Custom Indoor Green Walls: The Complete Guide

Living room, entrance hall, office, restaurant: an indoor green wall transforms a space in a single gesture. Choosing the right technology, anticipating the technical constraints and budgeting the project correctly are essential. This guide covers everything you need to know before starting a custom installation.

Both technologies turn a wall into a living artwork, but they answer very different needs in terms of maintenance, budget and atmosphere. Here's how to decide for your space.

Preserved: no water, no light, no maintenance

A preserved green wall uses real, naturally preserved plants (mosses, ferns, lichens) that keep their softness and colour for several years without watering, natural light or trimming. Ideal for a windowless corridor, a stairwell or a dim lobby, it works wherever a living wall couldn't survive.

Living plants: growth and irrigation

A living green wall combines plants, a growing support and irrigation suited to the selected system. Its composition changes over time and can be considered for a lounge, meeting room or reception where conditions allow. It needs appropriate lighting and regular maintenance. No air purification or humidity regulation result should be guaranteed without measurements relevant to the actual installation.

At home, an indoor green wall can dress a living room, a stairwell or a well-ventilated bathroom. In business settings, it structures a reception lobby, improves acoustics in a meeting room, or divides an open-plan office. In hospitality, it signs a dining room, a lobby or a covered terrace. Each use case guides the choice between preserved and living.

Three technical points determine feasibility: light (living walls need natural or dedicated horticultural lighting, preserved walls need none at all), weight per m² (a suitable frame and wall fixing are required, especially on lightweight partitions), and ambient humidity (a living wall in a wet room requires careful ventilation and waterproofing). A design office systematically checks these three points before fabrication.

A few concrete examples to visualise the possibilities, from high-end residential to corporate settings.

Does an indoor green wall need natural light?

No for a preserved wall, which needs no light at all. Yes for a living wall: where natural light is insufficient, LED horticultural lighting is built into the installation.

How long does a preserved green wall last indoors?

Indoors, away from direct UV, a preserved green wall keeps its appearance for 5 to 10 years, with just occasional dusting.

Can you install an indoor green wall yourself?

Technically possible on a small area with a kit, but a custom installation (structure, fixing, irrigation, plant selection) requires a design office to guarantee it holds up over time, especially beyond a few square metres.

How long does it take to design and install a custom indoor green wall?

Allow 3 to 6 weeks on average between design validation and installation, depending on surface area and project complexity.

Have an indoor green wall project in mind? The VG.TAL3Design studio has been designing and installing custom green walls since 2008, in France and internationally. Request a free quote to bring your space to life.