Florals are Back (Big Time)

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.

–Sigmund Freud

Not everyone would agree with Mr. Freud. I grew up in the 80s. Hair was big and frosted, earrings were enormous, for some reason people were stacking their socks like bracelets, and fluorescent was everything.

Also, in decor…florals. Just everywhere, wallpaper, borders, curtains, bedding, sheets, towels, tiles. If it was a printable material, someone had put a floral pattern on it. I had a peach room with said floral curtains. Laura Ashley. I don’t remember if I liked them, my mom said they were nice, and she pretty much decided those kinds of things. My sister had a coordinating floral curtain fabric on the drapes in her room. But, instead of painting her room a color like mine, she opted for…

*Wait for it*

…a huge floral border along the top of her walls (remember borders? They are like tiny strips of wallpaper that “complement” the big sheets of wallpaper. Usually they consist of a collection of shells, or beach scenes, or horses.). Ohhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhh.

Our bathroom had flowers all over the place as well. Flower tiles, flower towels. Flowers. Flowers.

F-L-O-W-E-R-S.

I think you get the point.

Then the 90s came along, and no one wanted to see another flower, like ever. Flowers were to the 80s, like bell bottoms were to the 70s, and no one wanted to use flowers in decor (except in super high end design, i.e. Mario Buatta).

Most people had had enough florals to last a lifetime. Everyone was all, “Florals are for little girls, grandmas, and nerds.”

I hate florals, I spit on florals. I had written off florals as one dimentional. Laura Ingalls Wilder can have them!

And then…after they had been out of the mix for 20 years or so…they started sprouting again.

Little by little, people started using abstract floral fabrics. I was thinking it didn’t really count as a floral, it was just the idea of flowers.

Lonny

Then florals pillows started getting paired with graphic fabrics.

Vogue

Now, they are exploding on everything, from wallpaper in bathrooms to pillows on beds.

Elle Decor

Lonny

They seem fresh now that we’ve had a break from them for so long. It feels a little like spring time after a long winter.

The fabrics are definitely different than they were in the 80s, more artistic, more elegant, painterly, graphic, bold and bright or subtle and muted.

A montage for your viewing pleasure:

Starting from top right: 1. Horchow, 2. Decor Pad, 3. Etsy, 4. Apartment Therapy, 5. Country Living, 6. Country Living

At first I was totally against the floral trend. But, the more they persist, the more I think I might be into flowers this time around.

How do you feel about it?

ooox,

Nicole