Owners of Melbourne's well-loved The Plant Society, Jason Chongue and Nathan Smith have opened the doors to a new store in Paddington, Sydney. A destination for plants, planters and home goods, from near and far, the inviting space has been carefully curated by Jason, whose considered eye comes not only from being an expert plant cultivator, but also an architect and interior designer.
Warm, organic and tactile, the interior features vintage pieces sourced locally and from a growing home collection, to bring a sense of history to the space. Having found the perfect location, accidentally through an email from the previous tenants, Jason and Nathan knew it was home.
As someone who loves indoor plants but struggles to navigate my way around big plant centres, to decide what to buy, and how best to keep them alive, this small, friendly boutique concept is so appealing! Warm and welcoming, the space is filled with beautiful plants that sit alongside handcrafted pieces like the stunning Buhera Baskets, and ceramic pieces from both local and international designers.
Born from a passion for design and plants, and to foster a plant community, The Plant Society's goal is to nurture and preserve rare and interesting plant species for future generations and share the knowledge and skills required to grow them with our community. By celebrating plants and all things green, they hope to establish a knowledge bank of skills and techniques that can be enjoyed by all plant enthusiasts, whatever their skill level.
Vital to this is building relationships not only with the plants, but with the people who grow and nurture them, and the Plant Society are actively involved on a range of events and projects to promote positive and open conversations around greenery. They also collaborate closely, designing greener spaces, both internal and external, with architects, interior designers, council and developers.
With the opening of their new Sydney home, The Plant Society have also added ShopHouse Guesthouse to their offering — a community guesthouse perched above their intimate plant shop. Inspired by historic shop houses, where residents lived above their stores, ShopHouse residents will stay amongst a working plant shop and experience its day to day tasks.
White and bright, the guesthouse features a mix of furniture in warm natural materials, peppered with lush greenery.
Photography by Armelle Habib
The Plant Society's permanent Sydney home is located at 21 William Street, Paddington.
For information on the guesthouse, or to book a stay, visit The Plant Society.