I Have a Dream... of a Fiddle Leaf Fig

Here's a riddle for you... what is alive (but doesn't move on it's own), has gorgeous green waxy leaves, is ridiculously expensive and favored by every contemporary interior designer who ever lived???

If you guessed the fiddle leaf fig, then you'd be correct!

I mean look how pretty they are!!

Traditional Family Room by Washington Interior Designers & Decorators Haddon Interiors

Mediterranean Entry by Los Angeles Interior Designers & Decorators Chris Barrett Design

Contemporary Living Room by Round Rock Interior Designers & Decorators Dana Frieling Interiors

Contemporary Living Room by Rancho Santa Fe Interior Designers & Decorators Shaw Coates

Eclectic Bedroom by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Cecilie Starin Design Inc.

Traditional Living Room by Chicago Interior Designers & Decorators Summer Thornton Design, Inc

Enough with the inspiration photos you say??  You totally get how amazingly gorgeous these plants are???  And you understand why I am completely obsessed with them????  And you are wondering where I am going with this?????

Well, ok.  Let me tell you my little fiddle leaf fig story...

I've wanted one of these graphic, big-leafed beauties for going on three years now, but I have discovered that they are pricey.  REALLY pricey in fact.  A 5' fiddle leaf fig can easily run four-hundred plus dollars... I know... I KNOW... that is ridiculously expensive!!  I have a notoriously brown thumb, so I was not about to shell out several hundred bucks for a plant that I would be likely to kill in record time.

I had heard rumors that Ikea was known to sell these plants, but I'd stalked the Ikea plant section for years without seeing so much as a bit of evidence to show that the fiddle leaf fig was ever actually sold there... I was convinced that this was a total urban myth... or was it???

Fast forward to this past weekend while I wandered the aisles of Ikea, dodging every idiot and their huge cart picking up shelves, brackets, and some of their lovely Ribba square frames... when lo and behold, what did I see??

You got it - a lovely, lonely, (smallish) fiddle leaf fig, nestled among the cheap-y palm fronds and money trees (not to hate on the money tree... I actually kind of like them).  As the Ikea patrons were examining the medium sized palm plants, I deserted my cart, and dashed over to the lone fiddle leaf fig, possibly trampling a few small children on my way.  Um, it was the holy grail - and for $12.99

HOLLAAAAAAAA!!!

Here she is -

Go on... just look at those lush pretty leaves...

 

And let's not forget about the basket I found to house it!!  It does NOT look like it came from Ikea.  It's big and sturdy, but it was still under $30!!  And that's not it (I feel like an infomercial)... it also has a plastic insert to catch any water that leaks out from watering - keeping your floors dry, and preventing any rot in the pretty basket. It doesn't get better than that folks.

Plus, look at the nice handles and black detail around the rim - House Beautiful has started to feature decorating advice from the experts in every issue, and last month one of them was "always be sure to include black in every room - it grounds the space".  Thanks House Beautiful!  Don't mind if I do!

And a final "beauty shot" of my little fiddle leaf fig... the mirror reflects the rest of the room, so you can kind of see how the rest of the space is evolving in this last photo...

Now I just need to figure out how to keep this little plant alive, and then I can call it a success!!