Have you always seen florals as a little bit twee?
Do they conjure up slightly distasteful images of gnarly retro wallpapers and rather out-dated kitsch aesthetics?
Or perhaps you just feel like they should be consigned to a decade where wall to wall shag was the hot flooring choice?
Well stop right there.
Interior décor has met an explosion of flowers in the last few years and they are bolder, brighter and more beautiful than ever before.
Make your home bloom
To do florals well you need to be bold.
The future of decorating with flowers is not a pale imitation of Eternal Beau china.
Creating a modern twist on this classic means you should take a few risks.
But I’m not suggesting you create a jungle of undergrowth.
A single flash of floral – whether it be a sofa or chair or curtains – will set the whole room alight with colour.
Rachel Morley, from Bury St Edmunds-based Copeland Interiors, believes florals are a favourite for good reason.
She said: “Floral prints and patterns are a key classic that can be used anywhere in the home.
“They are available in all sorts of styles from loose water colour type painting effect – Designers Guild and Chivasso - to exquisite botanical detail in GP&J Baker and bold pared-down contemporary prints such as Scion and Harlequin.
“In a sitting room, for a more formal scheme take a look at the beautiful new Sheila Coombs prints in a fresh, crisp print incorporating butterflies amongst the flowers or the detailed design of our Angela Faulkner linens, velvets and silks.
“Using these for curtains with a classic pinch pleat heading creates a timeless elegance, mixing with textured plains and trellis designs for furniture.”
Petal power
But for those of you who are a little braver functional rooms like kitchens, family rooms and snugs are where you can really let loose.
For too long kitchens have either been a bad attempt at a faux country feel or dead, clean lines and hard, cold surfaces.
By adding modern, audacious floral prints to cabinets or blinds there is a chance to add a splash of ‘wow’ to your world.
If you are determined to make a floral statement but don’t want to use harsher reds or yellows try blues.
But if you are using a floral design on multiple surfaces make sure they match – and it works best if the room has good, natural light.
Rachel added: “In a kitchen or conservatory try a more fun and relaxed look like the new Sanderson Papavera. Using these designs as either simple curtains with a cartridge heading or clean lines of Roman blinds works very well and you can even mix in with some strong stripes for seat cushions.”
Bathrooms are possibly the safest place to try out some brave floral prints but get the balance right between relaxed and on-trend.
And you can even find something or the most boring of spaces according to Rachel: “In downstairs cloak rooms why not go for a bit of Christian Lacroix Canopy wallpaper – it’s amazing!”
Gently does it
As much as you might have loved brightening up your home with a touch of the wild, when it comes to bedrooms a bit of restraint is needed.
The last thing you want is a recurring Day of the Triffids nightmare.
Rachel said: “For bedrooms, the gentle shabby chic of Kate Forman mixed with subtle ginghams or the new collection from Romo Saphira with soft gentle palettes of jade, orchid, blush and quartz work well, contrasting with the printed velvets for accents such as cushions, headboards or throws.
“And don’t forget the beautiful Tivoli trimmings for that final touch of detail.
“Playing with different scales is great way of incorporating some blooms to your room.
“Try adding bursts of colour by centering a large bloom on to a cushion for instant impact, or creating a picture on your Roman blind.”
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