"Summer" with florals – our top five tips

Summer may be over in many Countries but Asia and maybe some parts of Oceana are experiencing "summer" type weathers. Give it a helping hand and invigorate your home with one of the season’s biggest trends, florals. No longer the hallmark of your grandma’s house, florals are bold, energetic and bang on-trend. Here’s our five tips for flower power with style.

1. Covet your colours
We love bright, energetic, summery palettes of turquoise, hot pink, violet and lipstick pink, which can be highlighted with lime and coral and balanced out with taupes and warm greys. Florals don’t have to look girly either, bright vivid colours will create a more male-friendly, modern-art vibe. If you prefer a more muted palette, florals in faded pastel hues are perfect for a shabby chic look.

2. Size matters
Much like flowers themselves, each pattern has its own mood or personality established by size and style as well as colour. Use large bold prints to create a cool, modern look, or be dainty and discreet with smaller, chintzy florals. If you’re going large it’s better to go simple, try open prints with lots of visible background and hang vivid artwork on a plain wall. 

3. Mix and match
Florists create stunning bouquets in a mix of blooms, and your floral décor can follow suit. For a vintage look use small pastel florals in slightly different shades, or choose different patterns which have the same colour background for a mis-matched yet cohesive effect. If you want to introduce your blooms in a more subtle way, contrast them against other designs to steal the show without being flower-heavy, like in the Corniche collection from Osborne and Little.

4. Pair with contemporary pieces
Unless your look is intentionally vintage, it can be difficult to make florals work without looking old fashioned. Combat this by offsetting with geometric prints or pair with contemporary furniture. A leather chair, graphic rug or an unusual light fitting will instantly modernise the space, and sleek white furniture will create a quirky, contemporary dynamic. 

5. Don’t just fake it
Nothing quite beats the real thing, so supplement your floral prints with fresh cut flowers. Be creative with containers too; go elegant with crystal vases or for a rustic feel opt for basic terra cotta pots and old watering cans. Vintage-style china in floral prints will complement your flowers, we love the Ditsy Floral collection from Katie Alice. 


Designs for Tropical Theme