In lighting fixtures, wallpapers, bedding and wall art, flowers are coming up all over in 2020. Along with floral design in furnishings, there’s also renewed interest in actual flowers: floral arranging and floral-inspired table settings.
“Flowers have always made people feel happy. They can be feminine but they can also be used in a maximalist style,” says Christin Geall, author of the new “Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style” (Princeton Architectural Press). ``As we move away from beige interiors, flowers are a great way to liven things up.”
Aimee Lagos, co-founder of Hygge & West, which sells a range of wallpapers and home goods, concurs: “Floral decor is having a major moment in 2020, especially wallpaper.”
Floral patterns bring a touch of nature and an organic element into a room, she says, noting the popularity this spring of bold, large-scale floral murals.
“While floral patterns are nothing new, we’re seeing modernized versions that appeal to people who in the past may have shied away from florals as being too fussy or old-fashioned,” Lagos says.
At Hudson Valley Lighting, spring offerings include a chandelier with a bouquet of crystal flowers at its center, a wall fixture with a series of lights surrounded by delicate petal shapes, and a variety of ceiling lamps and sconces reminiscent of leaves, buds and blossoming flowers. Ben Marshall, Hudson Valley’s creative director, says florals create “a lively energy in the home which is both beautiful and powerful.”
Designers Guild, in London, features a range of very modern floral patterns this spring, Geall notes.
“Florals are about nature, but they’re also about culture, and bringing plants and plant imagery into the domestic sphere,” she says.
In her book, she offers practical advice on flower arranging, as well as floral style.
“Somewhere along the line, floral design got divorced from the idea of home gardening,” says Geall. “My focus is on the basics. And understanding the principles will help you adapt to what’s around you.” Foraged branches, twigs, invasive species, and even fruits and vegetables can be made into stunning arrangements, she says. Some of the arrangements featured in her book include tiny yellow tomatoes mixed with flowers. Grapes and berries are also fair game.
“Just because it’s edible doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful,” she says.
In their new “Gathering: Setting the Natural Table” (Rizzoli International Publications), authors Kristen Caissie and Jessica Hundley explore ways to marry flowers and handmade objects into table designs. Photographed by Gemma and Andrew Ingalls, the table settings include ceramics with floral patterns, colors and designs inspired by nature, and natural-looking floral arrangements.
“When life gets overwhelming, I try to find my way back to my original love of flowers,” says Caissie, a floral designer at Moon Canyon, in Los Angeles.