What better than a bar on your doorstep – no taxi fees to pay, just a few steps away…

A place where retro classics and the wonderful oddities of the houseplant world collide, ‘Planet Studio’ was our gold medal winning and best in show houseplant studio exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022.

Designed by James Whiting  of @Plantsbythere, the  Kew Victorian Garden Room was totally transformed into nostalgic feast for the eyes. James returned this year to lead a houseplant expert workshop recreating potted versions of the Studio 54 inspired garden bar. Here’s how to recreate the look for yourself.

Bold colours

Go bright and bold with your colour choices – paint, pots and lighting! Orange oozed throughout Planet Studio, being the feature paint colour on the ceiling and selected accessories, contrasting well against the black walls on both interior and exterior of the building.

Concealed lighting strips with red hues created a sunset like effect, with white highlighting hidden elements on the bar space!

Playful Planters 

Bespoke ceramic pots made by Adam Johnson (@AdamCeramic), finalist of Great Pottery Throwdown, mimicked retro shapes seen in old sci-fi imagery, cocktail glasses and shakers behind the bar with complimenting white ceramic vessels that housed delicate oyster mushrooms grown by The Caley Brothers.

Have a look around and see what you could repurpose at home to contain plants of all shapes and sizes – those dessert pots we keep usually forgotten and tucked away in our cupboards would work a treat! Colanders and half disco balls work well for hanging plants!

Lava Lamps

Keep it groovy with swirly lava lamps – A variety of both retro and modern designed by the original 1963 Astro lava lamp founders Mathmos featured within Planet Studio mounted upon the walls and scattered across the bar area. We recommend the classic rocket for an out-of-this world showstopping feature!

Funky Foliage 

Opt for out-of-the-ordinary house plants with interesting shapes, leaf markings, bracts and flowers such as: Bromeliads, Monstera and Alocasia.  Look out for varieties with variegated leaves, interesting textures and almost plastic, alien-like forms to create an other worldly vibe. Check out Planet Studio full plant list here.

Take the Inside Out 

Don’t neglect the space outside your garden bar. A decked area doubles as a chill out zone and a dance floor. Adding a bright orange canopy overhead means you can boogie whatever the weather.

An outdoor bar needs a cocktail trolley that can be positioned anywhere on the deck for ease of use. Decorate with potted plants, mushrooms and baby disco balls as well as your favourite beverages, glassware and garnishes.

For guests to admire art while they drink mural artist Leroy Farndon-Taylor created a bold backdrop that wouldn’t look out of place in the Lower East side. Check out his Instagram feed and Etsy shop. 

Play with Scale

The bar is also a giant terrarium filled with plants and to create a fun, eye-catching intergalactic landscape with crash landed rocket, foggy swamp, colourful mosses and disco ball. Orchids, Carnivorous plants, Bromeliads, Air plants and Ferns placed in front of a gold mirrored backdrop give the illusion of more plants.

A tiny pond in a sink behind the bar is a quirky talking point. Create your own pint sized pond in any water tight vessel and make it home to a variety of small tropical aquatic plants such as Marimo Moss Balls, Java Ferns, Echinodorus and floating Salvinia.