Choosing an indoor planter: a short guide

The right planter does two jobs at once: it keeps a plant healthy and it earns its place in the room. Here is a short guide to choosing one that does both.

Start with size

A planter should sit a little larger than the pot or root ball it holds — enough room to breathe, not so much that the plant looks lost. As a rule of thumb, allow a couple of centimetres of space around the sides. If you are potting directly, size up gradually as the plant grows rather than jumping to a much larger pot.

Plant-direct or cover pot?

This is the choice that trips most people up. There are two ways to use a planter, and it helps to know which you are buying.

A plant-direct planter holds soil and the plant itself, so it needs to be tough and water-tolerant. Our Kono and Kupenga planters are made from a durable material built to hold a plant directly.

A cover pot is decorative — it hides the plastic nursery pot the plant came in, which lifts out for watering. This keeps things tidy and makes swapping plants easy. Our Hono and Kōpaki planters are designed as cover pots.

Mind the drainage

Plants dislike sitting in water. If you are planting directly, make sure there is drainage or a layer to keep roots above any excess — and never let a pot stand in a full saucer. If you are using a cover pot, lift the inner pot out to water it, let it drain, then set it back.

Then choose the texture

Once the practical questions are settled, the enjoyable part: how it looks. LAYR planters move through texture — woven lattices, soft button tufting, quilted grids — each carrying the fine layer lines of how it is made. Choose the one that suits the plant and the spot it will sit in.

Browse the full range in the planters collection.