Florals for Spring May Not Be Groundbreaking, But These Rooms Prove That Shouldn’t Matter

It’s spring, which means every major home decor retailer is showing florals, from faux arrangements to furniture, wallpaper and textiles with flower patterns on them, and really everything in between. There’s something fresh and fun about a good floral, and they keep coming back year after year because there are just so many ways to do them—big, bold, and modern or small, quiet, and vintage-inspired. No, florals are not groundbreaking—as one Miranda Priestly so tersely put—but that’s precisely why they are so good. Not saying they’re neutrals exactly, but this motif definitely has staying power, meaning you should feel confident about investing in a couple of floral pieces if they appeal to you. Look at a few rooms featuring floral accents, and you’ll quickly see that they’re super interesting and can work with lots of different styles of decor depending on what you surround them with.

Probably the coolest, most on-trend way to do florals right now is with a wall mural, which is not to be mistaken with wallpaper. The wall mural is generally one big design or a composition that spans an entire wall, as opposed to a wallpaper which typically has a pattern repeat. When you stick a mural like this colorful floral design in your dining room, you really don’t have to do much else with your furnishings. Just sit back and let that floral wall feature do the talking.

It’s kind of the same concept when you are using a floral wallpaper. The dark, moody design in this bedroom adds so much personality and atmosphere to this space. Generally speaking, the more oversize the floral, the more abstract and modern it will look. Smaller prints with repeats are more traditional, so there’s something for everybody.

An entryway is another great place to try a floral accent wall. These kinds of motifs have become popular in these space as people become increasingly into blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors. Sure, these papers are super stylized. It’s not like you see them and actually think you are looking outside, at least for the most part. But anything floral will make you think of nature, so there is that reference there any time you use a flower print or pattern in a space.

And florals aren’t just for walls and furniture, people. They’re great for textiles too. Case in point: The new(ish) Rifle Paper Co. and Loloi collection seen here, which features floral pillows and rugs. You’re going to get more bang out of your buck if you go the pillow route, since they’re way cheaper and can be used seasonally and then changed out. But a floral rug can look pretty great too. In general, textiles let you utilize floral motifs for their colors and visual interest, but they’re not as over-the-top feminine as a piece of furniture or wallpaper can sometimes feel. This is simply because they’re smaller, less all encompassing and in the case of a rug, literally underfoot. Most of the time, you’re going to notice the walls before you notice the floor because they’re closer to your eye level.

And don’t forget floral artwork is an option as well. Large or small, still life bouquet paintings give off all the vintage vibes. And they can roll solo, as shown here, or be incorporated into a gallery wall. They’re always a great addition to a salon style arrangement, especially if you’ve got a wall full of abstract prints, since they add that much needed touch of nature.

Is there such a thing as too much floral in a room? Maybe. But this little area has three hits of flowers (lampshade, pillow, and loveseat), and I’m all about it. Varying the scale helps to keep the mix from becoming overkill.

Thus far, we’ve looked at the more colorful example of florals, but tone on tone can also be chic too. This homeowner actually took white 3D flower cutouts and applied them to a portion of her hallway as a decorative treatment. This is a cool idea for people who like florals but want to keep things pretty neutral.

Florals are super versatile, which is yet another reason we all keep coming back, spring after spring. Rocking a floral at home may be expected, but that’s okay. Sometimes comfort is all about surrounding yourself with patterns you know, love, and feel will be around for the long haul.