What Goes With Floral Upholstery?

It happened — you fell in love. And the object of your affection (while utterly charming at first) now seems too loud, too wild, too … something. What to do? If you’re thinking of your love life, we can’t help you. But if your troubles are caused by hard-to-match floral upholstery, these options for decorating around it should make life a little easier.

1. Simple graphic prints. A simple, large-scale graphic-print rug in a color pulled from the floral upholstery can go a long way toward “settling” the floral piece into the room. Aim for a mix of large-, medium- and small-scale prints in the room. In the room shown here, a medium-scale floral-print armchair is balanced by the small-scale graphic curtains and large-scale graphic rug. Other upholstered pieces in solid hues keeps things simple.


2. White it out. Fell in love with a bold sofa? Don’t rip your hair out trying to figure out what goes with it — just keep everything else white and call it a day. White walls and white or pale neutral (beige, cream, wood) furniture and accessories will give even the wildest piece the breathing room it needs.



3. Pull a color scheme from the floral piece. This can be a highly effective way to pull a room together — you just have to make sure you get the colors spot-on, so it helps to bring a swatch (or at least a photo) of the floral print with you while shopping for other pieces in the room. Try using the background hue as a wall color, using one of the main floral colors as a solid upholstery color or on the curtains, and picking out an accent color from the fabric to use on pillows and accessories.



Wildcard: Pair it with an animal print. It helps if you think of animal prints like blue jeans — they work with everything, even though it seems like they shouldn’t. Try an animal-print ottoman or small rug. Eclectic and glamorous, this pairing will completely change the look and feel of a room.



4. Ground it with leather. Hardworking leather can be wonderful for bringing some weight to a room with a light floral print. Like a floral print sundress with cowgirl boots, this combo is easygoing and down-to-earth.


5. Repeat the motif. The key here is to go for a big contrast in scale. For instance, you could pair a small-scale floral-print chair with a rug featuring a single, giant bloom. In this space the floral motif on the sofa is repeated in pillows featuring single big blooms. But the other floral motif doesn’t need to be a textile at all — why not try botanical paintings or floral photography instead? And bringing in a vase of flowers never hurts!


Wildcard: Floral frenzy. Layering floral print upholstery, floral rugs and floral artwork in the same space is definitely not for the shy — but when done well, it can be a fun look. Keeping some elements simple and neutral will help rein in all of those flowers. In the space shown here, the walls are brick and white, and a few simply upholstered chairs and wooden tables are mixed in with the wilder pieces.


6. Tone it down with neutral cushions. If you are having second thoughts about your floral-print armchair or sofa, have just the seat cushions, or just the front, re-covered in a solid hue. The nonpatterned space will help tone down the busy print, making it easier to work with, while retaining some of the zest that made you love the piece to begin with.

Tell us: Do you own furniture with floral upholstery? How do you decorate around it? Share your photos and tips in the Comments!

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