Floral Decorating Ideas

Bring the beautiful and elegant look of flowers into your spaces with these simple and stunning projects. Whether it's a small accent or a dramatic scene, these floral decorating ideas will add to your room's budding style.

Framed botanical prints are an entryway go-to, but you can also think outside the frame and display an enormous wall decal instead.

One of the best sources, muralsyourway.com, has a selection of ready-made murals and will also create a custom design based on an image you send. The decals, which have adhesive backings, typically arrive in two pieces; apply the top piece first, and then the bottom one, lining up the pattern. The decal can be easily removed and reused without losing its adhesiveness.

Work is always more pleasant with flowers on your desk, but they don't need to be sitting in a vase to do the trick. Place a swath of bloom-themed wallpaper (use double-sided tape if the edges curl) on a desk, and then top it with a piece of custom-cut glass. Change the pattern as the mood strikes.

Rosetta wallpaper, by Harlequin, from Design Professionals, $78 per roll, 212-759-6894.

Floral mats make a lush backdrop for a grid of photos. Unfurl enough wallpaper to cover the backings of a set of inexpensive clip frames, cut paper to fit each, and then use those pieces as mats. Hang up the frames, edges abutting so the wallpaper pattern is aligned.

Orangerie wallpaper (used as matting), in Rose, $625 per roll, by Designers Guild, 617-449-5506.

There are beautiful benefits to wallpapering compartments within a paneled wall. The fluidity of a floral print plays off the structure of molding for a fresh, unexpected look. Plus, there are few (if any) seams to match up. Go for a pattern featuring a medium-size flower head, and paint the bordering woodwork the same color as one of the strongest hues in the paper. 

Whitewell wallpaper, in Silver, $88.40 per 11-yard roll, by Designers Guild, 617-449-5506. Paint, in Rhododendron Leaf, in semigloss, by Martha Stewart Living Paint, from homedepot.com.

Florals in disparate patterns and sizes can look fresher than a roomful of matching chintz. The key to making it work is establishing a palette dictated by the dominant element -- here, the curtains. Play with swatches to ensure a good arrangement, and balance out the scheme with lots of white.

Floral canvas (curtain fabric), in Off-White/Multi-Color, moodfabrics.com. Classic vanity stools, in Cream, by Simply Shabby Chic, from target.com. Tana Lawn/Felicite (fabric on far-left stool), in Teal, and Kingly Cord/Lou Lou Isabella (fabric on far-right stool), in Neon Pink; by Liberty of London, from purlsoho.com. Dujardin in Rouge fabric (on two middle stools), by Designers Guild, 617-449-5506.

On these silk pillows, the hazy images and washed azure color lend an antique feeling and visual and tactile softness to any setting.

Covering a plain dresser with Victorian botanical prints makes a ho-hum piece the focus of the room.

Bold in stature but subtle in style, easy to make but impressive to look at, this drum-shaped lamp is a study in contrasts.

A border of pale-green appliques dresses up sheer linen curtains without blocking the sunshine. The botanical motif evokes the foliage inside and out, and the cutouts' positioning can be adjusted to suit any panel size.

Adorned with the graphic silhouettes of thistles, this headboard is part furniture, part work of art.

Two disparate pieces -- a cabinet and a desk -- become one, thanks to the clever use of wallpaper. The sophisticated floral pattern makes a beautiful backdrop for a collection of glasses.

To get this look, adhere a wallpaper panel above the desk and mount the cabinet. Remove the cabinet shelves so you can line the back of the cabinet with wallpaper; be sure to line up the center of the cabinet panel with the center of the wall panel below.

A sweet night-light shade is a beautiful addition to a nursery. It's easy to make by photocopying a design onto flexible vellum, then wrapping the vellum around a shade frame. Make one to match your baby's curtains, bedding, or wallpaper.

Home should be a place to hang your hat, but coat racks eat up precious floor space. This idea helps your entryway function better and creates a playful display at the same time. Pick a wallpaper with a repetitive pattern and let it dictate where you put the hooks.

These bright and cheerful pillows will add a touch of spring wherever you decide to place them.

Start with a throw pillow that has a removable cover and any variety of silk flowers you like. With a disappearing-ink embroidery pen, mark on the removed cover where you want to position the fabric blooms. Pull silk flower head off the stem, and discard plastic center and any separators. Align the center of a flower head with one of the pen marks. Place a button over the flower head's center; secure the button and bloom to the fabric, stitching through all the layers.

For a playful alternative to a chair rail, wrap a ribbon of pretty floral paper around your living room or dining room. A horizontal strip will also make a narrow room seem wider and help ground your furniture so it doesn't look like it's floating in an empty expanse. Here, we hung floral wallpaper sideways, about a quarter of the way up the wall; its white borders add instant refinement.

Vintage wallpaper is ideal for enhancing household nooks that are frequently overlooked, such as closets, alcoves, and shelves. The lively patterns are usually available in a limited number of rolls, but you need only a modest amount to make a big statement.

Dusty miller, known for its velvety foliage, is small enough to be pressed in a telephone book. When dried, the leaf fronts turn silvery white, while the backs go gray. Both are on view in figure-eight garlands, which flank a doorway in the style of architectural moldings.