My Floral Affair

Flowers have always been important to Rachel Ashworth’s style (she’s best known for books on shabby chic) but this time they’re the main event. Ashworth takes the reader on a picturesque journey around the world to homes whose owners have a penchant for blooms – including the Welsh cottage of a floral stylist, a French artist’s country home and a Norwegian rococo mansion. Flowers feature in wallpaper, lighting and fabrics, and floral arrangements dot most pages of this generously sized volume. Lovely to browse through and full of ideas for using flowers at home. Expect loose arrangements surrounded by dropped petals – many look as if they’ve been gathered from the garden and plunked casually into whatever vessel was at hand.