Floral motifs pop up every spring in home-furnishing collections, and after a long winter, they’re always a welcome sight. But this year, there seem to be more of them than ever, and they feel particularly fresh.
New York interior designer Elaine Griffin says it began a few seasons back with a movement toward kinder, gentler silhouettes and patterns.
“Design has been trending toward a subtle but high-impact femininity,” she says. “It started with softer, more fluid shapes in upholstery. Paler or more glamorous finishes for case goods. Dressmaker-inspired details such as pleated-ruffle and grosgrain-trimmed throw pillows and draperies.
“There’s no more feminine pattern than florals, and from the runway to decorative fabrics and accessories, they’re everywhere.”
In the 1980s, floral chintz spread like marmalade across the decor landscape as English country style took hold. It was a formal, somewhat overwrought look with, says Griffin, “a bow and ribbon on everything that didn’t move.”
Chintz is back, but it’s a looser, more relaxed version. And the cottage prints that in the past could be a little dowdy are more lighthearted.
Also in the mix: bold, geometric flower motifs and ethnic floral patterns.
Some vintage prints reinterpret florals through a midcentury lens for a fresh take on both styles. But you’ll also find more painterly floral designs, with a wistful watercolor look.
The new florals can go just about anywhere, says Griffin.
“For conservative spaces, coordinate complementary fabrics with the darkest hue in the floral,” she says. “For zippier, more modern rooms, bring out the brightest hues of the pattern.”
She advises making oversize floral patterns the star of the room. Pair them with textured solids or subtle stripes, and don’t overdo it by adding a bunch of distracting prints.
Be mindful where you plant your flowers.
“Avoid florals on big and long-lived upholstered pieces like sofas,” says Griffin. “They’re a better bet for armchairs, ottomans and window treatments, which you can change more easily if you tire of the pattern in a few years.”
One option is West Elm’s new collection of pillows in a floral, stained-glass pattern, in melon and blue/gray, produced in collaboration with London designer Sarah Campbell of the textile firm Collier Campbell. The pillows are a good way to accent a space with the motif.
