A Green Summer Studio Visit with Lisa Muñoz of Leaf and June
In 2014, Lisa Muñoz planted a new seed in life when founding Leaf and June, her acclaimed interior plant design firm. Since then, Lisa has been able to blend her fervor for horticulture with her past experiences in production to create a business with longevity. Currently, Leaf and June’s services run the gamut from plant installation to design to ongoing maintenance. We stopped by her plant-adorned Brooklyn studio to get the details on how she manages Leaf and June’s many moving parts along with her thoughts on green living.
Meet Lisa
Hello! I am Lisa Muñoz, owner of interior plant design company Leaf and June. I am originally from San Antonio, TX and moved to and fell in love with New York 11 years ago. I am consistently inspired by the city, friends and family, partner David and our dog, Marty, music, and plants.
The Story of Leaf and June
Leaf and June came about from an intense love of plants and the impact they have on the mind, body, and space. After working with a couple of plant shops and getting my Certificate in Horticulture, I decided to take the leap and start Leaf and June. While the love and understanding that goes into each of my plant relationships can be trying at times, at the end of the day, it’s immensely rewarding. Plants are remarkable, fascinating, and totally lovable.
Green Thumb, Green Living
Beyond a plant’s ability to be stunning visually, they also have benefits like filtering harmful toxins from the air and inspiring creativity and focus. Green living can easily be jump-started by introducing plants into your space whether you're growing your own edible plants, composting, or propagating. Plants help control the temperature, air quality, and humidity in your space as well, ultimately reducing the amount of energy you're using. Plants just make life better not only for you but for those around you.
At the Heart of Horticulture
I think a common misconception about horticulture is plant-care. Keeping plants alive can be pretty intimidating until you get to know your plant's personality and gain an understanding of what they need to not only survive but thrive. Through that comes the creative aspect where you can curate planters and introduce neighboring plants if you'd like to create more of a lush habitat. A little greenery breathes life into a space and provides effortlessly stunning design elements. The goal is to create a cozy, welcoming environment and plants never fail to accomplish that.
Garden Girl Uniform
My approach to style is almost always about comfort and practicality. Given the nature of working with plants (it's a whole lot of schlepping) my wardrobe tends to lend itself to moving around and getting dirty. Sustainable fashion is also something that I consider to be important as it has such a huge impact on the environment, manufacturers, and generations to come. As resources become depleted, making conscious decisions to support sustainable businesses will prove significant as we move forward. Every little bit really makes a difference.
Botanical Travels
Indoor plants serve as a reminder that these plants exist in the wild outdoors and while we do what we can to recreate their natural habitat, it's inspiring to see their places of origin or at least the next best thing (i.e., a botanic garden). The New York Botanical Garden, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, are places I visit regularly. I love seeing plants evolve and change with the seasons. They also do an incredible job curating their greenhouse collections too. Traveling to places like Mexico, Hawaii, and Italy where they each have their own distinguished greenery has been incredible. Mexico has an array of cacti, Hawaii has oversized, lush tropical foliage, and Italy has balconies overflowing with succulents in classic terra cotta pots. Each of these places has and continues to inspire me.
Forever Items
I can't say that I have one 'forever item' but rather items plural. I have a beautiful collection of vintage Mexican and Filipino dresses from each of my grandmothers that embody my family and showcase the vibrancy of each culture.
Photos by Bridget Badore for Coclico
