The simple, perfectly structured silhouettes of a wild-flower meadow, often seen softly blowing in the breeze against a late low sun, add graphic drama to your furnishings – an effect more about shape than colour. The stylised circles of dandelion clocks, the lacy canopy of cow parsley heads, the subtly shaded trumpets of a wild foxglove spear… these are all motifs that work well in single-colour patterns or reversed in white out of cool, contemporary background shades, especially effective in the form of cyanotype-style prints with their inky cobalt-blue tones. Quiet and restrained, they create elegant wallpapers, eye-catching cushion covers and intriguing designs for glass and ceramics.
1 Enjoy the beauty of cow parsley with a large bunch set in front of a window
2 This elegant two-tone wallpaper creates a calm base for more colourful designs of a similar theme to be layered in front. Paper Meadow wallpaper (hannahnunn.co.uk). Headboard in Harebells & Violets linen (sanderson. sandersondesigngroup.com)
Flowerpress Multi cushion (katiehipwell.co.uk)
3 Frame dried pressings. Stems with strong structures or flowers that lay flat work exceptionally well OPPOSITE Partnered with wire shelving and a utilitarian lamp, Cole & Son’s Cow Parsley wallpaper in a gritty charcoal black blends with a classic industrial style (cole-and-son.com)
4 Julie Reilly’s collection of ceramics has an appealing rustic quality. Exclusively made for These Two Hands (thesetwohands.co.uk) 5 The riotous and unrestrained planting of summer meadows is captured beautifully in this fabric print cushion by Victoria & Rebecca (victoria-rebecca.co.uk) 6 Look for patterns featuring teasels and thistles, too. This Wildflower Garden wallpaper is from the Country Living Collection at Homebase (0333 003 7084; homebase.co.uk) 7 Add decoration to furniture or along the lower half of a wall by painting your own stylised umbels. Alternatively, use a stencil
8 Meadow glass ochre splashback, from £199 (60cm x 75cm), Country Living Collection at Splashback (splashback.co.uk) 9 Meadow cushion, £18, Country Living Collection at Homebase (homebase.co.uk) 10 Etched hi-ball glass by Emma Britton, £8.50 (emmabritton.net) 11 Forget-me-not wire hanging by Margaret Kerr, £24 (meandeast.com) 12 Annabelle 25cm cotton shade, £12, Country Living Collection at Homebase (homebase.co.uk) 13 Adlington Cowparsley natural linen in Inky Sky by Zoe Glencross, £56/m (zoeglencross. com) 14 Stoneware jug, £48, Judit Esztergomi (juditesztergomiceramics.com) 15 Meadow Flowers stencil, £17.95, Annie Sloan (anniesloan.com) 16 Meadow printing block, £15, The Arty Crafty Place (theartycraftyplace.co.uk)