Petal power for Spring

Flowers in all shapes and sizes, from wild, exotic blooms to delicate buds, are blossoming on homeware, whether on wallpapers and fabrics or china and cushions. Designers seem to have taken the countryside to their hearts, as florals have also found favour on the fashion catwalks. Papering a wall in a print evoking a flower-strewn meadow or picking a 'posy' of petal-scattered accessories could be just the tonic to banish winter blues and refresh tired rooms. "Our love for nature never seems to wane," says Mockie Harrison, design manager for Home at John Lewis. "Our home collection this year is driven by all things natural and organic. Florals is one of the key stories, and we've used elements of it across all areas - from fabrics to wallpaper." In general, on the high street there's a choice between patterns using digital technology which appear so real you can almost 'smell the roses' and others which merely use flowers as a starting block to create imaginative botanical designs from traditional to contemporary. "Floral fabrics with chintzy colours and ruffled edges were popular in the Eighties - think Laura Ashley as well as Sanderson's wallpapers - but fell out of favour in the minimalist Nineties," explains Kate Mooney, managing director of interiors company, Occa-Home. "But they've recently enjoyed a revival partly triggered by the introduction of digital printing techniques favoured by many young designers. The new take on florals has blooms scaled up in size, rather than tiny, fussy prints, but more muted colourways using only two or at the most three shades." If you follow the trend, be aware that just as an overwhelming profusion of real blooms can trigger allergies in the sensitive, decor flower power should similarly be handled with discretion especially if a desire for colour and pattern is only slowly growing on you! "Busy, brightly coloured floral patterns can overwhelm especially in small spaces," says Mooney. "Generally florals work best used as an accent for a room, while floral wallpapers work well on one key wall, complemented by accessories such as cushions that continue the theme." So celebrate Spring and gather a beautiful bouquet of homewares that will bring your home out of hibernation! :: Wild for walls Welcome in the new season by bringing walls alive with floral papers and fabrics. "Florals are incredibly versatile and can be used to great effect. I would suggest combining a beautiful large scale floral with geometric and striped fabrics for a dynamic graphic edge," says designer, Tricia Guild, director and founder of Designers Guild. "To maintain a balance with the colour, I'd keep floors and ceilings neutral and use masses of white and highlights of charcoal, such as a black and white silk." She favours shades such as rose pink, lilac and dove grey, and for a softer feel, advises combining a floral design with a mass of sumptuous textures in a room, such as a sofa upholstered in a washed figured velvet. Best of the bunch: John Lewis's easy-on-the eye, Rosa Eau de Nil paper, 20 a roll, fabric, 25 a roll. House Couturier's Flora & Fauna collection is a horticultural delight with wisteria, magnolia, fir and clematis designs. Graham & Brown's country-cottage style Spirit Collection wallpaper with blowsy blooms, or a pared-down Essence range with stylised blooms. Papers 30 a roll. :: Flowery vistas Gardens are still bereft of blooms, and for the first time in 41 years, Britain's biggest daffodil festival, near Cambridge, (Saturday/Sunday March 20/21), so far can't boast a single golden flower. Don't despair, use floral fabrics to conjure blooms inside. "More people are using window treatments as a way to introduce colours and pattern to a living space, with florals enjoying a huge revival," says David Adeane (cor) co-founder of The Natural Curtain Company, whose fabrics start from 7 a square metre. Alternatively, blinds scattered with flowers are a clever way to conceal a bleak outlook. Best of the bunch: Apollo Blinds has a vibrant red and green leaf design, Pampas. Blinds start at 93.94 for a 600x600mm size. A lifelike 'single red tulip on a black' is one of the dramatic blind designs in the Flowers, Plants and Trees collection at the Creatively Different Roller Blinds company. Blind, sized 120cm x 120cm, 240.88, including delivery. The company uses images for designer blinds from photographers, artists and libraries. :: Flowery statement Just as a flower arrangement brings a room to life, so can furniture if it's upholstered in a floral fabric. "The word floral often puts people off, but you don't have to furnish a room in a dated style your granny would be proud of," says Claire Hornby, creative stylist at Barker & Stonehouse. "The best thing about florals is that they can be kitsch and cute, or wild and dramatic depending on your taste. So instead of opting for predictable pastel shades why not consider bright fuscia pinks, or vivid, lime greens contrasting with brilliant white. There's scope to create a floral paradise which is chic and modern." She advises mixing patterns and colours. "Team a sofa in a zingy colour with a vivid patterned chair or two," she says. "Or create your own floral piece. Paint a cupboard in a punchy colour and then use a spray mount to attach sections of floral wallpaper to drawer fronts or panels." Best of the bunch: A Yanna two seater sofa, upholstered in red and purple floral velvet, 990, from Sofa.com. Barker & Stonehouse's Verity chair, upholstered in cerise floral patterned velvet, 815. :: Let it grow Gardeners recognise that this hobby can become an obsession, and once you've caught the enthusiasm for home florals they're likely to spread throughout the house. Flowers are even popping up on kitchen units at Magnet. Its product and marketing director, Anjur Ahmed says: "For 2010, art will meet kitchen design. Floral designs are a hot trend and new technology is allowing patterns and textured designs to appear on kitchen units and worktops. "While not for the faint hearted, bold, bright florals can add creative flair and personality to a kitchen." Fresh, feminine florals are chic for boudoirs, and Laura Ashley and House of Fraser have excellent ranges. Best of the bunch: Magnet's Fiori kitchen range can incorporate a floral design on one or more units to taste. Kitchen starts at 408.95 for a 600mm base unit. Colin & Justin's Bright Flowers, double duvet set, 26, at Matalan. :: Sew the seeds Plant this style in rooms with accessories and, of course, add vases of fresh flowers. "Flowers are definitely everywhere - large, small, climbing, retro!" says Fionnuala Johnston, design coordinator at B&Q. "Florals bring rooms alive - think a cottage garden bursting with flowers - and this theme will thrive and endure well into next year. "A cushion in a floral print which includes yellow, coral and turquoise could give a fresh look to a neutral room scheme, and a floral rug, echoing colours already in a room, could refresh jaded winter decor." Pick of the bunch: B&Q's Classic Rose rug, from 49.98; or a Laya leaf pattern rug from Modern Rugs garden-inspired collection. It starts from 59. Embrace Eastern style with Monsoon Home's Kyoto Cherry blossom canvasses, 100 each from Graham & Brown, and scatter cushions like petals. A 'Flower Power' silk scarf cushion 140.00 from Bouf, made from a Sixties original Christian Dior is a collector's item, or plump for Purves & Purves' Daisy cushion, 35. You can almost smell the pollen with countryside accessories such as Berry Red's lamp shade decorated with flowers and butterflies, 34, on a mirrored base, 60. And Ella Doran's tray, 10, mimics a section of a meadow. Inspire dreams of picnics and summer's hazy days with Marks & Spencer's new pink Peony crockery. Dinner plate, 7.50.