instantly? The Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree (Musa acuminata) is one of the best options to elevate your interior. It can also make a great front-door plant, welcoming you home. This plant can grow to a height of 9 ft., giving your room a tropical energy.

16. Lemon Button Fern - Aromatic Green Beauty

The Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia 'Lemon Button') is a small plant with fine-textured foliage. If you want a tropical living room interior design with plants, it will fit your plan perfectly. Lemon Button Ferns look great on coffee tables and shelves, emitting a delicate, lemony fragrance. They enjoy medium to bright, indirect sunlight and warm environments. 

17. ZZ Plant - Stylish & Sturdy Stunner

New plant parents need houseplants that are strong, resilient, and low-maintenance. ZZ plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) check all the boxes and thrive on neglect. ZZ plant care is easy, as all they need to flourish is low to medium light and warm and stable conditions. These beginner-friendly plants for living room areas look great on tabletops and shelves.  

18. Watermelon Peperomia - Fun and Fruity Foliage  

Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia clusiifolia 'Watermelon') plants are known for their unique foliage. Each leaf looks like a watermelon, featuring the fruit’s green-and-silver pattern. These living room indoor plants are easy to grow as they’re highly adaptable. Pet-friendly and easy-going, these houseplants flourish in bright, indirect light and require a drink every 7-10 days. 

19. Blushing Bromeliad - Centerpiece With Fiery Blooms

If you want a colorful living room plant, consider the Blushing Bromeliad (Neoregelia bromeliad). Its vibrant red bloom adds beauty and drama to any interior. This short and wide plant prefers bright but indirect light. Though you don’t have to water it too frequently, it’s a good idea to spritz it occasionally to maintain humidity.    

20. Spider Plant - Elegant Air Purifier

The Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a popular living room plant of any size. It boasts beautiful variegation on its foliage with white stripes along the edges or one in the middle. It's one of the best choices for natural air purifiers for indoor spaces. Spider plants are easy to care for, provided you protect them from sudden changes.  

21. Air Plant - Textured No-Soil Novelty

Do you want to decorate your small but modern living room with plants? Air Plants (Tillandsia) grow and flourish without soil and are an excellent living-room option for mounting them on wood or growing them in glass bowls. They can also grace tables, shelves, or hanging planters and accentuate other plants and design elements. Air plants have special watering needs; soak them once a week and spritz them regularly to hydrate their leaves.  

Conclusion

Indoor plants for living room spaces can be a wonderful addition to your home. They can transform your interior in a way that no paintbrush can do! When choosing a plant, find out about its care requirements and whether it suits your space. Consider your furniture arrangement, the size of your living room, and its style to make the most of your interior decoration efforts with live plants.