Brighten Your Room with Flower Cushions: Blooms that Never Fade

Ok, I confess, there are a lot of flower cushions in my world.  I have always absolutely loved flowers and floral designs. I had an idyllic childhood, growing up on a forestry nursery with a large garden centre in North Otago. Our adjacent home boasted an impressive garden that my parents created from bare paddocks; spending years cultivating, learning and establishing a gorgeous English style garden.

My Mum is the flower-growing version of Yoda, and so I have always been surrounded by beautiful flowers, both in the garden and big armloads in vases in the house. Extending her love of flowers to the interior of our childhood home, in the 1980s, Mum stencilled foxgloves up the living room wall, and decorative floral friezes adorned the top of the bedroom walls. Just as flowers add something special to a garden, flowers in your interior can do the same, instantly bringing the outside in and adding a delightful dose of whimsy. 

Now, in my work as a designer known for colour and pattern, I declare floral textiles to be magical tools - effortlessly anchoring colour schemes and bringing layers of colour and visual interest into a room. For clients that don’t have the budget or desire to go the whole hog with new floral curtains or wallpaper, flower cushions are the perfect sized dose, adding beautiful blooms into your room.

The Many Different Types Of Floral Patterns

Floral patterns have a place in fashion history, and flower cushions continue to stand the test of time. Pair them with blue cushions, green cushions, pink cushions, striped cushions, the list goes on - they really are so versatile! Floral patterns have been adored for centuries all across the globe and are still beloved today.

The distinctive natural beauty and form of flowers have been inspiring designers for centuries. There really is a floral style for everyone.

• Abstract. Abstract floral patterns are characterised by their use of simplified shapes and colours. Abstract patterns capture the simplistic essence of flowers and translate that into vibrant colours and stark shapes.

• Botanical. Botanical patterns feature detailed illustrations of flowers. They are often realistic and seek to illustrate the raw beauty of flowers in nature perfectly, but they can also be stylised or whimsical. Our Annalise Gardeners Delight is a great example of this.

• Damask. Damask patterns are notable for their intricate symmetrical designs. They are usually made up of repeating flowers, vines and leaves., with scrolled elements. Check out our Vintage Damask cushion for a sizzling red and pink version of this traditional pattern.

• Ditsy. Ditsy patterns are loved for their small, repetitive flowers. They are often used lightheartedly or whimsically to make spaces more inviting.

• Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau patterns are characterised by their use of flowing curves and stylised flowers. They often have a decorative or ornamental feel.

• Baroque. Baroque patterns are noted for their use of large, elaborate flowers. Baroque florals often have a dramatic or flamboyant feel that can capture your attention. This incredible Jean Paul Gaultier fabric is a great example of this type of floral.

• Impressionist. Impressionist patterns are notable for their use of loose brushstrokes and soft colours. They usually seek to capture the delicate, fleeting beauty of nature.

• Retro. Retro patterns use bold colours and geometric shapes and usually harken back to the 1950s or 1960s. They have a unique, nostalgic mood to them. Blue cushions with retro flower designs could add colour and a particular kind of beauty to your space. Check out our Climbing Daisy cushion for an excellent example of this.

• Fleur de lis. Fleur de lis is an iconic stylised flower often used in heraldry and decorative arts. This well-known symbol is generally associated with royalty and power.

• Suzani.  Originating from nomadic tribes in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries, Suzani is a particular type of traditional embroidery that features intricate embroidered patterns. The word suzani comes from the Persian word for needle - suzan. Common motifs include medallions, flowers, vines, leaves and fruits (especially the pomegranate), the sun and the moon and stars.

• Chinoiserie. Chinoiserie is a style of art and decoration inspired by Chinese art and culture. Because of this, it often features unique stylised flowers, dragons and other Chinese motifs.

• Jacobean. Jacobean patterns are characterised by their use of rich colours and intricate designs featuring winding branches, fruit, birds and large highly detailed exotic flowers.

How To Use Floral Cushions In Your Home

Whether you’re colour blocking with blue cushions, and just need a pattern to break things up, or you’re looking for a more maximalist feel, floral cushions can bring never-wilting natural beauty into your home. 

Often containing multiple colours, floral patterns are a sure fire way of ‘upping the colour ante’ in a space and adding visual optimism in the process!

Look for florals that contain the colours already in your space, or if you are looking to change things up, choose a floral you love and use that to inspire the new colour palette.

If you want to mix multiple flower cushions, look for florals that have a similar colour palette, but a different scale.

Bring The Outside In With Stunning NZ-Made Designer Flower Cushions

Common across all cultures is the love of beautiful things. Weddings are a great example of a time when the things considered most beautiful are all brought together in one large display of beauty. The beautiful setting, the beautiful clothing, the beautiful cake and at the centre of this celebration are always beautiful flowers, no matter what culture you look at. 

We buy flowers to treat ourselves, to acknowledge special occasions, to say thank you or to just cheer someone up. Flowers are inimitable objects of beauty that never go out of fashion, and I believe that they add a timeless touch to your home regardless of your interior style.

You can view our selection of floral cushions by visiting our online store, where we are proud to provide Aotearoa with stunning luxury cushions, handmade in Ōtautahi Christchurch with beautiful high quality textiles sourced from leading international design houses.

Enliven your interiors with our blooms that never fade.