sLesser-known obi, plants and moonshine are spreading across carpets, fabrics and furniture this autumn, as a national obsession with rewilding spreads into living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens across Britain.
Cottagecore – a loose term covering fashion, interiors and gardens that conjure an idealized vision of country living – has been a mainstream lifestyle trend for a while. Floral homewares — bloomcore if necessary — provide a touch of botanical style without resorting to a full-blown rustic aesthetic.
The bloomcore hashtag has over 2.5 million views on TikTok, and searches for “floral aesthetics” on Pinterest have increased 108% in the past six months. One of the big successful models from And like that, the Sex and the City In sequel, it was wallpaper in Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in New York. The print was an oversized floral, designed by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Used furniture marketplace Narshi reports that sales of floral homewares — everything from candles to tablecloths — increased 60% in the past year. John Lewis’s new Japonica print has become an autumn bestseller in wallpaper. Hollyhocks has attracted the largest clientele for luxury lifestyle brand House of Hackney, in wallpaper and textiles.
“We’ve recently seen a move towards darker florals, with searches on our website and Pinterest,” says Freda Gormley, co-founder of House of Hackney. “In the US, Obeah’s bohemian poppy print has become one of our most popular designs, while on this side of the pond we love the more romantic and elegant florals.”
JamJar Edit is an online store specializing in pressed flower art and decorative furniture. Founders Melissa Alexander and Amy Fielding also run a floral design studio. Fielding believes that floral designs inside the home help people connect with nature outside.
“There’s something very nostalgic about pressed flowers that draws people in,” Fielding says. “A botanical artwork or dried flower arrangement is an inexpensive and elegant way to bring nature into the home.”
Research suggests that a connection to the natural world can have an impact on people’s health and well-being. Biophilic design – which recognizes the natural connection between humans and nature – is a growing consideration for architects and city planners. Even looking at pictures of plants and flowers can be effective.
Bridie Dunbabin works at Designs in Mind, a social enterprise in Oswestry, Shropshire, which employs designers with experience of mental health issues. The studio has just created a Habitat kitchenware set decorated with floral motifs.
“When we received the brief, we had a discussion with members to find what constituted a ‘happy place’ for them,” says Dunbabin. “I focused on nurturing the plants and watching them flourish. I viewed this as a positive experience. The mere presence of flowers and plants in our surroundings has been found to reduce levels of stress and anxiety.
The psychological impact of flowers is at the heart of a project by artists Lee Baker and Katherine Borowski. Graphic Rewilding creates flower-based compositions for city landscapes – decorating shopping malls, vacant lots and billboards with brightly colored flowers. In the summer, they ‘brought back’ Westfield London shopping center by painting the walls with 8m-tall wildflowers, designs created by Baker.
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the house. Photo: Helen Cathcart
“About 10 years ago, I had a nervous breakdown, and drawing flowers was the only thing that calmed my mind,” Baker says. “The journey of taking my intimate artworks and amplifying them exponentially was very healing. I was almost embarrassed by these drawings, because they would probably be judged.” As unmasculine, populist, or shallow.
Graphic Rewilding now creates floral backgrounds for their designs. An art installation featuring rare plants such as yellow-horned poppies and moon carrot will adorn the English King Charles III Coastal Path around Seaford Head and Cockmere Haven in East Sussex this month. They also have a show at the Royal Society of Sculptors which runs until January.
Gormley says she lives and breathes flowers at the House of Hackney. “Given the range of inspiring designs that flowers give us, it also means that there doesn’t have to be one ‘floral look’ – you can really find something to make your own. Buy what you love, not what’s trendy. That way you’ll appreciate it for years to come .