Pots for the Indoor Jungle

Jennifer Polanz

As we continue to see growth in the houseplant and indoor segment, it makes sense that retailers will need a wide selection of pottery to house these new plant babies. This month, we’re taking a look at what’s trending for indoor pottery and showing you some of the newest introductions out there.

The farmhouse trend continues, which means a continuation of neutral and nature colors, as well as lots of wood and rustic looks. To capture this, I talked with Tara Parker, one of the owners of Craft House Designs, a home décor company based in Groveport, Ohio, just outside Columbus.

“We’ve seen a trend toward natural and more subdued color schemes this year,” she says. “Smooth cement on its own or paired with distressed wood and metal has quickly built an interest in our market, and the simplicity of pots and glassware displayed in decorative macramé hangers is an example of a classic style that’s going to be around for a long time.

“We also can’t forget to mention the popularity of lined baskets in the home. They’re one of the best ways to add a rustic touch to your live houseplants without the mess.”

Nancy LaMotte, president of Anamese Garden & Home, is seeing some color making a comeback, as evidenced at European trade shows last summer that are making their way here now, but it’s nothing too bright.

“We are seeing a revived interest in copper, a great color for warming up and adding depth to cool grey and white spaces,” she notes. “Malachite green fits into almost any pallet with its mix of warm and cool tones. Sleek designs are still very strong, as well as interest in modern-looking textures.”

Texture is something Sarah Bagle, creative director at Accent Décor, is seeing this year, especially when it comes to terra cotta.

“We’ve been saying terra cotta is the new black—people are layering terra cotta and layering a color or texture on top [of] that for vignettes.”

Accent Décor is offering products that are hand-carved by artists, as well as planters that are made from upcycled brick molds, providing plenty of texture to accent houseplants and succulents. She, too, is seeing lots of neutrals, whites and creams, as well as black and white combinations, this year.

Sizes are assorted, but the companies I talked to are seeing demand in the standard 4.5-in. and 6.5-in., as well as 12-in. to 14-in. for larger houseplants like the inimitable fiddle leaf fig. At AmericasMart, I saw quite a few pots with felt pads on the bottom to avoid scratching a surface, as well as drain holes with plugs or no drain holes at all. Pots or pot holders with legs were also popular to bring plants up off the ground.

Of course, there’s also a whimsy factor to indoor planters, and now there are many fun pots available that capture customers’ imagination. Birds, rabbits and hedgehogs are smaller pots that Nancy at Anamese is finding popular these days. Rather than animals, Tara says she’s seeing trends toward rustic.

“We have seen a lot of interest in vintage and more natural containers that bring a unique and lived-in character to the home,” she notes.

In my many miles walked at the gift market, and as I mentioned in my upfront column, the animals I saw growing in popularity included unicorns, llamas, mermaids and flamingos, along with the up-and-coming sloth. These, too, could be trendy container concepts.

In the end, Nancy has some great advice for carrying indoor containers: “Make it easy to bring home a beautiful plant and just place it inside a beautiful pot,” she says. “Make it easy to soften the corner of your room with an elevated pot and beautiful plant. Ease is so important.” GP

• This Etched Metal pot cover in the daVinci line from Airlite Plastics features a unique technology that inserts a pre-printed, 360-degree wrap-around label into the injection mold, which fuses the plastic with the label, creating a pot cover suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

• Emphasizing the neutrals trend, this cement pot from Craft House Designs comes with the macramé hanger.

• This unicorn planter from Accent Décor is just one example of the whimsical options from the company. Others include a giraffe and faces drawn on planters.

• Part of the new Picollo Collection from Anamese Garden & Home, the Picollo Toscano has a relief pattern of leaves to provide a work of art with or without a plant. 

• The Parade line of planters from Abbott has about 10 different sets of images coming in 4-in. and 6-in. pots with felt pads on the bottom. The images are printed on the ceramic pots and other designs include birds in teacups, wellies and botanic images, among others.

• The Barn Grey series of planters from Lotus International may look like it’s made from reclaimed wood, but that’s actually cement that’s been poured into a mold. It comes in multiple sizes and shapes, including this one and cubes. GP