What McCaren Designs does

McCaren Designs is a privately held commercial interiorscape company founded in 1976 and headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company provides biophilic design services for commercial properties, offering a comprehensive portfolio that includes indoor plant design and installation, living green walls, custom preserved moss art, recurring plant maintenance, commercial holiday décor, artificial foliage, event plant rentals, exterior landscaping, color rotations, orchid arrangements, and plant design consultation. Originally established as Foliage Design Systems, the company rebranded to McCaren Designs in 2025 and operates through a network of 8 branch offices and sub-brands — including Foliage Design Systems (Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa), Botanical Designs (Seattle, Denver), and GreenWalls By Botanical Designs (national) — spanning the Upper Midwest, Southeast, Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Florida, and Southern California.

The company's core technology combines living plants, preserved moss, and artificial foliage into design-led commercial installations. Its preserved moss art uses real moss treated with glycerin and a non-toxic fire-resistant, allergen-free coating that eliminates the need for watering, sunlight, or trimming. Living green walls use modular panels or trays with integrated irrigation systems (recirculating, direct-feed, or manual) and optional LED grow lights to support vertical plant installations at scale — exemplified by the 45-foot, 3,500+ plant living wall installed at Hotel Signia Atlanta. The company employs in-house moss artists, horticulturists, and trained installers, and executes projects through a combination of direct branch teams and a subcontractor network.

McCaren operates a hybrid revenue model combining one-time project revenue (installations, custom moss art, green walls, holiday décor, artificial foliage) with recurring subscription revenue from maintenance contracts starting at $100/month and scaling above $10,000/month for accounts with 10,000+ plants. Pricing benchmarks include green walls at approximately $200/sqft, moss art from $75-250/sqft, event rentals from $100 to $140k per engagement, and installation projects ranging from $1,000 to over $1,000,000. The company sells exclusively to commercial customers via direct enterprise field sales, with a marquee client roster including Hilton, Salesforce, AWS, Deloitte, Cash App, JLL, Colliers, Cousins Properties, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, University of Tampa, and Shaw Industries. Customer segments span hospitality, healthcare, education, commercial real estate, technology, and manufacturing.

Name

McCaren Designs

Legal name

McCaren Designs

Website

https://mccaren.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McCaren Designs is a 50-year-old commercial interiorscape company headquartered in St. Paul, MN, operating 8 US branches that design, install, and maintain biophilic environments — including living green walls, preserved moss art, interior plantings, and holiday décor — for enterprise clients across hospitality, healthcare, commercial real estate, and technology sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Interiorscape Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Landscape Design & Installation (HSAIABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Garden Bed Design, Layout & Planting Plans (HSAIAFAA)

Keywords

• Commercial interiorscape services
• Living green walls
• Preserved moss art
• Indoor plant maintenance
• Commercial holiday decor

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Interior Plant Design & Installation: Design and installation of interior plant programs for commercial spaces including offices, hotels, retail, and healthcare facilities. One-time project revenue with potential for ongoing maintenance contracts.
2. Plant Maintenance Services: Recurring maintenance contracts offering weekly or bi-weekly visits for watering, pruning, pest control, and plant replacements. Replacements included in monthly cost (exterior excluded). Prices start at $100/month and scale based on plant quantity.
3. Living Green Walls: Design, installation, and maintenance of vertical plant walls. Average cost around $200/sqft. Optional ongoing maintenance contracts available.
4. Custom Moss Art: Handcrafted preserved moss art installations. Pricing ranges from $75-250/sqft depending on complexity, moss varieties, framing, and custom elements. Full-service from design to installation.
5. Commercial Holiday Décor: Design, installation, and takedown of holiday decorations for commercial spaces. Includes professional holiday lighting installation. Seasonal service with annual recurring potential through storage programs.
6. Event Plant Rentals: Short-term and long-term plant rentals for events including trade shows, corporate parties, grand openings, and festivals. Pricing ranges from $100 for small setups to $140k for large convention center installations. Includes delivery, setup, and pickup.
7. Color Rotations: Bimonthly or quarterly color rotations featuring bromeliads and flowering plants. Professional delivery, setup, and cleanup included.
8. Artificial Foliage: Design, supply, and installation of premium artificial plants for commercial interiors and exteriors. Includes custom green walls and UV/fire-rated foliage. Full-service commercial-only offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McCaren Designs is a commercial interiorscape company that designs, installs, and maintains biophilic plant programs for offices, hotels, healthcare facilities, retail spaces, and multi-tenant properties. Offerings span living green walls with custom irrigation, handcrafted preserved moss art, recurring plant maintenance contracts, commercial holiday décor, artificial foliage, event plant rentals, and exterior landscaping delivered through 8 U.S. branch offices.

Product overview

McCaren Designs is a commercial interior plant service company offering a comprehensive portfolio of biophilic design solutions. The core offering includes Indoor Plant Design & Installation, Living Green Walls (vertical plant installations with irrigation systems), Custom Moss Wall Art (preserved, zero-maintenance installations), Plant Maintenance (weekly/bi-weekly care programs), Commercial Holiday Décor (design, installation, and takedown), Artificial Foliage (premium faux plants and green walls), Event Plant Rentals, and Exterior Landscaping. Add-on services include Color Rotations (seasonal bromeliads), Orchid Arrangements, and Plant Design Consultation. The company operates 8 branches nationwide with services spanning the Upper Midwest and national coverage through the Botanical Designs network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foliage Design Systems: Regional brand operating in Atlanta, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa providing interior plant services, living green walls, moss art, and holiday décor.
• Botanical Designs
• GreenWalls By Botanical Designs

Products and services

• Indoor Plant Design & Installation Full-service interior plant design and professional installation for offices, hotels, retail, and commercial spaces, collaborating with designers, property managers, and architects to deliver biophilic environments.
• Living Green Walls Vertical plant installations using modular trays or panels for real plants growing on walls, including interior and exterior options with recirculating, direct-feed, or manual irrigation systems, LED grow lights, and optional ongoing maintenance.
• Custom Moss Wall Art Handcrafted preserved moss art installations that require no watering, sunlight, or trimming, available in Reindeer Moss, Sheet Moss, Mood Moss, and Pole Moss varieties, with custom logo designs and branded environments supported.
• Plant Maintenance Professional indoor plant maintenance services including watering, pruning, pest control, and plant replacements, delivered on weekly or bi-weekly schedules with a health guarantee and replacements included in the monthly cost (exterior excluded).
• Color Rotations Seasonal color rotation service featuring bromeliads and flowering plants, professionally delivered and installed on bimonthly or quarterly schedules to keep commercial interiors fresh and vibrant.
• Orchid Arrangements Custom handcrafted orchid bowl arrangements with premium ceramic, stone, or metal containers, curated greenery, and artificial filler foliage, offered with regular service, replacement, and upkeep options.
• Commercial Holiday Décor Full-service holiday decoration including design, professional installation, and takedown for commercial spaces, covering interior and exterior décor, custom branded decorations, professional holiday lighting, and annual storage programs.
• Artificial Foliage Premium artificial plant design, supply, and installation for commercial interiors and exteriors, including commercial-grade artificial plants and trees, custom built green walls and hedge panels, and UV and fire-rated foliage.
• Event Plant Rentals Short-term and long-term plant rentals for events including trade shows, corporate parties, grand openings, festivals, and brand activations, with services spanning design, delivery, setup, and pickup.
• Exterior Landscaping Custom exterior plant displays including decorative plant beds, entryway containers, seasonal color rotations, and outdoor arrangements focused on curb appeal rather than traditional lawn care, with pollinator-friendly and brand-palette coordinated options.
• Plant Design Consultation Expert plant design guidance for offices and commercial spaces through on-site or virtual walk-throughs, including plant recommendations, container selection, layout guidance, and ongoing care recommendations.

Quantifiable outcome

• NASA research found plants can remove up to 87% of airborne toxins in 24 hours
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ambius: Ambius (formerly part of Rentokil Initial) is a leading commercial interior landscaping and plant services provider offering design, installation, and maintenance for offices, hotels, and retail — directly competing with McCaren's core interiorscape business at a larger scale.
• Planterra: Planterra is a commercial interior landscaping company providing living green walls, moss walls, and plant care programs for corporate, hospitality, and healthcare clients — overlapping with McCaren's full-service biophilic design offering.
• Habitat Horticulture: Habitat Horticulture designs and installs living walls and biophilic interiorscapes for commercial clients — competing with McCaren on green wall and interior biophilic design.
• Suite Plants: Suite Plants provides interior plant design, installation, and maintenance for commercial offices and hospitality, including holiday décor programs — a direct peer to McCaren's recurring maintenance and seasonal offerings.
• GSky Plant Systems: GSky is a designer and installer of large-scale living green wall systems for commercial real estate, hospitality, and retail — a peer to McCaren's premium green wall installations.
• Garden on the Wall: Garden on the Wall specializes in preserved and natural plant wall installations requiring no maintenance — directly competing with McCaren's Custom Moss Wall Art offering.
• LiveWall: LiveWall manufactures and installs vertical living wall systems for indoor and outdoor commercial applications — directly competing with McCaren's GreenWalls By Botanical Designs living green wall product.
• Tropical Plant Specialists: Tropical Plant Specialists is a regional commercial interiorscaper serving offices, hotels, and retail with design, installation, and maintenance services — competing with McCaren's branch network on similar service lines.

Broad incumbents

• ValleyCrest / Davey Tree: Davey Tree (parent of several commercial landscape brands) provides large-scale commercial landscape and tree care services — a broad incumbent with commercial property relationships overlapping McCaren's exterior landscaping and enterprise customer base.
• BrightView Landscapes: BrightView is the largest commercial landscaping services provider in North America, offering both exterior landscape maintenance and interior plant services at scale — adjacent incumbent that competes on enterprise commercial accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/McCarenDesigns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccaren-designs-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccarendesigns
• Xx.com/mccarendesigns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCaren Designs