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WINDOW SHOPPING COLOURFUL VASES
Interiors
Cheerful floral wallpaper
is flocking back into
fashion — and about time
too, says Emma J. Page
Nilo blue,
£20, oliver
bonas.comBold beauty: Jardin Teal paper
(£60 a roll, grahambrown.com)Mathilde,£26,
anthropologie.comErika, £44,
maisons
dumonde.
co.ukRuby, £30,
habitat.
co.ukStolen
Form
London
Brick, £35,
trouva.
com>>>>>>>>(^) Daily Mail, Friday, August 16, 2019
Are you
in
F
LORAL patterns
have come a long
way since their
association with
fuss and frills.
From pared-back nostalgic
chintz to contemporary hand-
drawn or mural effects, bloom-
laden wallpaper is being
reintroduced into our homes.
Of course, florals haven’t always
carried such appeal, but new
materials, bright colours and
subtly updated vintage designs
are all reigniting our love affair
with blooms.
‘It’s a floral renaissance,’ says
Lorna MacPhee, furnishing
accessories buyer at John Lewis
& Partners.
‘Once viewed as dated, classic
chintz is being reimagined
through electric colours,
unexpected patterns and
exaggerated proportions. Over-
sized versions can add instant
depth and character to a space.’
MacPhee recommends
contrasting busy florals with
modern lighting, plain linens and
plush velvets to create a look
that’s opulent and eclectic. The
key to making the style work is
to carry it through the room.
Make sure you tie in the tones
of the paper with the rest of your
colour scheme, whether you
choose a blowsy floral, such as
Mind The Gap’s Chrysanthemums
wallpaper (£150 per roll, thegifted
few.com), a busy nostalgic chintz
print like John Lewis’s Dark
Duck Egg design (£30 per roll,
johnlewis.com), an artistic and
graceful mural-effect like Sian
Zeng’s hand-drawn Clematis
(£185 per roll, sianzeng.com), or
the delicate repeat of Villa Nova’s
elegant Berea wallpaper in green
(£59 per roll, villanova.co.uk).
Picking out the hues and
textures of the paper in soft
furnishings and fabrics creates a
cohesive, considered look.
For example, you could
upholster a sofa in a plain velvet
fabric that picks out the paper’s
predominant colour, or add in
curtains or cushions that have
the same design.
Context is crucial. ‘That lovely
flowery wallpaper you’ve had a
crush on could turn out to be
less than winning behind your
granny’s old chair,’ says architect
and interior designer Charlotte
Lilford (charlottelilford.com).
She adds: ‘Opt for strong
silhouettes as a natural contrast,
such as angular lighting and
simple, mid-century furniture
shapes, for a modern, unfussy
way to showcase new florals.’
If overscaled designs feel too
intimidating, other effective
options include Romo’s Lomasi,
a soft print with a metallic sheen
(£69 per roll, romo.com), Borastapeter
Paradise Birds wallpaper, inspired by
elegant Chinese wall art (£88 per roll,
johnlewis.com), or the blues and
creams of Colefax and Fowler’s Snow
Tree (£66 per roll, colefax.com).
For a truly contemporary take on
the trend, try a paper that features
broad, painterly strokes, such as
English Rose by Feathr (£129 per
roll, curiousegg.com).
C
ONSIDER the character
and size of the room you
are dressing, too. ‘Florals
work well anywhere, but
make sure you match the formality
of the space to the scale of the
pattern,’ says interior designer Nicole
Salvesen (salvesengraham.com).
‘Small patterns look sweet in a
guest bedroom, a delicate floral
lends itself to a compact space such
as a cloakroom or a child’s room,
while a sitting room will likely require
a larger-scale design.
‘A useful tip is that Bennison allows
you to recolour its existing patterns
(bennisonfabrics.com).
‘We also love a classic tree of life
design, such as the gentle Adam’s
Eden at Lewis & Wood (£68 per
metre, lewisandwood.co.uk).’
Bear in mind, too, that florals can
look great in unexpected spots, such
as bathrooms and dressing rooms.
Mind The Gap’s wallpapers are
made from new generation non-
woven substrate, a breathable
material that prevents the occurrence
of damp or mould, making them ideal
for bathrooms and even laundry
rooms. The papers are also washable
with a damp sponge.
Pay attention to colour. Fresh
greens such as Cole & Son’s classic
Great Vine wallpaper in Leaf Green
(£100 per roll, cole-and-son.com) will
inject a modern uplift, a pink or
terracotta design will add a cosy
finish, a khaki or olive hue will imbue
a more intense look, and a darker
shade adds drama.
And, as summer turns to autumn,
statement botanicals are set to
evolve into even more exotic motifs
in richer, moodier palettes.
‘We love floral patterns for the
same reason we’ve loved jungle
prints for so long — they provide an
essential connection to the outside
world,’ says Charlotte Lilford. ‘And
as our love of nature is an enduring
one, so florals continue to have an
ongoing presence in our homes.’
For the foreseeable future, it looks
like the flower still holds the power.
full bloom?