Promotional feature: Alice Foulsham takes a look at the current trends in interior design, especially the now ubiquitous floral pattern
With the sunshine finally making an appearance, Summer is well and truly on its way. When it comes to re-doing a room, giving your home a lift or even a full home renovation, there’s no better time than the Summer; the weather’s better, the days are longer and the best part – there are tons of new designs and collections being launched to inspire you!
One pattern that is continuously popular and constantly being reinvented and modernised across all interior design sectors are florals. From the high-end designers to the high street, flowers are everywhere, and will continue to be. So how do you narrow it down and choose a design from the huge choice available?
Budget – This should always be the first question. There is nothing worse than falling in love with something only to find out that it is hugely expensive and out of your reach! If choosing a fabric for curtains or upholstery, then shopping on a budget doesn’t have to mean poor quality. Look for cotton prints, which are often washable, and will not break the bank.
Style – What period is your home? And what kind of mood do you want to create when you walk into each room? For example if you want your bedroom to be a relaxing retreat, then don’t choose bold designs with strong colours and shapes. Also note that if your home is traditional, or has period features, then don’t feel you have to choose an old fashioned style. Many designers are taking vintage patterns and modernising them with contemporary colours or by enlarging the designs.
When choosing a floral fabric for curtains or blinds, you do have to think about the size of the pattern on the fabric. If you are having full length curtains, then you should have quite a large design, so that the pattern doesn’t get lost in the mass of fabric. However if your windows are small, then keep the pattern size to a minimum; some fabrics have such large pattern repeats that you may not even get the full pattern on your curtains or blinds!
Roses are particularly on trend this year, especially the larger designs. If you’re feeling really brave then try a large floral pattern for curtains, with smaller patterned designs on the accessories – cushions for a living room, or crockery in a kitchen. Mismatching designs are still very much in, so you don’t even need to worry about choosing coordinating patterns!
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Alice Foulsham is an Online Interior Designer at Just Fabrics
Find Just Fabrics in Cheltenham and Burford
Or Online at www.justfabrics.co.uk
Tel: 0845 4989043
