At Bloomscape, we’re here to help you strengthen your relationship with plants—it’s all part of our mission to bring gezellig to the world. And we love seeing how real-life families live with plants in their home. In our Plant Life Series, we’ll be taking a peek inside inspiring, plant-loving homes from around the country.

Katie Mack (@katiemacmusic), a singer/songwriter invites us into her Los Angeles home that fully embraces desert modern decor. We love her Southwestern-inspired accent pieces, playful use of patterns and textiles, and of course, her gorgeous houseplants.

Tell us a little about yourself and who you share your home with.

I’m a singer/songwriter (hence the name) and my husband and I met through our love of music! He’s a music engineer/producer as well as a singer/songwriter and we used to be in a band together called Mirkat (a combo of our names Mirage and Katie ). Now we focus on writing for tv and film and when we bought our first home in Sunland/Tujunga (Los Angeles) last July, my creativity took a sharp turn towards decor! I’ve always been interested in fashion and decor but it wasn’t until I had my own home that I felt truly comfortable to fully explore that outlet. It’s such a fun medium that I can control and I love that it’s ever-evolving. We have a precocious and fun little 4-year-old named Sebastian who always keeps us on our toes and a 12-year-old Brussels Griffon named Mecca. We also have 88 indoor houseplants.

What is your day-to-day like?

People always ask me how I have enough hours in the day and I still don’t know how to answer that other then I don’t get a lot of sleep. I would avoid it altogether if my body would allow it. I’m the General Manager of a restaurant that I love and have been a part of for 10.5 years so that takes up a big bulk of my time. The rest of my time is spent with my son and husband and tending to my 88 houseplants and designing and trying to fit in time with friends! I try to maximize my IG time by taking a bunch of photos at one time and setting up my posts the night before so I can post first thing in the morning. I also try to do as much as I can while my son naps.

Tell us about your home.

It’s a Mid-Century home, built in 1953 and we love the open living/dining room and beams. It looks MUCH larger in photos because I know how to work the angles but it’s actually only 1222 square feet and the area that I shoot is actually only 934 square feet. My husband’s studio is almost 300 square feet and that’s his domain. We have an agreement that I get to do whatever I want in the rest of the house and he gets that space for all of his equipment and to work. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

How do you describe your style?

I call my style “Mod Desert Boho” or “Desert Modern Decor”. My husband and I are so drawn to Palm Springs and this area feels very much like that to us and we knew this home was meant for us the moment we saw it!
I’ve always loved Mid-Century Modern and have collected many vintage pieces over the years. I love thrifting and curating unique spaces. I’m also always drawn to Southwestern and Native American pieces so you’ll find a lot of that in my home as well. I have a Kachina doll collection I started about 7 years ago. I love adding in unique textiles and bold pops of color and pattern. I’ve recently fallen in love with wallpaper and have already wallpapered 3 rooms in our home, I’m running out of space!

What inspires you and how does your home reflect that?

I’m inspired by the way pieces and spaces make me feel. Nature is my energy recharge and where I feel the happiest and comfortable. Bringing the outdoors in makes me want to be in my home so much more! I always want it to feel inviting and cozy and to spark creativity. I love when others tell me my home inspired them to do something in their own space. I’ve had a lot of people tell me I’ve inspired them to buy plants and I LOVE that! I’m certainly not a plant expert and have only become a collector since moving into our home. I’ve acquired all of my plants over the last year and I’m lucky because we get a lot of light. I research each one I buy so that I know how to care for it and with the exception of a few that got diseases, I’d say I have a green thumb!

Tell us about your favorite room.

The living/dining room is my favorite place in our home. I love the ceiling and the large open window. It’s where our family gathers to watch movies and play games and eat. It’s also the room that houses some of my favorite plants and thrifted treasures.

How many houseplants do you have?

We currently have 88 but I’m always finding space to add more!

Why do you like having plants in your home?

They make me feel so happy and calm and instantly change a space. For me, they were a game changer in decor! They breathe so much life into a space and help you breathe better too! Whenever in doubt? Put a plant on it.

What’s your favorite plant and why?

Oooooh, making me play favorites with my babies!?!?! Haha…hmmmm…that’s a really hard one. I’m currently crushing on my Lady Palm because she’s so big and bold, I also love my White Bird of Paradise for the same reason and she was a gift from good friends. My Triostar is such a pretty pink lady and I’m definitely digging my new Philodendron Hope Selloum! I guess I tend to favor big and bold patterns.

What tips do you have for living with plants?

First and foremost, make sure they work in your space with the lighting you have. If the room is super dark don’t just stick any plant in there and hope for the best. Research what works where then find the plants you like the best in your space. Don’t have a lot of room? Go vertical! I love putting plants in planters on the wall and hanging them in macrame plant hangers from the ceiling.  Start off with a Snake Plant , Pothos, or ZZ Plant those are all pretty user-friendly and happy in most environments.