It started more than a few years ago, well before the pandemic.
I was working on a farmhouse resort for a client who was extremely excited about shifting to a purely organic lifestyle by changing his location. During one of our conversations, he mentioned how the calm, living feeling of a rural organic setup simply couldn't be recreated in an urban home. Something about that statement stayed with me. I took it as a personal challenge.
So, after the first lockdown during the pandemic, when my home became my entire world, I decided to test those boundaries myself.
I began small — just five plants on one balcony and three in a narrow flower bed on the other. That was it. No grand garden plan, no Instagram-worthy vision. Just a quiet experiment to see whether I could bring even a little of that living, breathing quality into my compact 2BHK in Mumbai.
What happened next surprised even me.
Those eight plants slowly multiplied. Most of them are herbs and other edible or usable plants — ones that not only look beautiful but actually contribute to my daily well-being. Over time, the collection grew, filling the balconies and then spilling indoors onto shelves, hanging planters, windowsills, and every available surface. Today, I live with well over a hundred plant companions, both indoors and outdoors, in the same small "matchbox-like" Mumbai apartment.
Living with them has been one of the most profound teachers of my life.
In a city where windows often stay shut because of the intense heat and humidity, these plants have shown me how even the smallest green presence can transform the feel of a space. They regulate humidity, soften harsh light, improve air quality, and create tiny moments of calm in the middle of a hectic day. Walking into my home after a long day and being greeted by their quiet presence has become one of my favourite parts of living here.
More than that, this experiment has allowed me to bring the farm-to-table concept into a tiny urban home — something that is usually considered possible only with large land. These edible and usable plant companions now quietly support my well-being in the most practical ways.
This journey has deepened my understanding of biophilic design in the most real, lived way possible. It has taught me that even in the tightest urban constraints, we can create environments that feel nurturing, breathable, and emotionally grounding — if we're willing to pay attention and experiment.
These plant companions didn't just decorate my home. They changed how I experience it.
If you've ever looked around your own apartment and wondered whether it's possible to bring more life, calm, and nature into a small urban space, I want you to know it absolutely is.
Would you like to explore how your own home — no matter how small or challenging the conditions — can become more supportive and alive? Lucy can help you have that conversation and discover simple, personalised ways to bring more calm and connection into your space.
