Dine outside in style with these three themes,
In love with all things flora and fauna? If you want your interiors to flourish now is the perfect time to get on board with the botanical trend, writes LESLEY TAYLOR
SUMMER is officially here (on the calendar at least) which means there has never been a better time to introduce the floral look into your home. Whether you’re a fan of the real thing or prefer to fake it, adding a touch of flora and fauna can have an amazing impact. Plants and flowers – real or fake – can help boost productivity and creativity, and some say they contribute to lowering stress levels. They look pretty too, which is reason enough for me to get on board. Here’s my take on how to bring flower power into the home.
THE REAL DEAL
FRESH blooms look fantastic. Not only will they brighten up wherever they are placed, they can be used to create a dramatic table centrepiece in the dining room, a beautiful window display in the living area and even a stunning welcome in your hallway. But don’t forgot those corners of the home where flowers might not typically be placed, the bedroom or bathroom perhaps. Even the smallest bouquets will bring a new look to these rooms. If you’re not sure which florals will work in these rooms, use flowers that complement your established colour scheme as a starting point and as you grow in confidence, experiment with different blooms. Don’t worry about running out of vases. Use pots and containers that express your personality. Love the industrial look? Why not make vases from old milk bottles or tin cans? If you’re a fan of all things vintage, an old teapot or alchemist bottle would do the job perfectly. Get creative and let your home’s existing interior influence your floral arrangement.
ACCESSORISE
FOR some, the idea of floral accessories fills them with dread, envisaging chintzy floral monstrosities with swathes of hideous pink petals in repeating patterns. Today’s floral accessories are a lot more grown up and they are the perfect way to add a botanical touch to your home. From bedding to bookends, curtains to cushions, flowers are on almost everything. The key is to shop around and find the design that works for your home – and price point. If you’re a fan of all things grey – you may not want to overwhelm your scheme with a bright floral pattern. Instead, you could opt for a bedspread in white with a subtle silver floral design.
WALL-TO-WALL FLOWERS
ONE of the most effective ways of bringing the floral look to life is through wall coverings. If you’re a particularly creative sort you could have a go at creating your own wall art with pressed petals. Simply cut the flowers you wish to frame and press them – either using a specialist flower press or between the pages of a heavy book (just place them in a wax sheet to protect them first). Then choose whether you want to frame them or create your own canvas and away you go! If you’re not of the arty variety, floral wallpaper can transform a space. But if you want something a little different, a floral wall mural is the way forward. Instead of a repeating pattern, a floral wall mural has a single focal point which truly takes centre stage. There is nothing subtle about a large, bold image and it will really bring your wall to life!