When it comes to interior design or renovation of a commercial space, the options are endless.

But the goal for every project remains the same: creating a unique and inviting experience that evokes certain feelings while accomplishing specific business objectives for your design client.

In this article from PureModern, we hope you’ll:

Explore how modern commercial interior design can drive business objectives
Learn about the many benefits planters can provide for modern commercial spaces
See how planters offer practical and versatile solutions for enhancing privacy, improving acoustics, promoting well-being, and adding aesthetic value to commercial spaces
Find inspiration for your next project

4 Ways Modern Commercial Interiors Drive Business Objectives for Design Clients

Today’s designers know that commercial clients want to create spaces that resonate with their users and ultimately influence the behavior of those users in a positive way.

When advising clients to incorporate interesting design elements, it’s important to help those clients understand the many benefits they can reap from a newly redesigned space.

Plenty of studies show that modern, natural interior commercial design produces a return on investment. Below are just a few examples of those returns.

Confident Branding

Research shows that today’s consumers increasingly expect unique experiences from buildings, retail venues, and other spaces where they spend money. [1]

The design of a commercial space — from offices, rooftops, and retail stores to condos, hotels, and restaurants — visually communicates brand identity and creates that unique and engaging experience that consumers are seeking. This type of experience can attract more business opportunities.

A beautifully designed modern space exudes quality which, in turn, communicates that the organization is confident about investing in itself and a prosperous future. This leaves an indelible impression on clients, partners, employees, and customers.

Customer Engagement

Thoughtful design has a significant impact on consumer behavior.

Creative layouts, lighting, and design details influence many things — from how consumers spend their time inside the commercial space and how they interact with the space to how they make decisions and how much they spend.

Because aesthetically pleasing commercial spaces tend to be more inviting, customers often stay longer and spend more.

Employee Retention

Modern spaces that are beautiful, functional, and comfortable contribute to making employees feel valued which results in lower turnover rates.

Planters and planter walls can introduce elements of nature indoors, creating a more pleasant and productive work environment. Studies show that design choices like adding greenery can reduce stress levels and enhance overall well-being for employees.

Productivity

Productivity outcomes are strongest when employees work in a calm and comfortable space. The addition of plants makes a significant contribution in this area.

Studies show that when plants are added to a commercial space, employees tend to demonstrate the following:

Positive changes in pulse, heart rate, and the stress hormone cortisol
Improvements in attention and memory tests
Better brain wave response measured using an EEG headset
Increased brain activity measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Benefits of Adding Planters to Commercial Interior Design Projects

Bring the Outside In

Planters and planter walls introduce a touch of nature indoors, creating a visually pleasing environment.

For instance, at Garden City Bar in Shaker Heights, OH, planter walls were used to create distinct seating areas, enhancing privacy and ambiance while adding to the bar's unique aesthetic.

Create Privacy by Dividing Up a Large Space

Planters and planter walls are effective design elements when a project calls for creating privacy and dividing spaces in commercial settings without the permanence and rigidity of traditional walls.

At Schilling Place in Salinas, CA, planter walls help define open office spaces and meeting areas, improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

In open areas, planter walls can accomplish the following:

Create Personal Workspaces: With strategic placement, you can create semi-private cubicles that offer employees their own space without completely isolating them from the team.
Define Meeting Areas: Planter walls can demarcate meeting spaces within a larger room, providing a sense of enclosure and focus without the need for separate rooms.
Establish Quiet Zones: Planter walls can create quiet zones where employees can work away from a noisy environment without distraction.
Direct Traffic Flow: Planter walls can direct visitors and employees to different sections of the space.

Control Acoustics

In addition to providing privacy, planters and planter walls are highly effective at controlling acoustics.

The plants and soil in a planter absorb sound, reducing noise levels and making the environment more conducive to work. This is particularly beneficial in open-plan offices, where noise can become a significant distraction.

Effective acoustic control with planter walls can:

Reduce Ambient Noise: Planter walls can absorb background noise and create a quieter and more focused work environment.
Improve Speech Privacy: Planter walls in meeting rooms and private offices can help ensure that conversations remain confidential by preventing sound from traveling.

How to Choose the Right Plants for Commercial Indoor Design

Selecting the right indoor plants is crucial for the success of planter walls in commercial spaces.

Low-Maintenance Options

In commercial environments, choosing plants requiring minimal care is essential. Hardy options such as snake, faux, and ZZ plants thrive indoors and are known for their resilience.

Snake Plants: These are among the most hardy plants, tolerating low light and irregular watering. Their tall, upright leaves make them excellent for creating natural privacy and division in spaces, as they can form dense, vertical barriers. Snake plants help filter indoor air pollutants, improve overall air quality, and release oxygen at night, contributing to a healthier environment. An excellent example of using snake plants for dividing workspaces is Kivvit’s office space in Chicago, IL.
Faux Plants: Faux plants are ideal for creating privacy and division. Use them to form dense, consistent barriers without concerns about light, water, or soil conditions. High quality versions can mimic a wide variety of real plants and provide the aesthetic benefits of greenery without the upkeep. See faux plants at work in this design project at Schilling Place in Salinas, CA.
ZZ Plants: With their glossy, dark green leaves, ZZ plants are both attractive and low-maintenance. They thrive in low-light conditions and require infrequent watering, making them perfect for commercial spaces. Their dense foliage and upright growth habit create natural privacy screens and effectively divide spaces, providing visual appeal and functional separation. An innovative eco-design company incorporated ZZ plants for privacy and division in this project for the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, MD.

Specialty Plants for Impact

Incorporating ferns, philodendrons, and peace lilies adds variety and interest to interior commercial designs. Flowering plants such as orchids or peace lilies can also bring a splash of color and visual interest.

Ferns: Ferns, like the Boston fern, add a lush, green look. They thrive in humid environments and can help improve air quality by removing pollutants.
Philodendrons: These versatile plants come in various shapes and sizes, with trailing and climbing varieties that create a dynamic visual effect. They are also low-maintenance and do well in indirect light.
Peace Lilies: Known for their beautiful white blooms and air-purifying qualities, peace lilies prefer low to medium light and consistent moisture.

Modern Design for Specific Indoor Commercial Use Cases

Reception Areas

First impressions matter. Even a small design project in the entryway can help establish an air of sophistication and elevate the perception of your commercial space in the eyes of guests, customers, and employees.

Design ideas:

Use bold and vibrant plants in the reception area to create an impressive entry point, call attention to the best features of the space, and much more.
Customize planter walls with company logos or brand colors.

Workspaces

Creating semi-private workstations with low-height planter walls can enhance focus and productivity in the office.

Planter walls can help create individual workspaces that offer privacy without completely isolating employees. Employees benefit from improved focus and fewer distractions.

In collaborative zones, planter walls can provide subtle separation, allowing teams to work together while maintaining a degree of privacy.

Design ideas:

Calming plants like lavender and mint can create a serene work environment, helping to reduce stress and improve concentration.

Lavender: Known for its calming properties, lavender helps reduce stress and anxiety. Requires plenty of light and well-draining soil.
Mint: Easy to grow and adds a refreshing scent to the workspace. Prefers indirect light and regular watering.

Meeting Rooms

Incorporating lush greenery in meeting rooms promotes relaxation and creativity. Dense planting can also help absorb sound and improve acoustics.

Design ideas:

Use a mix of large and small plants to create a green oasis in meeting rooms. Plants like ferns and philodendrons can facilitate a sense of calm and focus.
Dense planting with rubber plants and ferns can help reduce noise levels, making conversations clearer and more private.
Consider incorporating elements like moss walls or vertical gardens for added impact.

Break Areas and Cafeterias

Incorporating plants and planter walls in common areas like break rooms and cafeterias creates a retreat-like atmosphere that helps employees relax and recharge. See the depth and interest plants add to this project at Anschutz Health Sciences Building in Aurora, CO.

Design ideas:

Use soft, lush plants like ferns and peace lilies to create a calming environment. Consider adding comfortable seating and ambient lighting to enhance the relaxation experience.
Planter walls can separate different sections of break areas, such as dining and lounging zones, without creating a sense of confinement.
Create areas where employees can gather and interact, surrounded by greenery. Use a mix of tall and short plants to create a sense of enclosure without isolation.

Trellis Planters Walls for Commercial Indoor Projects

One trend we’re seeing is increased interest in trellis planter walls.

Trellis planter walls are an elegant and functional way to incorporate a vertical display of greenery into commercial spaces. Consider a mix of trailing and compact plants to create an engaging visual experience that adds to the aesthetic of any commercial space.

A trellis planter wall creates a natural screen that can:

Provide privacy (even before the greenery begins to grow)
Add definition to open areas areas
Enhance the aesthetic appeal of a space (even without adding greenery)

In this project at The Balsam in Boulder, CO, integrating custom trellis planters creates a dramatic effect and enhances the architectural and natural aesthetics of the residential complex.

Learn More Link

For today’s modern commercial design projects, more and more clients want their employees, guests, and customers to feel surrounded by interesting and natural design elements.

Learn more about what custom planters can do for your next commercial project by requesting a quote today. Our experts will be happy to help you.

References:

[1] 2024 JLL Consumer Choice Survey Link