Country florals might be the mainstay of fresh spring and summer looks, but these darker interpretations create drama and decadence all year
Give your home a warm, sumptuous feel with sultry colour and statement flower prints.
THE RULES
1. Pick the perfect floral. Look for oversized patterns on a dark background. Think traditional, but with a modern twist: trailing prints in silhouette; painterly designs in bold colours.
2. Mix a dusky palette. Make it cosy by using sultry colours, such as grey or purple.
3. Add an accent colour. Lift the look with a touch of fresh green, shiny metallic finishes, or even a hint of neon colour.
4. Be selective. Keep it elegant by limiting florals to one area- this could be on walls or fabrics.
5. Strike a balance. Ensure you use large areas of block colour to counteract busy pattern.
Give walls wow factor. Pick a wallpaper in a dark colourway to create a mellow mood- we used Ortensia, £88 per roll, Fornasetti range, Cole & Son. Paint the other walls to match the background colour or paper all four walls for impact- as long as furniture and flooring are plain and simple, it won’t be too much.
Add impact with a mural. Create a striking backdrop to an elegant dining area with an oil-painting-style mural. Colourful flower designs really pop against a monochrome base. We used the Lilac mural, £60 per sq m, The National Gallery Collections, Surface View.
Pick a fabulous floral fabric. Touches of a colourful, flamboyant print on a dark background will bring a room in a muted palette to life. Limit it to curtains and a couple of cushions- we used Floribunda in Magenta, £28 per m, Clarke & Clarke.
Add sumptuous floral details. If dark florals on walls are too much for you, add oversized botanicals to a bedroom scheme using bed linen, bold artwork or a floral-patterned rug instead. This bed linen set is the Olivia, £59 for a double, Marks and Spencer.
******
