The Cool Vintage Find To Look Out For That Thrifters And Indoor Gardeners Adore

As you walk around your local second hand shop, you may get lucky and discover some unique décor pieces. And there's one retro plant item that truly looks out of this world — space age terrariums. These dome-shaped greenery homes are a cool vintage find to look out for that thrifters and indoor gardeners adore. Years ago, these groovy plant holders were sold at department stores, like Sears, as large attraction pieces. Now, most of these terrariums cost hundreds of dollars, making them an awesome score if you can hunt down an affordable one at your favorite thrift shop.

These funky plant dwellings were coveted in the '60s and '70s, popping up in mid-century homes throughout North America. While there are different types of terrariums, these vintage ones looked a little bit different. They have a detachable sphere or teardrop plastic terrarium situated on top of a base. The base can vary in height, structure, and color, but many of them have white tulip bases and are fairly large. The plant home originally had a lid, making it a closed terrarium, but you can easily turn it into an open version for any finds missing the covering. These days, they also have smaller replicas, like the Atomic Space Age Terrarium from Madd Woods, which fit on desks and counters, letting you enjoy retro looks on a cheaper budget. However, once you get your space age terrarium, you need to know how to style it in your home — from what you should put in it to where it should go.

While a space age terrarium can fetch good money, you're missing out on the opportunity to set up this quirky find in your own home. One of the easiest ways to style your terrarium is to use it for its actual purpose — holding plants. Don't worry, as there are terrarium plants anyone can take care of, even if you don't have a green thumb, like starfish plants or spiderwort. Just remember to follow all planting and caring directions for the greenery you pick. No need to decorate it with plants when you can get creative, making different features like a bird's nest terrarium or stuffing it with whatever you want.

Once you have the inside of your space age terrarium situated, the fun part begins — styling. The one thing you'll need to remember is that this bad boy needs some space. If on the taller end, you can place it on the ground, surrounding it with other plants or other vintage or space age finds. You can even sit it by a window, adding more personality to the room. Since most of the time this retro terrarium is on a larger base, display shorter versions by making it a table centerpiece or side table décor item. While you may not need to continuously care for the plants inside, don't forget to dust and clean the outside plastic, making it always ready to show off.