Home Design Trend

Home Design Trend

Floral designs in home decorating seem to wax and wane like the moon. Fortunately for everyone who loves flowers, contemporary florals are one of today's hot home design trends.

Anyone who loves florals for interior design will find this especially good news, because it means they can hang on to grandmother's chintz! Everything from sheets to curtains to pillows to china are back in floral patterns, but with a contemporary update.

The revival of florals in decorating reflects the current movement toward bringing more and more of nature into the home. Florals in any pattern represent the freshness of spring and the full bloom of summer. Depending on the pattern, florals can signify a delicate femininity or a stylized Asian charm. They evoke a sense of cheery fun or bold sophistication.

Unlike the explosion of florals during the Victorian era, the contemporary way to use florals effectively in home décor is to apply a bold but restrained approach. How can something be both bold and restrained at the same time? Specifically, floral designs in today's patterns have brighter, more vivid colors than in times past, so they're used as focal points or eye-catching accents. Instead of feeling like one is surrounding by a profusion of tiny pastel flowers in an English garden, today's florals are intended for impact. The patterns are bigger in scale, so a little of them goes a long way.

Contemporary florals will work in any room, but especially in living rooms or bedrooms where a softer, more relaxed feeling is desired. Keep in mind that small, repetitive floral patterns will look outdated, so avoid those designs unless the room is intended to be done in styles such as Victorian, English Cottage and so on.

Consider using floral patterns as a room's focal point. Create an accent wall in a bold floral wallpaper. Or choose a sofa with floral upholstery for the living room, or floral bed linens and curtains for a bedroom.

Keep in mind that floral patterns need to be balanced by plain and neutral furnishings in order to avoid a room becoming too busy. For example, with a floral sofa, choose solid-colored pink rugs, blue rugs or yellow rugs for balance. If the room's focal point is a gorgeous floral rug, then select furniture with solid-colored upholstery without pattern.

The easiest way to add floral patterns to a room is with pillows. This technique gives a home decorator plenty of opportunities to experiment with colors and patterns without making a major commitment. What's more, a decorator who's also handy with a sewing machine can make his or her own floral pillow covers, swapping them out as seasons change or the mood strikes.

Some designers are experimenting with all-over floral patterns. Unlike Victorian, Romantic, Country Cottage and similar styles, however, these all-over patterns are much more muted than in past versions. Decorators who'd like to try all-over floral patterns on floors or walls will be wise to use soft, pale color schemes such as silver and gray or white on cream. All-over florals are best used in larger rooms that can accommodate the pattern's repetition or in smaller rooms to make a dramatic decorating statement.