29 stylish ways to use floral patterns in your interiors
There are certain things that will simply never go out of style and florals are one of those when it comes to interior design. Whether used as wallpaper, upholstery or details, floral fabrics and textiles have been adding a feminine charm and bringing nature into our homes for centuries. That most classic of English fabrics, chintz (though it is actually Indian in origin), is perhaps the most familiar sort, and we love its traditional aesthetic, but there are plenty of cooler florals out there too. And there are different ways to use them depending on whether you want a classic English country house look, something more graphic and bold or a fresh, modern take.
Before taking a dive through the inspiration from the House & Garden archive below, first things first: what are the iconic florals that everyone should know (many of which you'll find examples of in the gallery below)?
- ‘Magnolia’ by GP & J Baker
- ‘Fuschia’ by Colefax & Fowler
- ‘Bowood’ by Colefax & Fowler
- ‘Hollyhock’ by Jean Monro
- ‘Rose & Fern’ by Jean Monro
- ‘Reveillon Tulips’ by Brunschwig & Fils
- ‘Midnight Garden’ by Flora Roberts at Hamilton Weston
- ‘Unikko’ by Marimekko
- ‘Palmyre’ by Le Manach
- ‘Mirakel’ by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn
- ‘Nasturtium’ by Lake August
Simon Brown1/29The sitting room wallpaper was already in place in this south London house when its now owner bought it. It is a bespoke de Gournay and has been on the wall for approximately 10 years, showing beautiful white blossoms climbing up the walls.
Boz Gagovski2/29In deeply appealing Hampshire cottage of former British Vogue staffer Emma Sherlock, two armchairs upholstered in Colefax and Fowler's ‘Fuschia’ add a pretty floral moment to the living room.
Christopher Horwood3/29The walls, curtains and valance of the nursery bedroom in Hatta Byng's house are in ‘Bowood’ cotton chintz in grey/green, from Colefax and Fowler, creating an enveloping effect and complementing a brass bed, which was created by joining two c1880 singles together.
Dean Hearne4/29Melinda Stevens' country house is full of colour and pattern, with Sarah Vanrenen having spearheaded its transformation. Cushions on the sofa in the living room are in an array of different florals and prints, some by Pierre Frey.
Dean Hearne5/29The master bedroom is papered in a wallpaper of Sarah's design, called ‘Indienne Jewels' in the vibrant green colourway.
Paul Massey6/29Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s ‘Lilac Pink’ on the lower part of the walls picks up on Flora Soames' ‘Dahlias’ linen in parchment, used for the headboard, bed canopy, curtains, chair and lampshade. The room was designed by Flora herself.
Paul Massey7/29Flora’s ‘Enid’s Ramble’ wallpaper in plum – which is a smaller scale, more delicate floral than ‘Dahlias' – creates a pretty backdrop for pale panelling on the bath and cupboard in the same house.
Christopher Horwood8/29In the same house, Carlos has covered the master bedroom in Hamilton Weston's ‘Swakeley’s Chinoiserie’.
Christopher Horwood9/29Voile curtains in Robert Kime's floral ‘Marmara’ line the windows in the entrance hall of this Carlos Garcia project, with a custom-made pole so that the curtains can be pulled smoothly around the generous bay window.
Christopher Horwood10/29In another London project, Carlos Garcia has opted for an entirely matchy matchy floral scheme, covered the walls, curtains, a chair and valance in his own ‘Hibiscus’ design to great effect.
Jonathan Bond11/29The blind in the bathroom of this Notting Hill townhouse is in GP&J Baker's 'Bird & Iris' pattern. It's a very pretty, classic floral.
Alicia Taylor12/29The entrance hall of this Kensington house is papered with 'Braulen' wallpaper from Nina Campbell. It is a fitting design as the hall leads to the greenhouse and the garden beyond.
Chris Horwood13/29Max Rollitt took cues from the trellis that fronts the facade of this lovely cottage for wallpaper in the main bedroom, choosing a Mauny design by Zuber adorned with climbing orange honeysuckle, which picks up on the colours of the vintage kantha on the bed, from Max Rollitt Antiques.
Michael Sinclair14/29For a more modern approach to florals and a graphic, less feminine look, Josef Frank's ‘Mirakel’ textile for Svenskt Tenn is the one to choose. There are three different colourways but the darkest background, seen here, has the most impact.
Yuki Sugiura15/29The blinds above Matilda Goad's dining area are in ''Nasturtium' by Lake August, a modern take on a floral that is very pretty and fresh.
16/29For the drawing room windows of her Georgian townhouse, Lady Wakefield chose ‘Fuchsia’ cotton by Colefax and Fowler – it's a classic chintz floral that has never gone out of style. Italian-strung curtains carry the pattern beautifully, as swags and gathers are a brilliant platform for this classic country-house fabric.
Yuki Sugiura17/29In the larder of her London home, Matilda Goad has used a curtain in Jean Monro's 'Hollyhock' chintz from Turnell & Gigon. It's another classic fabric in the floral lexicon that works so well on a smaller scale like this, to bring a nod of country house style to a room without it being too dominant.
Simon Upton18/29One of the guest bedrooms at Bowood House in Wiltshire has walls covered in Colefax & Fowler's 'Bowood' design – a pattern named after this house with interiors by John Fowler after he discovered a similar fabric in the house and reissued it in various colourways. The same pattern features on the bed valance, headboard, curtains and chair upholstery. It's an undeniably pretty fabric and used sparingly – on a chair for example – can add a dose of feminine charm to any room.
Anne Nyblaeus19/29In Cathy Nordstrom’s bedroom, the wallpaper is a pretty William Morris design called ‘Meadow Sweet’. “I pinned a picture with a bedroom from, I think, Soho House Barcelona and knew I wanted to use that wallpaper one day” she says.
Paul Massey20/29Panelling painted in ‘Asian Blue’ by Emente offsets walls papered in Morris & Co’s ‘Marigold’ from Style Library in this bedroom of a Georgian house by Ben Pentreath. The bedcover is in ‘Therese’ paisley cotton by Les Indiennes.
Paul Massey21/29In Fiona Golfar's Cornwall house, pretty florals, including a headboard in a vintage Colefax and Fowler fabric, an Indian quilt and botanical prints from her husband's aunts bring nostalgic charm to a spare room and add florals in a variety of ways that suit the country setting of the house.
Lucas Allen22/29Florals don't just have to be on the walls or furniture, as. the floor in this brightly patterned room in Edward Bulmer's Queen Anne house proves; a carpet by David Bamford brings big, Tudor-style florals to the room.
Simon Brown23/29In the home of Anne-Marie Midy and Jorge Almada (who own design company Casamidy) is a graphic and abstract take on florals via a quilt made by Anne-Marie's grandmother. If you don't have such a talented grandmother, you can commission Cassandra Ellis to design and make something personal for you. Quilts using Cassandra's own vintage silks, wools and cottons cost £190 per square metre; quilts combining fabrics of your own – such as dresses, shirts or fabrics picked up on your travels – cost £165 per square metre.
Paul Massey24/29Stencilled motifs inspired by the Russian commode on the right bring a subtle floral look to Alexandra Tolstoy's bathroom. This is a brilliant idea for something not only bespoke and personal, but if you can't find a wallpaper design or fabric that truly speaks to you and want to incorporate a nod to florals without going all out.
Catherine Gratwicke25/29The fabric on the sofa in a Ben Pentreath-designed cottage is one of the most important floral fabrics in interior design: ‘Magnolia’ by GP & J Baker. Go bold, like Ben, and upholster something large scale in it for a truly impactful and joyful look.
Christoper Horwood26/29In the guest bathroom of Lucy Williams' house, a geranium-adorned wallpaper by Cole & Son is paired with Balineum tiles and a vintage mirror, creating a very 1970s take on florals.
Natalie Dinham27/29When Victoria Stainow's London flat needed a revamp, the furniture and lighting specialist called on the expertise of interior designer Tara Craig. The wallpaper in this bedroom is Pierre Frey’s ‘Sans Papillons’ with a bedcover, blind and Ensemblier ‘Selton’ sofa in the matching cotton/viscose fabric. A plain curtain fabric, by O Ecotextiles from MM Design, offsets the pattern, while pleated shades on a pair of crystal lamp bases pick up on the pink of the pretty floral design.
Jonathan Bond28/29This bedroom in Elizabeth Hay's country cottage has a distinctly English charm, with Pierre Frey’s ‘Fleurs de Mai’ wallpaper tones providing a contrasting scale to a quilt in Ian Mankin’s ‘Suffolk’ large gingham check. This is a lovely, English country house take on a floral with a particularly French sensibility.
Rachel Whiting29/29The bathroom blind picks up the colours of the ‘Sweet Pea’ wallpaper by Cole & Son in Gabby Deeming's flat. ‘Sweet Pea’ is a fresh floral, with the vibrant colours making it less saccharine than some of the classic designs.
