The plant that made every room feel lived in

The monstera arrived as a cutting in a jam jar. Ten years and three flats later, it is taller than its owner and has outlived two sofas, one relationship and a very questionable rug.

We visited three homes where the same type of plant had taken root and asked what it changed. The answers were surprisingly similar. It gave the room something to care for, a reason to open the curtains and a quiet sense of time passing.

Living things make living rooms

Designers often talk about texture and colour. A plant brings both, but it also brings change. New leaves unfurl, old ones fall and the room slowly rearranges itself around something alive.

If a space feels unfinished, you may not need more furniture. You might just need one patient plant and a sunny corner.