In conversation with interior influencer Theo-Bert Pot

For Theo-Bert Pot, spring is the time to get started with greenery in the house. The interior stylist and online influencer, known for his blog The Nice Stuff Collector and the TV program BinnensteBuiten, is happy to give us a look at his mansion in The Hague, where he combines his Growing Concepts in a surprising way.

 If you follow Theo-Bert Pot on Instagram for a daily dose of interior inspiration, you know that he loves colour. He likes to experiment with this in his mansion from the early 1900s in The Hague, where he lives with Jelle van de Schoor (interior architect at Form Makers). He sees it as a 'styling laboratory' where he regularly turns things around. Besides color, Theo-Bert loves green. “The houseplant trend from the 1970s is back,” he says. ‘It is great that the young generations are all working on green. Where one chooses a few large plants as eye-catchers, the other has a gigantic collection. Green in the house provides a little extra oxygen and it looks great, whether you have a Scandinavian interior or very colorful.'

Bring the outside in
Moreover, plants and flowers ensure that inside and outside flow into each other. The same goes for the closed terrariums of Growing Concepts: Theo-Bert calls these self-sufficient worlds behind glass a jewel for the home. “I immediately fell for the Hebe XXL Cork, a large terrarium with soft shapes,” he says. “By placing it on a side table in our conservatory, I literally lit up this beautiful ecosystem. This makes the fresh green of the moss and the plants stand out very nicely. I keep looking at it.' Just assembling the terrarium is a lot of fun, Theo-Bert noticed. An incentive to get back to work in the garden, and to bring fresh flowers into your home for the ultimate spring feeling.

Combine plants and flowers
A styling technique that Theo-Bert likes to use is to combine different types of greenery and natural patterns. “It reinforces each other,” he explains. ‘For example, place a simple blossom branch next to the terrarium and this immediately gives a nice color accent. In our conservatory I also placed a large plant next to it, the Strelitzia. A houseplant with nice large leaves. In this way, the terrarium really becomes part of your interior.' With its generous size, the Hebe XXL Cork can also be a great eye-catcher on a long dining table, thinks Theo-Bert. A somewhat smaller terrarium, such as the Faunus, looks great in different places in the house. ‘On a side table in our sitting area, it provides light and cheerfulness. It looks a bit more stately on the mantelpiece.'

Create an art wall
In addition to plants, Theo-Bert also likes botanical motifs. He is a fan of the art wall: a form of wall decoration in which you combine different types of artwork, from drawings to paintings, which together form a beautiful whole. According to him, the Vesta Painting by Growing Concepts fits in well with this. ‘I opted for the American walnut variant. The botanical drawing is burned into the wood, which gives a subtle result. The fragile lines in combination with the warm type of wood create a beautiful effect.' Besides on the wall, the Vesta also looks very nice on the fireplace in Theo-Bert's house. There he created a still life with a bright orange bowl, fresh flowers and scented candles against a dark wall.

Dare to play with color
The idea of ​​a dark wall as a style enhancer is also reflected in, for example, jewelers, says Theo-Bert. By presenting watches or jewelry against a black background, it forms a nice contrast with the sparkling gold and silver.With plants, the green of the leaves against a dark wall comes into its own. Especially with a terrarium, this gives a different dimension due to the reflection of the light. Finally, Theo-Bert has another tip: 'Don't be afraid to combine different colours. Surprise yourself! And you will see: the more color you use, the easier it becomes to add even more colors, because the contrast becomes softer. If you don't want everything in color, you can make a difference with smaller color accents. One color may play a leading role and the other a supporting role, just like a summer picking bouquet. This way you can continue to vary endlessly.'