Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      Paddlers on the 7-mile-long American Heritage Water Trail learn the stories of African Americans who fought for freedom and equality. Read More
    • This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      In a far-flung corner of northwest Nebraska, guests come for an experience that unfolds over miles—a story about a fragile ecosystem and the tough woman trying to preserve it. Read More
    • A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      Jenn and Adam O'Neal put down roots at Pepperharrow Farm, a 20-acre homestead near Des Moines—and worked with nature to bring it back to life after a devastating 2022 tornado. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    In the sweet Indiana town of Winona Lake, restored cottages house shops while boats ply a peaceful canal.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    The James Beard Award winner dishes on eating out, honoring roots and upping your burger game. (Hint: There’s a fried egg and bacon involved.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    Shared style crushes help a designer pull from childhood memories to shape a new Chicago area home for a long-time friend.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    Old-timey blooms are back in vogue—and none more so than roses. An Indiana pro shares her growing tips and recommendations.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    These bright, healthy salads—with veggies, fruits, hearty grains and more—are gorgeous enough to star at your dinner table or a picnic spread.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
    • Spring 2023 Issue
    • Summer 2023 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Homes
  3. Decorating Ideas
  4. Decorate with Flower Power

Decorate with Flower Power

By Writer and Producer: LuAnn Brandsen; Photographer King Au April 09, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Budding enthusiasts
A new generation of floral fabrics, wallpapers and accessories energizes homes in a way every generation will love. Here's how to decorate with florals.
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Frame florals

Frame florals

Florals have long bloomed on Midwest farmhouse and cottage walls. For a new take on decorating with wall coverings, frame large-scale and fabulous (but often pricey) designs with molding to create a headboard or work of art.Floor lamp 2512371 Aqua Glass. Pier 1. pier1.com Garden stools 17128 Palermo. Home Decorators Collection. homedecorators.com Pillow fabric F2112/02 Hiyoku, color: Jade. Designers Guild. designersguild.com Wallpaper P540/08 Watelet, color: Turquoise. Designers Guild. designersguild.com

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Use selectively

Use selectively

Today's oversize florals include photo-reverse styles and loose watercolor renditions that infuse a sense of movement. These blowsy blooms make a bold statement, so use them selectively on an accent wall or in a bedroom, powder room or entry.Chair 5567-41 Host, fabric: Fiona Lemon. Lee Industries. leeindustries.com Wallpaper (From top left) EB2075 Teahouse Floral. Carey Lind. York. yorkwall.com SBK25341 Large-scale roses. Seabrook. seabrookwallpaper.com AK7445 Hydrangea. RB4207 Petal Pusher. York. yorkwall.com AT34155 Tuileries. Anna French for Thibaut. thibautdesign.com 75023 Iola Rose. Harlequin. harlequin.uk.com

2 of 10

3 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Choose a palette

Choose a palette

Stick with a palette to mix floral fabrics-much as you would combine plants in the garden. To temper a profusion of blooms, pick florals with neutral backgrounds and include stripes, checks or solids for pattern relief. Add the calming colors of prairie, fields and sky. Bouquet Styled by Andy Newcom, 5534 Norwood St., Fairway, Kansas 66205. Cake stand 51133 Decor Bon Bon round, color: white. Rosanna. rosannainc.com Chair fabric Woven ticking, color: Blue Denim. Covington. covingtonfabric.com  Drapery fabrics Sakura, color: White Tea. Calico Corners. calicocorners.com 42325-25 Stripe, color: Chartreuse. Duralee. duralee.com Lighting Ivanhoe Seaside radial wave reflector porcelain pendant, color: Delphite Blue. Barn Light Electric. barnlightelectric.com Napkin fabrics 42325-25 Stripe, color: Chartreuse. 42354-122 Blossom. Duralee.  duralee.com Plates Mallorca. Crate and Barrel. crateandbarrel.com Tablecloth fabric 42338-122 Blossom. Duralee. duralee.com  Wall paint SW0013 Majolica Green. Sherwin-Williams. sherwin-williams.com  

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Modern vs. vintage

Modern vs. vintage

Like sheets hanging on a farmyard clothesline, florals simultaneously feel fresh and sentimental. And just as a voluptuous hydrangea varies from a delicate violet, each design has its own personality. Big graphic florals look modern; smaller motifs lean vintage.Fabrics (From left) F1840/01 Amrapali, color: Peony. Designers Guild. designersguild.com Pink Peonies by Helen Klebesadel, fabric: organic cotton sateen. Spoonflower. spoonflower.com PWJD090 Hydrangea, color: Sage. Birch Farm Collection. Joel Dewberry. joeldewberry.com F0366 Wild Flowers by Clarke and Clarke, color: Heather. Duralee. duralee.com

4 of 10

5 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Start simple

Start simple

You don't need to cover walls to refresh a room with flowers. Start simple with floral shapes, knobs, pillows, plates-or even a bouquet.Saturated colors make even the daintiest blooms look current on this Paradise Fields chair by Cath Kidston (cathkidston.com).

5 of 10

6 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

More tips for decorating with florals

More tips for decorating with florals

Play with scale Traditional design advice says to match big prints to walls and large furniture and to keep small florals on accessories like napkins and pillows. For a more current and unexpected twist, experiment with a bold pattern on a small item.Choose your mood Adopt a monochromatic or muted scheme to add a sense of restfulness and restraint. Or jazz things up with bold, saturated hues paired with plenty of bright white on walls, furniture or trimwork.Watch dressmaker details Sofas and chairs take on a romantic sensibility when skirted with fabric. Ditto for ruffles on pillows and draperies. Choose straight or pleated edges and keep furniture legs bare to achieve a more streamlined effect.Avoid the frill factor Balance florals with natural textures and masculine furnishings, such as a sisal rug, farmhouse table or leather club chair.Pick a posy-or two Hang empty frames over flower wallpaper motifs (one per frame) for creative emphasis.Experiment Use floral wallpaper to line drawers or shelves, back a cabinet or jazz up a closet.Pictured: Lenten Rose knobs by Anthropologie (anthropologie.com) play off the lush blooms of wallpaper from Graham and Brown (17869 Isabelle Blue, grahambrown.com). 

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rooms in bloom

Rooms in bloom

Angie Eisman upcycles old sweaters into floral pillows, including this ombre version. A peachy rose pillow by Saro through Wayfair features petals you can ruffle up or down.Pillows (From left) Aqua Merino. Old Made New. oldmadenew.org SARO1182 Flower. Saro for Wayfair. wayfair.com

7 of 10

8 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Wall art

Wall art

Rose Melamine dessert plates by John Derian (johnderrian.com) can also hang on the wall. Take your pick from 16 colors and various lamp styles with this Seedling by Thomas Paul design from Lamps Plus (lampsplus.com). 

8 of 10

9 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pretty platters

Pretty platters

Crate and Barrel's Mallorca platters (crateandbarrel.com) imitate floral shapes and create a shallow waterfall-like vessel for floating flowers.

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Budding enthusiasts

Budding enthusiasts

An ebullient pastel fabric by Duralee blends well with other motifs. Seabrook's Gloucester wall covering brings birds into the pattern mix.Bouquet Styled by Andy Newcom, 5534 Norwood St., Fairway, Kansas 66205. Fabric (On wall) 42339, color: Lavender. Duralee. duralee.com Wallpaper (Runner) SBK23314 Gloucester. Seabrook. seabrookwallpaper.com 

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Writer and Producer: LuAnn Brandsen; Photographer King Au

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 Frame florals
    2 of 10 Use selectively
    3 of 10 Choose a palette
    4 of 10 Modern vs. vintage
    5 of 10 Start simple
    6 of 10 More tips for decorating with florals
    7 of 10 Rooms in bloom
    8 of 10 Wall art
    9 of 10 Pretty platters
    10 of 10 Budding enthusiasts

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Do Not Sell My Personal Informationthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Decorate with Flower Power
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.