Swap Out The Dated Eucalyptus Decor Trend For This More Modern Option

For some time, eucalyptus stems have been a fixture of home decor. While eucalyptus may never fully go out of style and can work well with a variety of layouts and interior design trends, depending on how you present them, these stems may look like the Ghost of Pinterest Past. Rather than always relying on these light green leaves for a dash of color, switching out eucalyptus for other branches that feature totally different foliage could not only make your room feel a little more modern, but make your space feel a little more dynamic.

As interior design trends continue to shift, indoor plant trends continue to shift too. Because eucalyptus is a fixture of a variety of home decor styles, it only makes sense that it could seem a little tired or overused at times. Most recently, this plant had a big moment during the farmhouse/gray paint/word art design aesthetic that is now considered very 2010s. If you're looking to pivot away from that era, you can do just that by refreshing your decorative bundles of stems. You will want to consider darker stems, different types of plants, and vases that elevate both the space and the bundle.

For this swap, it's totally fine to go with either real or faux stems. While there are plenty of mistakes everyone makes when buying fake plants, there are ways to ensure they look good. For starters, if you do go with fake, you'll want to find versions that are as similar to what you would find in the natural world as possible. Seems obvious, right? After all, you don't want an obviously fake plant taking away from the rest of the space you've designed. That said, finding artificial plants that don't scream "fake" from across the room isn't always so easy. When in doubt, you will want to go with artificial plants that have dark stems because they tend to look more natural than bright green or super light brown stems. Not only can faux plants with darker stems seem more real, but the rich, saturated colors also help to add depth and dimension in an understated way. This goes for real plants, too. 

What's more, slimmer and less busy branches with minimal florals not only jazz up bare wall nooks, empty corners, and open surfaces, but they tend to get less dusty than, say, a super dense eucalyptus bundle. (That said, you should still clean your fake plants relatively frequently.) It's important to remember that everything from the color to the style of leaf to the amount of dust it collects can impact the look of your arrangement.

Now, if you're determined to have real plants on display, you can use stems like lavender instead. Lavender provides a full bundle that gives off an enticing and soft aroma. As far as the overall look is concerned, it works great with lighter palettes but can also add a pop of soft color in darker rooms. If you prefer to stick with faux florals, stores like West Elm offer gorgeous options like Faux Rosehip Branches or Faux Green Stems. Both of these artificial stems feature darker bases with lighter leaves for a minimalistic finish that is very chic. 

One easy and affordable way to give fake plants an upgrade is with a decorative vase or holder. If you're using the more modern branches that boast less foliage and richer tones, you may want to display them in an oversized pot or vase to create a nice juxtaposition. For thicker bundles, consider a wider mouth vase. Make sure to add different levels of stems and play with the height of each to also make them seem more natural. Fluff and adjust the stems as needed. Before you know it, you won't even miss your old eucalyptus bundles.