Bold botanical prints breathe life into interior spaces

As humans and residents of planet Earth, we share a universal desire to connect with all that’s green.

We strive to be surrounded with the beauty and invigorating essence of fresh air, clear running water and lush, lovely botanicals.

It’s no surprise that the riot of colors and intricate patterns viewed in our natural environment are copied in all the decorative arts.

Bringing the outdoors in has always been a source of pleasure that repeats over generations.

In the bookazine titled The Colourist: The Art of Colourful Living, author and color and paint expert Annie Sloan’s newest venture, Sloan offers helpful tips on how to decorate with bold botanicals.

If you are in the mood to envelop a room with leafy splendor, here are

Sloan’s guidelines for getting the most from nature’s paint box.

• Green botanical prints, patterns and plants always sit well in a scheme with pink colors. Red (and by extension, pink) and green are complementary colors.

Use similar depths of color for optimum results — emerald green alongside fuchsia, or pale turquoise green with pastel pink.

• You can use several botanical patterns or colors in the same scheme, as long as there are plain elements separating them. Also, choose prints with varying scales so the patterns don’t compete with each other.

Go bold: Make a statement with exuberant print wallpaper on a wall or a carpet of florals covering the floor. For maximum impact, keep the rest of the room neutral.

Shown here, Sloan illustrates that the same elegant palm-patterned wallpaper has been used in adjacent rooms but in contrasting colorways. The breezy Palm Leaves Icons wallpaper is from Cole & Son.

• You can always experiment with largescale wallpaper and fabric in a small room, such as a cloakroom or guest bathroom, or by covering a bed or the headboard.

Put up a shelf, and line it with a few sculptural houseplants. Don’t shy away from artificial plants. You may not have the time or available light to care for live greenery; however, today’s quality faux plants, large and small, look and feel surprisingly real.

For an ultra-cool look, seek out botanical fabrics, wallpapers and accessories with dark backgrounds that make the tropical leaf patterns pop.

• Bold botanicals always look fabulous when used with touches of metallic finishes. Gold and brass work well with green.

A few elements with these finishes can give a room a glamorous feel. Think of gold trim on chair and sofa edges and legs. Whether plain or carved, the details come alive with metallic paint or leaf. Metallic details on a bookshelf or chandelier add sparkle and luster.

The Colourist bookazine overflows with brilliant photography as Sloan unveils a wondrous variety of inspiring homes, artists and designers, places to visit and inspiring ideas rooted in her enthusiastic love for creativity and the magic of color.

In this first issue, Sloan sets the mood with one of her favorite color combinations, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Antibes Green, Scandinavian Pink and Antoinette.

There are six step-by-step projects included with guidelines on how best to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Chalk Paint Waxes and brushes.

To find out more, visit Sloane’s website, www.anniesloan.com. Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow

Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ debbie_travis, or visit her website, www. debbietravis.com.