Phone: 07919 448240
Phone: 07919 448240
It’s hard not to feel joy when the first shoots of spring emerge from the ground, buds appear on the trees and on a more basic level, daffodils are available to buy by the bucket load in the supermarket. I think that even if nature doesn’t instantly bring you a sense of well-being, there is something uplifting about welcoming those feelings of renewal and freshness into our homes by referencing the colours, forms and vitality that abound in the natural world at this time of year.
Now I know that the mere mention of floral fabrics will, for some of us, conjure up thoughts of chocolate box cottages and Laura Ashley circa 1980, and indeed that may even be exactly what you are looking for, but if not, don’t immediately rule out flowers from your fabric choices because florals have made their way into designs that range from the traditional right to the very contemporary and everything in between. Indeed I will be bold enough to say that I think that pretty much whatever your style, there is a floral for you, it is just a question of finding the one you love. For all styles, I think one of the things that is vital is the quality of the design – view the fabric as if it is artwork and consider how well the design is drawn, how good the colour combinations are and how the pattern works with the texture of the cloth. Nature does all these things exceptionally well and we should expect to find the same attention to detail in the materials we use.
It is easy to think of floral designs just in terms of fabrics – there are a lot of them out there – but florals work beautifully when used in other ways. Floral wallpapers can make a big statement in a space but can equally provide a lovely, quiet backdrop to other furnishings if the pattern is, for example, more understated. Rugs and carpets are another way to bring florals in and can look wonderful (and a very long way away from the practical patterned carpet found in public spaces, particularly but not exclusively, in our local hostelries). If you don’t want to make the commitment to putting florals on your walls or floor, then you still have many options. Cushions, lampshades, duvet covers, table linen, chinaware and tiles all offer the opportunity to bring a dash of floral freshness to your home. Finally, don’t forget the all-important artwork – I am not, of course, suggesting that you change your art collection just to welcome the current season in, but there is a reason that so many artists find inspiration in nature and if you have a painting that depicts a fresh spring scene, now might be the time to move it into a more prominent space in your home, even if it is only on a temporary basis.
If the idea of all of those floral products appeals to you, one of the things you will need to consider is when to stop. There is no right or wrong answer to this and layers of floral patterns can look marvellous but they do need to be properly curated to ensure that botanical warfare doesn’t break out. It is much easier to mix florals if you use different scales so a small print wallpaper, for example, can work really well with a big design on a curtain or vice versa. Also blending your colour palette will help – if you have lots of floral cushions mixed on a sofa, the colours don’t all need to be the same but it will help if there is harmony amongst them. Having said all this, rules such as these are an invitation to be broken, particularly by those with a confident eye or who embrace anarchy. For those who don’t want layers of floral pattern, remember that florals of all types work brilliantly with stripes, checks and plains and it is fairly hard to go wrong using combinations of all of these.
Finally, it is easy to concentrate on how your home looks, but you can also ring the change of season every effectively by giving some attention to how your home smells. Just as the heady scent of woodsmoke and festive spices scream Christmas, switching to a favourite floral aroma can quite literally be a breath of fresh air. You can acquire these smells naturally but a carefully selected, good quality diffuser will give your room a lift right through until summer.
Of course, one of the very best ways to celebrate the spring is to simply bring those wonderful spring plants and flowers into your home. A very good client of mine said to me at our first ever meeting that she didn’t mind what I suggested to her but she advised me that she couldn’t stand flowers unless they were in a vase on the table. We have now completed two houses together and neither has had a floral in them, not in fabrics, cushions nor artwork, only ever in a vase, where against bold, colourful, modern schemes, the flower displays looked wonderful. If that is your vibe, all I can say is that you are perfectly within your rights, but remember that you more than anyone should aim to bring some of that wonderful spring feeling into your home, in a vase on the table.
© Angel + Blume
