You’re going to want to replicate Sophia Gushée’s plant-filled office ASAP

Well+Good Council member Sophia Gushée is a bonafide expert on detoxing the home. So it should come as no surprise that her dreamy office is filled with lots of gorgeous greenery. While her set-up is definitely #goals-worthy, creating a plant-filled WFH oasis is easier than you might think.

Through trial and error, Gushée learned that low-maintenance, low-light plants worked best with both her super-busy lifestyle and her apartment’s lighting. “I first became interested in plants because of their ability to detox toxic fumes in the air,” explains Gushée. “And then I’ve been experimenting over the years with which plants will survive. They’re not useful if they die!” As someone who couldn’t manage to keep a pot of succulents alive, I relate to this a little *too* easily.

“It reminds me to take more breaks. To be more balanced about my time in front of a computer. I think it reminds me that I am a living thing that I need to take care of.”

But Gushée’s setup is about more than just an Insta-worthy aesthetic. Finding her knack for plant-parenting—and surrounding herself with greenery—has changed her whole outlook on work-life balance. “I miss it when I’m forced to work in an environment without these living things. It reminds me to take more breaks and to be more balanced about my time in front of a computer,” she tells me. “I think it reminds me that I am a living thing that I need to take care of.” Rather than hunkering down on a six-hour grind, Gushée is more attentive to her own needs, thanks to her lush office.

Looking to flex your own green thumb, à la Gushée? She advises springing for a beginner-friendly snake plant, aloe vera plant, and jade plant trio, which will build up your plant-parenting confidence. “You have such distinct shapes and textures and you really don’t have to water them much,” she says. Second to, you know, buying the plants, Gushée’s number one tip is to invest in a decorative planter. “For a long time I didn’t invest in the planters because I thought “Oh, they’re going to die anyways”, and I find that putting them in even a cheap basket, makes me so much happier.”

Shop the plants from her office

Snake Plant $29

CB2 6-inch Aloe Potted Plant $13

My City Plants Jade Plant $135

These terrariums pull double-duty as planters and decor. Here’s an in-depth guide to growing plants when you *barely* have natural light in your pad.