Garden-Inspired Decor Ideas and Inspiration
Give any room in your home a garden-inspired makeover when you mix and match decor featuring modern or vintage floral prints. Coordinate bedding, home textiles, and other decorative accents in delightful floral designs to freshen your space—no matter the season. Complement traditional furniture and classic architecture with realistically rendered blooms and soft, muted tones; brighten modern spaces with bold, oversized blossoms and abstract interpretations of your favorite flora; or merge elements of vintage and modern prints for a distinctly contemporary aesthetic. Incorporate these inspired ideas to create your own garden-esque indoor space.
Choosing the Right Floral Print
Floral prints can be romantic, elegant, colorful, or whimsical. This versatility contributes to the timelessness of floral bedding, textiles, and home accents—and these patterned pieces complement a variety of decor styles. Consider the mood you want to set as you select the type of floral print to incorporate.
- Vintage florals evoke romantic, subdued, or elegant moods. Look for detailed, intricately illustrated blooms, such as roses or peonies; complex palampore patterns of plants and flowers; and classic paisley-inspired designs, all rendered in soft, muted shades or deep jewel tones.
- Modern floral prints often feature bold, loose, abstract interpretations of favorite blooms; geometric patterns incorporating flowers against a white or solid-color ground; oversized statement-making blooms; or tiny, scattered buds. Black and white or bright and colorful, modern florals feature gorgeous color palettes to update them for contemporary homes.
- To bring a distinctly contemporary aesthetic to a space, opt for floral patterns that merge elements of vintage and modern prints—think realistically rendered blooms blown up and silhouetted in white against a monochromatic background, or a fashionable pattern illustrated in muted hues to evoke a more romantic mood. These meet-in-the-middle approaches can help balance traditional furniture in a modern space—or give modern decor a traditional feel.
Tips for Decorating With Floral Prints
Once you’ve identified your floral decorating style, you can begin to find pieces that help you carry that aesthetic throughout your home. Consider these popular approaches to incorporating subtle or bold flowery prints anywhere.
Eye-Catching Blooms Make a Big Statement
When it comes to floral prints, some prefer the age-old adage: Go big or go home. Blooms create the perfect focal point for a primary bedroom or living space, especially when they adorn the biggest items. Bedding, wallpaper, and rugs are big-picture pieces perfect for making a statement in any room in your home.
Floral Bedding: A floral duvet cover and coordinating shams are perfect for the primary suite or guest room; whimsical, colorful designs reminiscent of storybook illustrations elevate a girls’ room; and floral crib sheets in soft hues are perfect options for a garden-inspired nursery.
Floral Wallpaper: Create an accent wall with traditional or peel-and-stick floral wallpaper, or go bold and cover every vertical space in a room with your favorite pattern. Our Rifle Paper Co. floral wallpapers showcase the brand’s signature prints and are favorite statement-making options for bathrooms, entryways, and other small spaces.
Floral Rugs: Add a bold floral rug in any room to create a colorful, contemporary space, or choose palampore-inspired designs for something more traditional.
Floral Prints to Accent Existing Decor
Decorative pillows, throw blankets, and other home accents are the perfect place to add a pop of florals, especially if you’re hesitant about committing to all-over patterns on furniture, walls, or other major pieces. Choose a seasonless botanical print, palampore, or paisley-inspired floral to adorn throw pillows on a solid-color sofa or armchair. A throw blanket featuring a lovely floral print brings instant cheer to any room, and adds extra warmth when the weather’s chilly.
Festive Florals Add Seasonal Style
Fresh floral prints can add a pop of seasonal style, especially in spring and summer months when favorite blooms abound. But floral patterns can be appropriate year-round: Berry-laden branches and bright red poinsettias, for example, are perfect for holiday decor. Decorative throw pillow covers and throw blankets are easy to store until it’s time to incorporate festive, of-the-moment floral themes into your home. A shower curtain is easy to swap out to fit the season’s festive mood, as well. Supplement seasonal decor with fresh bouquets and floral artwork appropriate for any time of year.
Incorporate Subtle Floral Textures
Floral enthusiasts can play with texture when incorporating blooms into their decor. Top the guest bed with a matelassé coverlet with a classic floral texture without overpowering color or pattern. In the bathroom, a matelassé shower curtain is timeless and elegant, and a range of color options allows you to coordinate the textured design with nearly anything. Or, pair a solid-color sateen shower curtain with coordinating jacquard-woven bath towels in a subtly textured floral design.
How to Mix & Match Floral Prints, Patterns, and Solids
The rules for mixing and matching floral prints with other pieces are the same as those for coordinating patterned bedding. Whether you’re pairing your primary floral print with other blooms, geometric patterns, or solid colors, follow these three key guidelines for coordinating florals with other patterned or solid pieces to achieve a cohesive aesthetic for any space.
- Color is key. Choose a unifying color within the patterns to keep the effect consistent. Choose similar tones, as well—all muted shades or vibrant hues—so everything feels like it fits.
- Pay attention to scale. Large or small, you can go either way, but make sure you’re intentional: Play with contrast and balance a large-scale floral print with tiny polka dots or another miniature, or use traditional blooms with similarly sized elements (such as a paisley print) for a more cohesive look.
- Keep the style consistent. While mixing and matching certain elements of different styles can create something uniquely contemporary, it’s important to have a vision of the style you’d like to achieve as a whole. Rather than mixing modern and vintage florals, keep the vibes consistent across each motif for the best final effect.
From large-scale modern blooms to more traditional motifs, floral print bedding and decor impart garden-inspired beauty to any bedroom, bathroom, or living space. For more on timeless and on-trend decor ideas for your home, explore our Guides.