Make Your Home Bloom – How to Decorate with Florals & Flowers

Across the world, florals have established themselves as timeless and are one of the most beloved prints for decorating our homes. From intricate floral tapestries and exquisite art pieces to faux flower arrangements, there’s just something about being near florals that taps into our positivity. Plus, with spring making itself at home outside, it’s only fair to want to bring that refreshing feeling inside our homes, as well. And, what better way to do so than through florals?

Known for their versatility, floral patterns mean you can go as big or minimalistic, detailed or abstract as you want — and still create a whimsical design fit for your quarters.

Below we tackle some tips on how to decorate with florals, with some valuable insights from some of the best interior designers. So, if you’re like us and want to channel spring vibes through your home décor, read on to find out why florals are the surefire way to go.

Revive your apartment

Spring is all about rebirth and refreshing vibes. “Florals and plants, in general, are such an easy way to bring life to a rental home!” says Jennifer Jones, principal designer of Niche Interiors.

But besides that, one key advantage of florals is that they feel familiar to anyone, so they’re as welcoming as they are pretty. “We especially like placing florals in the entryway, kitchen or any room that a guest would see first since they can help make a space feel more special and immediately create a positive first impression,” continues Jones.

Make them work for you

When decorating with florals, one of the first things to consider is what type of motifs suits your apartment and your own personal style. For example, if you’ve felt inspired by French-country décor and already adapted your quarters accordingly, you can go for a traditional blue monochrome toile.

Alternatively, if the rest of your home leans toward industrial minimalism, go for darker florals. Or, if you’re a sucker for retro accents, then a more abstract and stylized pattern is the way to go. However, if vintage is your aim, the more detailed and realistic-looking, the better. Whatever style your heart is set on, make sure you choose a floral that already suits the rest of the home interior.

Natural flowers can also help bring out the desired vibe you want from your quarters. “Select the type of flowers for your arrangement based on the style of the apartment and, when in doubt, keep it simple!” Jones advises. “We like sticking to just one or two flowers in the same color palette. For a mid-century modern home, opt for modern shapes — such as tulips — while for a more traditional home, try peonies or ranunculus to add softness.”

Coordination is where it’s at

Using floral motifs in your everyday home décor goes beyond paying attention to color. Sure, your existing color palette will influence the type you’ll go for. But, the scale and pattern intricacy are other important factors when deciding to incorporate florals into your interior design. For instance, an overly complicated, larger or zoomed-in pattern can easily overtake an entire room and make it feel claustrophobic — especially if you live in a studio or one-bedroom apartment.

Coordination also lies in hues or motifs that tie the room together. So, the key is matching your print with the rest of the design. It can be floral curtains that go with the couch palette, a floral area rug that matches the flower art pieces inside the room, or a bold wallpaper that goes well with the hue of the furniture.

Go abstract

If your mind goes to grandma’s house when hearing about florals, you’re not alone. But, florals can be so much more! Specifically, they can be as sleek or abstract as any modern or futuristic design style needs them to be.

To that end, an abstract pattern goes well with dynamic spaces that require a more clean-cut design. Simple lines, contrasting tones and floral shapes — rather than full-on drawings — are enough to suggest the pattern and create the desired effect. Monochrome or dual tones are the way to go here, and you can’t miss by incorporating the 2021 colors of the year: Ultimate Grey and Illuminating.

Certain natural flowers can also be perfect for modern apartments leaning more toward minimal design. “All rooms, regardless of style, are open to having some type of floral arrangement,” Jones says. “If it’s a modern house with a minimalist aesthetic, do one type and one color of a flower. For this style, you might choose something with a clean, simple, understated floral effect, like white tulips.”

Neutrals go a long way

If your home aesthetic is on the other end of the spectrum with delicate hues and neutral palettes, florals can definitely fit the serene fantasy, as well.

Natural flowers go perfectly with neutral interior design, whether you go for a dreamy boho feel or modern-minimalistic. Moreover, a successful neutral home design relies on texture, with lines and patterns doing the work on various other nature-inspired features, such as wood slab — a perfect environment to include florals as an accent and give the room dimension.

“Flowers and plants really bring life into a room and give it a deeper dimension, but which to choose depends on one’s floral taste. It’s all very personal, but you can create arrangements that fit your aesthetic tenfold,” says Brigette Romanek of Romanek Design Studio.

You don’t need to replace the wallpaper, nor do you have to splurge on floral statement pieces or huge flower arrangements to bring some spring into your home. Sometimes, a little tulip bouquet is enough to do the job, and that’s the beauty of florals and flowers — a little goes a long way to create an eye-catching effect. “Florals are for every aesthetic and affect the feeling of a room, always in a beautiful and poetic way,” concludes Romanek.