The beauty of plants directs our minds toward nature. The surfaces, colors, textures, contrasts, sounds of natural elements that express a certain quality all act as potential signifiers of emotion. They add life to the space, delivering emotion, senses, sensibilities and consciousness to the humans that inhabit it. This is why the use of plants as interior design elements, or ‘planterior’, to bring nature into interior spaces is increasingly in vogue.

Planterior, the combination of plant and interior, is an effective method of eco-friendly and emotionally appealing design. A new sunglasses showroom has been making waves in the famously trendy Hongdae neighborhood for its lively planterior and unique laboratory concept. Sunglasses, planterior and laboratory. Perhaps it seems like an unlikely combination to the uninitiated.

However, this is a standalone store for the ladies’ sunglasses brand Carin. The designer in charge of the renewal of the Carin showroom focused on utilizing the existing elements in the store space while harmonizing them with the new concept. Before the renewal, the Carin showroom had a Scandinavian aesthetic, characterized by white and wooden tones.

The designer maintained the white color scheme to appeal to the target customer group of women, and added the planterior concept which matches perfectly with the white. The freshness and cheer of the white and green fully conveys a bright and positive energy.

This botanical design was created in collaboration with a florist. The picturesque visual of green succulents and plants painted on a white canvas softens the rigidity of the interior environment, creating not just a visual effect, but a psychological effect of stability and energy with the natural elements.

The sense of entering a narrow and enclosed space that one gets when entering an interior space is alleviated, enriching the interior experience. In other words, the signifier of nature has been added to the interior space through design, to create a whole new dimension of symbolism.

Design: NiiiZ Design LAB
Photography: CARIN