Not so long ago, I would have confidently told you that I'd never decorate with floral patterns in my home. I found most designs to be far too pretty, delicate, and twee for taste, which leans much more classical than country-chic. But lately, I've found florals (the pattern, not the plants) being used in ways that feel far less cliché — cool, even.
As someone who likes to continuously retune and refine my style (and the style of my home as a result), I set about on a quest to discover what exactly it was about these interiors that made the floral patterns look much more design-forward. Is it about choosing the right color? The scale of the floral pattern itself? Or perhaps where and how the pattern trend was applied? Perhaps it was all of the above?
Below are the three big takeaways I've learned from my search — the secret to making floral patterns feel cool again.
1. It's All About the Background "Field" Color
The walls of this living room are wrapped in House of Hackney's 'Artemis' print, which comes in a range of different colorways.
As part of my research, I started by screenshotting any interior space featuring floral patterns that I found myself drawn to, and put them in one folder. Then, I set about grouping them — what were the specific design elements they each shared?
One big one I found was the importance of the background colors of floral wallpapers. It seems that the best wallpapers to buy (examples above and below), the floral pattern itself felt quite sparse, leaving the bold background color to shine almost just as much.
"The field color here is key, as it is quite prominent and sets the tone for the room," interior designer Zoë Feldman explained to me of the purple bedroom shown below.
"I wanted a floral that felt cozy and feminine but not fussy," says Zoë. "The spaced blooms and handsome palette keep it sophisticated, and continuing it onto the ceiling wraps guests in an intimate jewel box moment."
And of course, while the specific color you choose matters ("I gravitate toward softened, saturated hues like dusty blues for a lived-in, contemporary feel," says Zoë), it's more than that.
What really sets this use of floral pattern apart is how it plays with color theory and dominant and receding colors. "If the background recedes, the floral reads as texture; if it’s dominant, the floral becomes the focal point," Zoë adds.
2. Create Tension With Unexpected Contrast
"A very traditional floral can feel completely modern if it's reimagined through an unexpected color way or an unexpected use in upholstery," says Sophie.
By now, the idea of using something 'unexpected' is a tried and tested trick for making a space not only more interesting, but more design-forward. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that the same goes for decorating with floral patterns.
The best way to elevate the look is to create contrast — tension. "It's about pushing your choices slightly off-center so it doesn’t feel too pretty or polite," explains interior designer Sophie Rowell of Côte de Folk, who designed the living room above. "If there’s something just a bit wrong with the mix, something that makes you pause, it usually means you're onto something interesting."
Once again, she mentions how in this space, the floral pattern contributes to the 'texture' of the room. "From the seagrass rug to the mohair velvet ottoman with contrast piping and the sofa reupholstered in a wild, expressive print, it reminds us that rules in design are there to be broken," she says.
Make decorating with floral patterns feel less fussy "by letting the florals be the focal point while pairing them with solids and textures," says the Ashby Collective team.
Tension can be introduced through the floral pattern itself — "Play with scale and restraint," says Zoë Feldman. "Either go bold and oversized or choose a small, airy pattern based on the other patterns in the room," — or by where it's applied.
The design team at Austin, Texas-based Ashby Collective (behind the modern living room above), recommends styling traditional floral patterns on modern statement furniture. "The tension between the two creates such a dynamic energy," they say. "The contrast makes each element feel more intentional and visually compelling."
If you're upholstering a sofa in a floral pattern, stick to modern silhouettes to ensure you create that much-needed sense of contrast and tension, and don't lean too far towards anything traditional or god forbid, twee.
Similarly, it's worth considering your material palette as a whole when decorating with floral patterns. Make it edgier by layering a traditional print alongside modern finishes, "softening sleek lines and adding a layer of visual intrigue," says the Ashby Collective team. "The organic shapes and nuanced colors of a floral motif bring warmth and depth, creating a dynamic balance within an otherwise streamlined space."
The recent Swyft x Morris & Co. sofa collaboration proves that you can put classic floral prints in a modern home, you just need the right silhouette.
3. Use House of Hackney's 'Hollyhocks'
"The contemporary aesthetic in this room is created by the juxtaposition of old and new, a floral pattern with a modern pop of color, a mix of materials, and shapes," says Sally.
This one feels almost like a cheat, but when drawing comparisons between the spaces decorated with floral patterns that I felt drawn to, I couldn't help but notice some of them happened to use the exact same wallpaper: House of Hackney's 'Hollyhocks'.
Could this be the simplest styling shortcut? And what is it about this specific print that seems to attract designers so much?
"There's a lovely story behind the choice of 'Hollyhocks' in this powder room," interior designer Sally Wilkins tells me of the space shown above. "My client discovered this vibrant floral wallpaper in a New York City restaurant and wanted to incorporate it into her home as a reminder of that day."
The beauty is that the same print — designed by American artist Kerry Simmons, and inspired by florals found in the English countryside (with a bit of the brand's "punk spirit" added in) — is available in colors inspired by each season, plus a few others, so you can find one that works perfectly for your scheme.
"We chose the 'Autumn' colorway as this particular combination worked well with my clients' artworks in the adjacent hallway," says Sally. "To balance the charming, small-scale floral print, I introduced modern shapes and colors, such as the ceramic wall sconce and bright yellow paneling, to contemporize the space."
The great thing about House of Hackney's prints is that you can get the same pattern as wallpaper and fabric, to really embrace pattern-drenching in a space.
So, to recap: when it comes to decorating with floral patterns in a way that feels cool, the key is creating contrast. Whether that's through color, the pattern itself, or where or how it's applied in the space, "Having something slightly off, imperfect, or surprising is what gives a scheme that edge," says Sophie Rowell.
And now I know that, I'm seeing it everywhere — and wouldn't be surprised if 'Grandma' florals become the next big interior design trend for 2025 and beyond.
