Forget The View – Katie Holmes Brightens A Dull Window For Just $10 With An Elegant, Affordable, and Easy to Recreate Technique

Window sills don't have to be boring – this is how the actress uplifts the underrated space with a chic floral display

a split sctreen image with katie holmes on the left and a picture of a moth orchid on the right
(Image credit: Future Owns/ Raimonda Kulikauskiene via Getty Images)

If you hate the view from your home's windows, one option is to move, but another (underrated) option is to upgrade them. Katie Holmes accomplishes the latter by placing a single white orchid in the center of her windowsill, turning an uninspiring view into something anyone would want to look at.

We spotted her beautiful orchid variety in an Instagram post celebrating spring's arrival. Her moth orchid is planted in a glass pot covered in pretty sheet moss (like this moss variety from Amazon) for a wild finish. Katie sits in front of the window, sipping her morning coffee and eating chocolate. When the view is this stunning, who can blame her?

Recreate Katie's Look at Home

As Katie's window display shows, caring for orchids can be incredibly rewarding. However, Tenielle warns: 'Moth orchids are some of the most elegant flowering houseplants to grow, but they do require some specific care to keep them blooming.'

white moth orchids in a window with a vase behind

White Moth Orchids in a Window Like The One in Katie Holmes's Home

(Image credit: Future)

It's important, however, to dispel the common orchid myth that they are impossible to care for. With a bit of research and avoiding pitfalls, you can have blooms just as full and vibrant as Katie's. Tenielle advises: 'The most common error many make is overwatering orchids. These plants only need a top-up of water when their aerial roots appear silver - if they look green, it indicates they’re well-hydrated. Too much water can lead to orchid root rot and kill off the plant.'

'One of the easiest ways to keep an orchid happy is by boosting humidity levels, as these plants are moisture-lovers,' she continues. 'Simply placing it in a bathroom provides an orchid with extra steam from showers, helping to keep wrinkled foliage at bay.' Honestly, I can't imagine a better bathroom window treatment than a blooming orchid.


Katie's design demonstrates that the easy, affordable upgrades can transform a home just as incredibly as a complete overhaul. All you need is an orchid and vision.

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Sophie Edwards
News Editor

Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.

In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.

Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.