The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1126069
t's true, we're enthusiastic about plants again but it's the impact they're having on design that's become even more viral. anks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, we're sharing everything from eight-foot-tall fiddle leaf figs to intricate succulent terrariums. For its part, the "green" renaissance has spread like wildfire, almost to a point where an interior scheme de- void of foliage seems lackluster. And every day, we are seeing more jungalow-type designs pop up all over the world. Like all trends, the indoor plant craze is driv- en by passionate individuals who we tend to gravitate towards—think of them as "a mentor from afar." Since I began my journey to bring more green into my New Jersey home (35 plants and counting), Hilton Carter has been that mentor. e Baltimore filmmaker and in- terior designer has over 200 houseplants and since 2017, Carter's Instagram account (@hil- toncarter) has served as an inspirational com- pass for me personally—covering everything from expert plant care to style tips. An artist in his own right, Carter found the inspiration to bring plants into his design in 2011. But it wasn't until 2014, when he pur- chased a large fiddle-leaf fig he named "Frank" to fill out his apartment, that his passion be- gan to grow. "It seemed as if Ficus lyrata, the fiddle-leaf fig, was the 'it' plant for interior de- signers and stylists," Carter said. "...it wasn't its popularity that made the fiddle-leaf fig catch my eye, but rather the shape, texture and color of the foliage that instantly drew me in." Fast forward to 2019, he has taken those #ur- banjunglevibes to an entirely new level. Plants are just about everywhere in his Hampden home-in wall installations, cascading from countertops and even engulfing furniture. Carter-who is now also known as Apartment erapy's Plant Doctor-has garnered over 200k followers on his Instagram account alone. With so many looking to Carter for advice, the 2019 release of his first book "Wild at Home: How to Style and Care for Beautiful Plants" was just something that he (and his fans) felt need- ed to happen. And the title itself, it seems, has been selling by the thousands. V U E N J . C O M 69