This month, for the Inspiration series, we present Chantal Rogers' modern, urban and Scandinavian-accented décor.

Chantal lives on the South Shore of Montreal in a house she and her husband built 10 years ago. White or pale grey walls, simple wooden or white furniture and accessories all showcase the plants she has carefully chosen over time.

Find out how she developed her passion for plants and how her approach to plants has changed over time. Sometimes too many plants can overwhelm a decor. In this article, you will learn how Chantal has found a balance for a result that is soothing to the eye.

How would you describe the style of your decor?

It's a mix of modern, urban and Scandinavian.

What websites, books or magazines have inspired your design?

First of all, it's West Elm that I'm on Instagram.

Pinterest also often serves me as a starting point, with its inspiring images, to decorate a room for which I do not yet have a vision. Recently, however, I have been turning more to Instagram. It's because with Pinterest, if I see an image I like and there's a link to the blog of the designer who created it, I tend to become a fan of the style and I start following it on Instagram. That's why Instagram is my main source of inspiration.

So on this platform, I love to see what designer Kim Telfer has to offer. Everything she shares resonates with me, whether it's colors, furniture, or whatever. I can easily imagine myself recreating certain looks in the spaces I have, so that's a big plus. Sometimes you can see rooms you like on the internet, but the space configuration or the height of the ceilings don't look like what you have at home. For me, it's very important to be able to visualize the final result before I start. That's why I love Kim's designs. I can always be inspired by them and create something beautiful.

When it comes to plants in my decor, Pinterest and Instagram are also great sources of inspiration. When I come across a close-up of a plant I like, I go to these two platforms to see what it looks like in a room. Will the plant look good if I put it on the floor, or on a desk? What should I expect when it grows up? Where can I put it then? Does this plant really fit into my décor?

I really like the photos on this account.

How did you create your decor?

We moved into our house 10 years ago. It was a new construction so it was a completely blank canvas. It took me years to figure out what worked for us in terms of decor. The budget issue was important. After all, when you buy a new house, you have a lot of expenses. So we waited a bit before buying new furniture and so on. In the end, it helped us, because we were able to live in our house and choose what really suited us. For example, we had to buy light fixtures for the house even before it was built. It wasn't until after we moved in that we realized that we didn't like most of them or that they weren't efficient in the spaces they were in. So we gradually changed the fixtures over the years and invested in models that were a little more expensive, but which were more and more durable over time, no matter if we decided to change the decor.

What are the key elements of your decor?

For me, it's really my white or grey walls and my simple furniture with clean lines (my white couch cover is ESSENTIAL). The rest changes from time to time. Simple cushion covers and a new throw can transform a space!

In my opinion, you can easily change a carpet, cushions and a throw or decorations such as planters when you have sober walls and furniture. These accessories are affordable and can suddenly transform a space!

Let's talk about plants in your decor

How important are plants to your decor?

They are very important! Greenery adds a finishing touch that really complements and enhances the other elements of my décor.

How many plants do you have?

Right now I have between 50 and 75 (I have to count!).

How did you choose the plants in your house?

I had a few African orchids and violets for over 15 years and they were all on a small table near an east facing window. Before I saw a room full of plants 3 years ago on Instagram, plants were not particularly important in my decor. I still remember that day... It was a typical dull February day - freezing rain and neige ; the school where I worked at the time was closed and I decided to go to The Home Depot to find a pachira aquatica (money tree). My plant was tiny, but I was so excited! Within a week, 4 new plants were established in my home.

I wanted to find a pilea peperomioides (2 years ago, they were seen all over Pinterest, but nowhere in the stores. I bought 3 little babies on Etsy in a Vancouver store. I kept one and sold the other two to friends. Today, my baby has become a huge specimen, just as I had imagined.

Since the beginning of 2019, dozens of online stores and Facebook groups have appeared and plants can be found EVERYWHERE. I've been tempted and bought some really cool and rare plants. Within a short time, my house was filled with plants. That's when I realized that I wanted plants to add to my decor without overloading it.

The space, the furniture, the plants. Everything has to fit together. So I started giving and selling plants that I wasn't particularly attached to. And in August, I got thrips, like many other people I know. So I had to make a decision and throw away several hundred dollars worth of plants. It was sad. I cried. But then the house was prettier. That's when I continued to donate [healthy] plants and started buying a few plants, but only specimens from my bucket list.

Now my plants really need to fit into the environment I've created at home and not be a distraction. Sometimes I move my plants around, but I never change the essence of my décor.

Where did you get your planters?

Almost 90% of my pots come from HomeSense! And I love being creative with the objects that serve as pots. For larger plants, I often buy baskets. They're cheaper than large ceramic pots!

My secret to dressing up small plants? The ceramic containers that we put on our kitchen counters to put dry food in. White ceramic containers that come with wooden lids make great planters for less than $10. Just throw away the wooden lid.

Sometimes, I invest a little more in a nice cachepot of $100 or more to showcase my more imposing favourite plants.