An array of plants is a calming presence in any home, injecting life into your space while making it feel complete. That’s why we are so excited to share our new handcrafted planters range with you, courtesy of the skilled hands of American-Lebanese maker Danya Ahmed.
Meet the Maker
Sharing our passion for the art of handcrafting, Danya earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio State University and her Masters in Fiber Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design. Thereafter, she journeyed to Beirut and worked for two years before founding the studio she owns and runs today. Starting as a passion project operating from her home in 2012, Danya’s work is built upon a foundation of love for and desire to live with plants, while adding a special element of art and design to a space.
At Enkay, we believe that humans make all the difference, and that no machine can produce pieces that match those that are crafted by hand for beauty or endurance. Danya shares this ethos, keeping her studio small and individually run to maintain the direct involvement of the artist’s hand in each step of her process, imbuing life and spirit into each piece, as our artisans in India use their hands to weave their blessings into every rug they make.
How They’re Made
When it comes to designing her planters, Danya is inspired by cylindrical forms found in architecture and nature, like columns and tree trunks. As such, they function well as stand-alone fixtures or grouped together for a striking sculptural feature. Her sculpting technique approaches concrete like ceramics, shaping it manually using her hands. Danya explains, “[By] combining the strength of the material with the sensitivity of the hand, each planter imbues its own poetic energy.” Available in Bone White and Black at enkay.com, each is inherently unique, with scratches, bumps, and ridges that are individual to each planter.
Best Indoor Plants
Now that you’ve found a beautiful new planter (or two) for your home, which plants are best for keeping indoors? One of our favorites is the snake plant (Dracaena Trifasciata). Low maintenance with no need for direct sunlight, the snake plant is sometimes sold as Sansevieria or Mother-in-law’s tongue. Make sure you place it in indirect sunlight, and only water it when its soil is completely dry.
Another (albeit higher maintenance) favorite is the Monstera Deliciosa – aka the swiss cheese plant or delicious monster. With a little effort, this beautiful plant will reward you by posing as an elegant addition to your home. Native to southern Mexico and Central America, it thrives in bright to medium indirect light and enjoys a full soaking roughly once a week. Finally, a spider plant is perfect for smaller planters, and if you’re looking for a bit more versatility. Place it on a sturdy shelf or bookcase and watch its ribbon-like leaves pour over the sides of your planter in no time. Regular water and bright, indirect light are all it takes for this self-propagating plant to thrive.
Benefits of Plants
If you’re (doubtfully) needing more convincing to adorn your home in an assortment of foliage, these incredible benefits are sure to have you tending to your very own forest of houseplants in no time.
For starters, by bringing nature inside you’re automatically boosting your mental and physical well-being. We spend the majority of our time indoors, so it’s little wonder why having indoor plants is so good for us. We all know we need plants to provide us with oxygen so we can breathe. So having plants in your home guarantees a supply of fresh oxygen, while improving overall air quality as they help remove certain chemicals created by cleaning products and mould from the air.
Plants also reduce stress by helping to suppress sympathetic nervous system activity and diastolic blood pressure. Some studies have even shown that indoor plants help ease depression and anxiety and improve concentration.
Now that you know a bit more about our new hand-sculpted planters and their story, explore the range here to bring a little more life and a peaceful presence to your home.
References
https://www.hellolanding.com/blog/the-best-indoor-plants-for-apartments/
https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/health-benefits-of-indoor-plants