Tribe’s London makeover: How Inleaf used plants to transform student living

• Inleaf helped transform Tribe’s student accommodation with greenery
• Preserved foliage, rustic crates and trailing plants created a cosy, stylish space
• Preserved and artificial plants ensured long lasting impact with minimal care

At Inleaf, we believe the most functional spaces can be elevated with greenery. That’s exactly what we set out to do when Tribe, a forward thinking student accommodation company approached us to help refurbish their sites with plants, each with a unique look to the location.  

Inleaf worked closely with fit out company Designer At Heart to create a warm welcoming environment for students living away for the first time. Their aim was to transform sterile, basic spaces into modern yet cosy living areas with character.

For Tribes South Bermondsey location, we developed a distinctive concept around timber crate displays, filled with a mixture of preserved foliage including, preserved Lycopodium, Asparagus sprengeri, Amarathus and Eucalyptus. Wooden crates paired with trailing preserved plants created a rustic on-trend environment, ideal for the student demographic who appreciate a space that is both Instagrammable and homely.

Inside the communal kitchens, we installed a mix of small artificial and preserved plant displays onto bespoke shelving. These trailing plants soften the functional space, adding colour and texture without taking up any surface area. 

In the banquet seating zones, we added depth and vibrancy by incorporating preserved foliage with pebble and moss top dressing tucked neatly behind the seating. These installations add texture and colour, while the use of preserved plants ensures they are resilient to wear and tear in high traffic areas. 

At Tribes Southwark accommodation, we introduced a striking feature wall using preserved moss. To enhance this feature wall we created bespoke circular frames in various sizes, each filled with a mixture of flat, bun and reindeer moss. This combination of mosses created a multi dimensional, textured display that draws attention to the feature wall. 

Designer At Heart wanted to utilise the empty space under a stairwell by incorporating moss flooring. For this moss installation we combined flat and bun moss along with preserved plants to create a three dimensional effect in the design. 

As well as the moss display we added dimension to a bespoke metal framework, which divided the living and kitchen areas. This framework was softened with small individual planters incorporating a mixture of trailing plants to create a visual buffer that is both aesthetic and calming. 

Our client was extremely happy with the outcome of the biophilic transformation across both locations and we will continue to work with them in the future.