Interior Greenhouse Design Ideas

Being able to grow plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables from your backyard is very exciting. Having fresh tomatoes, peppers, mint, and flowers in your home can really bring some extra life to our lives. A backyard greenhouse helps give you the environment to be able to grow those things! But how do you set up your greenhouse? What is the best way to maximize your space and create the perfect space to grow all of your plants? Let’s find out. 

5 Greenhouse Design Ideas

What are the central and essential ideas to consider when you are looking to build or design your backyard greenhouse shed? Here are our top 5 components for the interior of your greenhouse.

• Shelves -Shelving space is probably the most crucial component of your greenhouse. This may surprise you, but without an elevated, open, well-lit space…nothing is going to grow. Whether you have standalone or wall shelves, your plants will thank you for giving them the space to grow. 
• Aisles – Depending on your greenhouse size, aisles will give you and your plants room to maneuver and grow. How wide should your greenhouse aisles be? Give yourself at least 3 feet of space in between shelves or plants that are growing to be able to get around.

• Windows – Apart from the growing space, the natural light that enters your greenhouse is the main ingredient of a successful backyard garden. Gathering and trapping the sunlight to keep a warm environment is the whole point of a greenhouse! We recommend polycarbonate roofing/windows to maximize the energy being brought in! 
• Air Flow – Believe it or not, your greenhouse can get a little too warm. Gauging the temperature and allowing airflow will help your plants grow strong. Did you know you can also put a ceiling fan inside your greenhouse? Whether your windows open or you have venting options…getting the outside air in can be pertinent to a healthy greenhouse.
• Flooring – One of the other big things you need to decide on is the floor of your greenhouse. Are you going to set plants on the floor in the greenhouse, or will you have a dirt floor where you can plant directly beneath your feet? 

Examples Of Interior Greenhouse Designs

Small Greenhouse Design Ideas

How do you maximize space in a small greenhouse? Just because you have a small space doesn’t mean you won’t see significant growth. Here are three things to keep in mind for small greenhouse designs.

• Hanging Plants – Maximizing your ceiling space will allow you to house more plants in your small greenhouse.
• Layer Shelving – Including three separate shelving units on one wall will turn otherwise unusable space into growing space.
• No Floor – Stay away from flooring in your greenhouse and leave all of that space open to be able to grow. Now you can have a small path to walk around while your plans are growing all around you.

Greenhouse Design Ideas For Decorating

• Old Windows – Using old windows to spice up the decoration of your greenhouse can give it a nice rustic vibe.
• Pictures – If you are going to be spending a lot of time in your greenhouse, give it a personal home feel!
• Sink – Your plants are going to need water, and it will be nice to give them that water from a close location. Don’t forget; you can decorate a greenhouse while utilizing that decor to be usable!
• Seating Area – Sitting on the ground while you work in your greenhouse is not fun. Don’t hurt your back, and add a level of decor to your greenhouse with a nice seating area.
• Add Lights – Adding lights can give you a functional decor item that makes it pleasant to be in your greenhouse at any time of the day. 

Greenhouse Shelving Ideas

Given that shelves are what hold your greenhouse plants, you are going to want to spend time making sure they will be able to support the weight. Here are a few of our favorite ideas when it comes to backyard greenhouse shelving. 

• Layered Wall Shelves – These, as discussed above, are simply multi shelving units along the wall of your choice. This keeps the ground and central space of your greenhouse open for movement. Identifying which plants you want on these will be necessary because the use of the layered shelves can restrict the height space for your plants.
• Tiered Table Shelves – This style of greenhouse shelving is more centrally located. Think of a big farmhouse table with more “benches and shelves” stemming from the midsection of the table. The cool thing about this style of shelving is that you can really make it your own design. Gathering plant stands, old shelves, or other pieces to hold your plants can give your greenhouse a personal custom look.
• High Wrap Shelves – If you want all the space on your greenhouse floor to plant, then higher shelves may be for you. These shelves wrap around the top part of your greenhouse wall and are generally meant for smaller plants. With these high shelves taking the small plants, you can plant trees or larger plants in the ground below without worrying about space restrictions.
• Hanging Shelves – These shelves are also great for utilizing your ground space. Hanging plant shelves are perfect for decor and to keep certain plants away from others. That gives you free rein over using the rest of your greenhouse.
• Book Shelf – If you are planning to spend a lot of time in your greenhouse, you can put a bookshelf inside for plants and light reading. This adds to the decor and is a practical way to be able to relax with a good book around your plants. 

Greenhouse Venting Ideas

One of the important pieces of a functional greenhouse is ensuring your plants are at the correct temperature. One way to ensure you can do this is with different ventilation options. Here are the top 3!

• Ridge Vents – While generally on top of the greenhouse shed structure, ridge vents can also be along the base of the roof, much like a house. These vents allow the fresh air in, as well as hot or cold air out, depending on the type of plants you are growing.
• Gable Vents – These vents are generally located around the peak of either side of the roof on the sides of your greenhouse. Given that heat rises, these vents are great options to open whenever your greenhouse is a little too warm.
• Windows – Windows that can open are another great greenhouse venting option. Whether traditional or polycarbonate, a simple open window can allow fresh air into your greenhouse. Whether on a beautiful warm day or to release excess heat…this option is also great if you are spending time in your greenhouse. 

Greenhouse Heating Ideas

While venting your greenhouse is very important, greenhouses in colder climates need internal heat to grow most plants. If you are planning to grow all year round, you can use a few heating methods to ensure your life inside the greenhouse is sustainable! 

• Underground Heat Exchanger – The optional underground heat exchange system offers a way for your solar greenhouse to become passive solar! It is all based on the outside temperature. When the temperatures rise during the day, the fan kicks on to store the hot air underground for later use. Once the temperatures drop, the fan turns on to raise the temperature and keep it stable.
• Electric Heater – This is similar to what you might use to heat your home. When plugged in, the electric heater (like this one) can give your greenhouse the heat it needs to thrive. 
• Insulation – While not an idea that can be used alone, ensuring your greenhouse is insulated can help tremendously when trying to heat it. If you are heating a non-insulated greenhouse…it will take a lot more energy to ensure your interior temperature is where it needs to be.
• Water – There are multiple ways to heat a greenhouse with water. One of them includes multiple barrels of hot water being placed throughout the greenhouse. For this method, you will need a water heater or access to fill these barrels with hot water. 

Greenhouse Furniture Ideas

As we mentioned briefly, you can create a space in your greenhouse to sit and spend time. Being around your plant life and “outdoors” can be just what the soul needs. Here are a few practical and decorative pieces of furniture that can help you create the perfect greenhouse environment.

• Reading Chair – One of the most common ways to spend time in a greenhouse is reading. Grab your favorite book, and make sure you have a comfortable reading chair to go along with it!
• End Table – While you are reading or relaxing in your greenhouse, an end table can be perfect for holding pictures, books, or other personal decorative items. 
• Bookshelf – As mentioned above, a bookshelf can hold both plants and books. This can be a great focal point for your greenhouse. 
• Coffee Table – A coffee table can provide another element to make a home-like feel inside your greenhouse. Put your feet up as you read. 
• Lights – Whether hanging or free-standing, lights can allow you to be inside your greenhouse relaxing at night too!

Popular Greenhouse Design Sizes

• 6×8 Greenhouse
• 8×10 Greenhouse
• 8×12 Greenhouse
• 10×12 Greenhouse
• 10×16 Greenhouse

Our Greenhouses

At Hometown Structures, we offer two styles of greenhouses in Massachusetts. The garden shed is an excellent greenhouse for seasonal growing. And the solar greenhouse is perfect for year-round growth! Ask us about each and browse our in-stock models today!