Rejuvenate your home with decorative florals
Botanical elements can give your rooms a fresh makeover for summer
Gyour abode a fresh makeover for summer with floral home decor in big and little ways. Get into the floral trend with an upholstered ottoman in a pretty pink petal print or go bold with a canvas pillow emblazoned with a bright begonia.
A perennial favorite for designers, floral decor can make your home blossom with good energy and cheer.
Local interior designer and feng shui specialist Magdalena Brandon finds that floral prints and tapestries open up a space during the dog days of summer.
“Bringing in nature adds a lot of positive energy to your space,” she said. “It helps with your energy flow and assists in the focus of what you are hoping to create in your space and in your life.”
She guides her clients to consider the space and how it can work more efficiently for their needs and contribute to their daily mood.
“What’s always good is to bring in small pieces to start if you are looking to change up your decor,” Brandon said. “Most people can be afraid to use florals on a large piece so just start with pillows to change up the season.
“For summer, lean toward more cool colors, like teals, whites and grays. Maybe include a bird of paradise or hydrangeas, something summery.”
Window treatments are often overlooked but can add depth and tone to an otherwise bland room.
“Putting a nice swag, cascade or a balloon valance on your windows can open up a room,” she said. “I encourage you to look at your windows for an easy way to add a new look to your home.”
She recommends including a large-scale piece, such as a vintage armoire or a fat love seat with floral undertones that can create a feeling of grandeur.
Raise the feel of a low ceiling with floor-to-ceiling window treatments in floral prints and colors. You also can make a large room cozier with colorful area rugs with bright clusters of flower prints.
“Play up the floor-hugging look by hanging artwork so that it’s at eye level when you are seated,” Brandon said. “One of the best ways to make a change in your current living space is to bring nature inside. Using fabric for pillows, window treatments, upholstery and even placemats can add more vibrancy to your interior space.”
Once you have found the focus of what you hope to accomplish, carry different fabric choices into your space.
“Let your inspiration take control, and know your color choices as well,” she said.
The bedroom is an ideal area to introduce floral into your decor, either on the walls, bed coverings, window treatments or bedside items.
“That room is where you get your rejuvenation,” Brandon said. “You want it to be something that you can be comfortable in and really relax and enjoy that space. You spend a lot of time in your bedroom; it should feel fresh and fun.”
And a floral feel in the bedroom can be both masculine and feminine.
“You can mix it in with other prints such as ethnic, stripes, plaid,” she said. “That softens the look and makes the floral aspect not so overwhelming for couples.”
Fresh flowers placed in the bedroom bring scent, texture and color into your space. Having to change them out also makes you more aware of the room in which you might spend the most time.
“Not only are they decoration, but they help with how you feel about the room,” she said. “Live plants are a wonderful way to decorate. They add a lot of positive energy.”
Many people look around their home and think of decor as art work, books and the random knick-knacks we tend to collect, said Jane Cunningham, ASID, president, CEO and principal designer of Room Resolutions.
“Decor can set the entire inspiration for a space, bring in the pop of color to an otherwise bland room, or win with the element of surprise,” the longtime local designer said. “The key is to find just the right piece to add the elusive missing element.”
Flowers are inviting and can make your space more inviting.
“We use flowers to do the talking for us for all occasions, from casual, to formal to no reason at all,” she said. “So why not include them in the total design of a home, an office or a restaurant?”
She recommends giving color and floral a chance all year long by introducing varying colors at different times, such as red for a seasonal winter look and yellow for sunny inspiration and cheer. Consider using color and texture with floral elements in an unexpected way. Create a floral centerpiece and create conversation over a blend of green hydrangeas mixed with avocados surrounded by striped peacock feathers.
Living walls that use live plants as wall art have been a recent trend that seems to continue to inspire clients.
“This is the perfect way to energize an otherwise stale business office atmosphere and bring life to add to the energized thinking,” Cunningham said. “Living walls can be textural with boxwood, junipers and ferns mixed with the color of anthuriums, bird of paradise and bougainvillea for a touch of the islands.”
For our desert climate, Uv-rated, outdoor-friendly fauna can change up your bedroom, kitchen or bathroom.
“I love placing color where it may otherwise be unexpected, and one way to achieve that goal is to add forals and greenery that resist the sun’s rays and scoff at the desert elements,” she said. “You can have all the color and green desired and achieve that lush look with silk, Uv-rated plants.”
She recommends starting with a fresh bouquet to stir your enthusiasm for the floral look.
“I love placing florals as an added touch to finish a room with color and texture,” Cunningham said. “A room can’t go wrong with florals.”