As the world yearns for a fresh start, an interiors upgrade is one way to inject some fun into your life and home. In part two of our floral interiors feature, we look at five ways to capture some botanical beauty within your space, from vintage floral prints to high-voltage colours.

The simple things

Potted blooms look sweet and fresh when set against a gallery wall of vintage floral prints.

Style notes

• His and his sinks in the bathroom are both salvage finds and, though different in shape and depth, share a vintage, artfully shabby provenance that gives them an honest authenticity.

• Junk shops, vintage markets and other second-hand sources can be a treasure trove for decorating your home with characterful objects. Although these prints were from various sources, they are connected by their floral theme. Keeping a subject matter in mind when putting together a collection will give it a sense of cohesive style.

• The juxtaposition of living flowers and faded prints is playful and distinctive — the perfect antidote to boring interiors.

• Simple white tiles are a classic feature with a clean, simple appeal and a cost-saving alternative to on-trend subway tiles.

Great idea

While a theme, such as florals, will pull a room together, you don’t want everything looking too matchy-matchy. Playing with form, texture and size will remedy this, lending arrangements an informal, personalised finish. Here, the terracotta pots and frames share an aesthetic language that is easy on the eye, but the scene also has a relatable, real-life energy thanks to their slight differences and unforced composition.

Hit the floor

A large statement rug is visually impactful and will establish the design direction of the rest of the room.

Style notes

• The ornamental rug has a dramatic elegance thanks to its dark base and oversized blooms.

• Black is a powerful tool when used to anchor an interior and the dark background of this rug lends the space depth and gothic sophistication. This is complemented by the rich cocoa feature wall, a warm and bold choice.

• The remaining walls have been kept white, both to reflect the light and maintain an uplifting atmosphere.

• Carefully edited decorative objects strike a balance between rustic and ornate, contemporary and traditional.

• Several other floral objects punctuate the space, including small artworks, an indigenous orchid set on a wooden chair and unusual baroque vases in a zesty shade of peach sherbet.

Great idea

Instead of a pricey large-scale statement rug, visit the high street to seek out one or two occasional rugs that have a floral design. Layer these with plain rugs, a second-hand find and even kilims for an exotic, bohemian look.

Bed of roses

A shock of high-voltage colour, a mixed bag of ethnic prints and a global decorating approach transform this formal space into a bohemian rhapsody.

Style notes

• A classical four-poster mahogany bed gets updated with traditional South African shweshwe fabric that has been used on the headboard

• A mix-and-don’t-match approach of clashing, eclectic patterns, colours and furniture provides contemporary allure.

• The combination of the vibrant blue shweshwe, the crimson throw with its traditional floral print, a graphic screen-printed cushion cover in charcoal and yellow tones and the old-school tea-themed needlepoint scatter is irreverent and characterful.

• The Indonesian side table is not only beautifully decorative but its floral design forges a visual connection with the textiles.

• The side table and a quirky fish scale lampshade also alter the mood (set by the imposing bed and heavy drapes) from sombre to boho chic.

Great idea

Make the bed the focus of your room by layering it boutique hotel-style. Begin with the basics: a duvet and plump pillows covered in a neutral bedding set. Then add colour and pattern with scatter cushions of varying sizes and finally a printed or colourful throw which will make a style statement. A solid-coloured blanket at the foot of the bed in winter will also add to the layered look.

Still life

Grouped together against a verdant kitchen wall, this avant-garde mix of collectible artworks, postcards, vintage photographs, objet and a little bit of kitsch has a compelling style that is almost painterly in its palette and composition.

Style notes

• As this installation goes to prove, a floral theme can be spontaneous and unforced, connected by disparate threads rather than obvious statements.

• Floral motifs make several appearances in this charming vignette: in the paintings, on postcards, the mugs, trays and real-life flowers from the garden.

• A bold backdrop will highlight the elements that make up a gallery wall — particularly effective if the wall colour is reflected in the imagery being displayed.

Great idea

With its roots deep in nature, a green backdrop is particularly suited to an interior where florals and botanicals are the focal point. Lighten things up with a two-tone paint effect, applying sage or sea-foam green on the bottom half and a light, dusty pink taking up the rest of the wall to the ceiling cornices.

Botany lessons

Framed botanical prints were the starting point for the colour scheme of this living room and remain its decorative focus. While colour pops out at every turn, this is kept contained by the elegant presence of black.

Style notes

• Vintage botanical charts (and other scientific, technical, architectural and medical charts) align perfectly with contemporary interiors and can enhance a sense of nostalgia or be brought up to date in the context of other furnishing and accents.

• Primary brights that appear in the prints have been echoed in soft accessories and other furnishings.

• Instead of the expected floral-on-floral theme, here stripes (still in primary colours) put a fresh, 21st century riff on things.

• Note black’s great anchoring power: the sofa, metal legs of the coffee table, lampshade and glossy drum stool show off the brighter hues to perfection while projecting a cosmopolitan personality.

• A houseplant brings the botanical theme full circle.

Great idea

Create character through texture: vases, vessels, rugs, occasional cushion covers and lampshades are vehicles for adding tactility and a sense of layering.

Words: Mandy Allen
Production: Sven Alberding
Photographs: Greg Cox/ Bureaux, Warren Heath/ Bureaux