How Interior Designers Decorate Homes and Use Stylish Indoor Plants

The difference between good and great interior design is attention to the small details (like, succulents). 

Good designers will create a beautiful space; Great designers are trailblazers that create imaginative, inspiring, and intelligent spaces. 

Let's meet one of the great ones. 

Meet Maria Bowers - Certified Interior Decorator, Greenleader certified, mother of 2 boys, and owner of Bdesignd in New Jersey.  She realized how different colors, textures and patterns play into our overall senses and pursued her passion in 2016. 

Let's learn more about her approach to interior design and incorporating plants indoors.  

What Drives your Design Decisions?

My clients overall style and needs drive how I design their home. When it comes to selecting who to work with, I find a majority of my clients picked me because of my personal style which is a mixture of neutrals, natural textures with pops of color and greenery.

When designing for my clients, I like to keep the main colors neutral while playing with color and pattern in the accessories, since they can be easily switched out.

I bring in the natural textures of wood or leather as accent pieces along with plants.

I am certified as a Greenleader so it’s important for all items to be as natural and sustainable as possible.

What are Some of Your Biggest Inspirations?

It’s really hard to select one or even a few because I am constantly inspired on a daily basis.

What helps me when designing for clients is their backstory, lifestyle and what they envision for their home.   

What Questions do you ask Clients Before Getting Started, and How do those Answers Factor into your Design Decisions?

With all my clients I begin with a discovery call which runs about 20-30 minutes.

I first ask them about their family, if they have any kids or pets, how much they entertain and what they want their home to feel like in the end.

I also asked what shows or pictures they gravitate to to get a better sense of their style.

Do you Consider Aestheticism or Functionality to be More Important?

I consider both to be equally important because they both take on completely different roles to come together and create the perfect home.

Colors and patterns all have an effect on how we feel whereas functionality, the home needs to work for us.

We cannot feel comfortable if a room layout doesn’t work.

What Plants do you Like to Incorporate in your Design Projects?

I do not discriminate against any type of plant for my designs.

However, I do find myself always incorporating a fiddle leaf tree, wreaths, olive tree branches and indoor friendly succulents, especially Haworthia.  (Use link for automatic discount)

I also love bringing in some lillies or tulips as centerpieces on tables.

Depending on what my client prefers they can be either fake or real.