Plant fit out for Carnegie Building in Belfast

Walking into a grand, historic building or a vast, modern office can sometimes feel a little intimidating. High ceilings, expansive hallways, and wide-open floor plans are architecturally impressive, yet without the right finishing touches, they can lack warmth and atmosphere.

That is where plants can help. 

This week, The Green East completed a bespoke plant installation and care visit at the iconic B1-listed Carnegie Building in Belfast. 

This is such an incredible piece of local heritage. The client wanted to refresh the planters in their grand, impressive hallway. The yellow paint, needed some accents that matched its scale without overwhelming its historic character.

As you can see from our before-and-after photos, our refreshed planting has given some good structure and features to this space. 

We opted for vertical impact, choosing architectural tall plants. Alongside the new planting, our team also carried out some essential plant care on-site, carefully trimming back an existing corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) to encourage fresh, healthy regeneration.

What we planted:

  • Kentia Palm: A classic, graceful palm that adds instant height, movement, and timeless elegance to high-ceilinged spaces. One of our favourites for indoor spaces. 

  • Dracaena: Known for its striking, architectural foliage, bringing clean lines and bold structure to the arrangement.

  • Schefflera arboricola (Umbrella Plant): Lush, glossy, and full-bodied, ideal for adding rich texture at mid-level. These are so easy to care for. 

  • Pothos: Trailing gently over the edges of the planters to soften the sleek metal finish and tie the whole display together. This is tolerant of low light and a bit of neglect so another good plant for indoor spaces like this. 

Whether you are working inside a historic landmark or a contemporary warehouse conversion, large spaces share a common challenge: lots of overhead lighting, big spread-out desks, and hard surfaces can make a workplace feel clinical rather than homely.

Having styled several large offices across Belfast and beyond, these are our top three rules for using plants to transform an open-plan space:

  1. Go big with pots and specimen plants Small desk plants get lost in a cavernous room. To anchor a large space, invest in oversized planters and tall statement specimens. Place them near gathering points, walkways, or sharp structural corners to naturally soften the room's edges, corners and dead areas. It can also help to break up long sightlines.
  2. Plant en masse for maximum impact A single small pot sitting alone on a shelf rarely makes a statement. Instead, group multiples of the same plant together to dress entire shelving units or room dividers. Mass planting creates a lush, cohesive design that makes a real impact.
  3. Underplant tall, stemmed specimens Large trees and tall plants with bare stems or trunks can sometimes leave too much empty soil on show at eye level. Our team always like to soften the base by underplanting with lush, low-growing or trailing varieties, like pothos, ferns, or ivy. It hides the soil, adds layered texture, and makes every planter feel like a complete, thriving mini indoor garden.
  4. Use trailing and climbing plants to draw the eye up and down Massive ceilings can make an office feel cold. Bridge the gap between ceiling and floor by letting trailing plants cascade down from high partitions and shelving units. You can also train climbing plants up exposed pipework or pillars.

Transform Your Space with The Green East

Whether you are looking to soften an open-plan workspace, add life to a hospitality venue, or dress a one-off event, The Green East offers tailored Plant Landscaping & Design services to suit your space:

  • Exterior & Interior Design: Custom plant installations paired with ongoing maintenance plans from pruning and regeneration care to feeding, so your indoor and outdoor greenery stays lush and thriving all year round.

  • Events & Leasing: Short-term plant rentals and bespoke styling to bring natural energy and atmosphere to conferences, weddings, launches, and special events.

Drop us an email at Hospitality@thegreeneast.co.uk to chat about ideas, quotes, and availability.


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