Looksmaxxing your houseplants: 8 amazing (but easy) strategies

Everywhere you look, folks are looksmaxxing. Initially a social media trend among young men aiming to level up their appearance, it often hyped extreme measures — including steroids, hormones, and surgery. But the term has trickled down to simply mean doing your best to look your best, via grooming, exercise, and attire. 

As plant people, we wondered if this buzzy concept could apply to our treasured indoor greenery. Fortunately, the practices that “max out” plants’ appearance can also help them stay lush and healthy, naturally. 

The key, according to LA-based interior designer Celena Brownie, is making plants prominent from the get-go. “Plants introduce color, texture, scale, even movement to a space, in a way that very few decorative objects can,” she says. “So ideally, they should be part of the intentional decor rather than an afterthought.” 

But it’s not a numbers game, Brownie adds: “Looksmaxxing your houseplants isn’t necessarily about having lots of plants; it’s about letting the plants you do have reach their true potential.” Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply want to upgrade existing greenery, go for it with these ideas.

The style and size of your containers have a lot to do with plants’ appeal. It goes without saying you should ditch the plastic containers plants are sold in, repotting them or placing them in decorative vessels large enough to hide the rim. 

“Plant vases are also an opportunity to bring more color and vibrancy into a room,” Brownie says. “Instead of defaulting to matching neutral planters, mix colorful ceramic pots, vintage vessels, and patterned containers in different shapes and heights.”

In choosing containers, aim for balance. Avoid having large plants that overpower their pots and small ones that seem to drown in a sea of soil. The formula: Have about the same amount of foliage above the pot as the size of the pot itself. This approach not only looks best, but the plant is more likely to flourish in an appropriately sized receptacle.

In nature, foliage is all around, high and low, so arrange potted plants at different levels. “A huge monstera on the floor in an awkward corner, a trailing pothos spilling over a tall shelf, a collection of plants gathered on a table creates interesting layers of height and movement,” Brownie explains, adding that hanging planters aren’t just for porches. “They can create beautiful cascading lines that lead the eye through a room.”

Dust doesn’t just look bad, it can block light and mess with photosynthesis, impairing plant health. Clean foliage once a month, or as soon as you notice a thin layer of dust. Simply mist dust away with lukewarm water. For more stubborn dust, mist and then wipe gently with a soft cloth. For fuzzy species like an African violet, or spiny cacti you don’t want to touch, gusting with spray air is often effective.  

To zhush things up a notch, try Miracle-Gro Leaf Shine, a water-based plant cleaner, designed to give a glossy finish to hard-surface species (ZZ plants, fiddle-leaf figs, and philodendron, among others) without clogging pores.

Mix and match these tips to take your plants to the max, and enjoy the Insta-worthy results.