Large scale floral prints give conventional furniture pieces a youthful, modern look.
It takes nerve to choose a big floral print rendered in bright colors for furniture upholstery. The worry is that it won’t wear well visually or will pop too much in a room. Yet I find myself drawn to oversize prints, including the splashy white blossoms against a tropical aqua background in Harlequin’s Impasto range fabric [top].
The mix of pattern based on two shades of green is as difficult to pull off as the mix of styles in this vignette – a special talent of Madcap Cottage designers John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon. The super-size banana leaf print couldn’t be farther from your Grandma’s dining room but a less stylish fabric choice for the same chair could easily go Granny.
Another trad seating choice becomes a statement piece through the use of this big poppy print. While it’s not possible to match it on the cushion and sides (the repeat must be vast), the placement of the big white bloom looks just right on the inside back. Credit for this upholstery job is to Chairloom, a Philadelphia area upholsterer that specializes in repurposing classic furniture or making new pieces.
Like the fainting couch (top) this lightly scaled mid-century style settee is covered with Harlequin’s Delphine floral (inspired by delphiniums). True, it’s a more feminine treatment for this sofa than, say a nubby rust-colored solid fabric might be. But it’s also more 21st – than 20th century.
I have 2 ruby-colored leather chairs that sun and cats have had their way with, and I’m thinking of having them reupholstered. I was imagining a colorful pattern, but sure wasn’t planning to go floral. But in large scale, it could be cool, and I really like this option.