Home Decor Trends 2016: Bring the Botanical Look Home

Following on from last year, the trend for all things green and leafy is still going strong, with homewares in Spring/Summer 2016 collections loudly emblazoned with botanical prints, lush foliage, tropical fruits and birds of paradise. Never thought you’d own a pineapple shaped lamp base? Well, think again! This look is centred around bringing the outdoors in and embracing Mother Nature in all her beautiful forms.

However, even if this trend seems a little too ‘out there’ for you, it can be brought into the home, or indeed garden, in a subtle way, too – a few botanical print cushions can make a bright and cheerful addition to any patio set, as can some colourful picnic ware. Indoors, how about using a softer print on a smaller scale, such as on a roman blind within a small window, or create an element of surprise with a patterned lampshade on a hall console table. It will brighten up any entranceway!

There is so much choice at the minute for inexpensive home accessories that nail this trend for all things inspired by nature, however, it is also a look that can be difficult to get right and easy to over-do. Nobody wants their home to resemble an overgrown greenhouse, so just simply tap into the trend with a few carefully chosen accessories here and there. Let’s take a look at some ways you can keep the look subtle, yet still striking…

1 Use Plant Power

Introduce plants, rather than flowers, into your interior for a subtle take on the botanical trend. Think large leafed, glossy foliage such as Banana Leaf, potted palms and Yucca plants. Homebase is a good spot for reasonably priced indoor plants. Place them in oversized stoneware vessels and arrange on the floor in a corner of a room, or hang smaller leafed, trailing varieties in rope hung ceramic pots.

Image source: Jason Busch for InsideOut magazine

Not exactly green-fingered? Then why not try some faux foliage – Ikea has a good range of potted artificial plants, and I love this faux Aloe Vera from Matalan. Succulents are also a good choice for the low maintenance types and they look really modern set into dipped ceramic pots.

// Key pieces //

(L) Faux Aloe Vera plant £10 // Matalan

(R) Metal Distressed Hanging Plant Pot £9.99 // Rockett St George

2 Hang Botanical Prints

Adorn a mantelpiece or wall in your home with botanical prints in a classic, Victorian style, or choose modern graphics if you prefer a contemporary feel. Both styles will ensure you’re bang on trend and set against a plain wall, will look stunning.

Image source: 79 Ideas

Image source: Weekday Carnival

// Key pieces //

(L) Flower Vintage Style Botanical Print £12.83 // Etsy

(R) Botanical Fern Art Print £16.50 // Not On The High Street.com

3 Embrace Nature’s Paint Palette

Obviously this trend is all about the natural world, so when choosing colours, take inspiration from Mother Nature and stick to a palette of greens, blues and neutrals – think olive, khaki, deep indigo, sea green, rich emerald. A deep blue wall will allow other accessories to ‘pop’ (see above pic!) and makes for a more dramatic setting (team with brass or gold accents), whilst the grey-green wall below takes a more subtle, utilitarian nod to the trend and can look great with accents of copper and displays of mini succulents.

Image source: The Design Chaser

// Key pieces //

(L) Absolute Matt Emulsion in Hicks Blue £19.25/L // Little Greene

(R) Estate Emulsion in Lichen £39.50/2.5L // Farrow & Ball

4 Tone it Down with Natural Materials, Metallics & Monochrome

Luscious shades of green and deep blue, tropical patterns and glossy foliage look best when effectively tamed down with other furnishings and accessories made from natural materials, such as bamboo, rattan, washed wood, hessian, stone and linen, as well as metallic finishes, particularly brass, copper and gold. For a hint of Scandi cool, introduce bold monochrome rugs and cushions to help break up the sea of green and add depth to the overall effect.

Place large-leafed palms and ferns into big earthenware pots and set smaller succulents into copper terrariums – I love this one from Cox & Cox – and in the bathroom, pile fluffy white towels into an oversized hessian basket set below a trailing fern. Combining botanical themed accessories with gold metallics, glass and pale birch wood will ensure you keep the look modern and edgy. Less greenhouse, more ‘hot’ house!

Image source: Cox & Cox

// Key pieces //

Glass box £18 // Urban Outfitters

‘Drew’ Bamboo & White Lacquer Side Table £35 // Habitat

Plantation Rug Co. ‘Belle’ Rug in ’01’ (120x170cm) £150 // Houseology

5 Update Everyday Items

Embrace the botanical trend instantly with updates to your everyday items; this look is everywhere at the moment, so it’s easy to pick up anything from leaf-shaped serving dishes to tropical print picnic wares. Here are a few of my favourites that will guarantee a lovely summery freshness in your home… plus details and links of where to buy!