Interior Design with Dried Flowers: Not Just for Country Cottages Anymore
by Kate McIntyrekate.mcintyre@interiordesignschoolreview.com
Interior Design School Review Columnist
Interior design with dried flowers might seem like the exclusive domain of grandmothers who put cut glass bowls of potpourri on their end tables, or of teenage girls who pin Homecoming corsages to their bulletin boards. However, interior design incorporating dried flowers can look remarkably fresh if you keep in mind these tips.
Dried Flower Interior Decorating Tips
Avoid dyed dried flowers at all costs. Much of the beauty of dried flowers comes from their naturally muted tones, and the dye makes the flowers look cheap.If you are buying fresh flowers to dry for your interior decorating project, keep in mind that their color when they are fresh is several shades lighter than their dried color. Red roses, for example, tend to turn black when they dry. Also, avoid white flowers, which become brown as they dry.
A vase filled with a single type of flower looks sophisticated. If your interior design style is more eclectic, feel free to mix and match the flowers, but try to keep them all in the same color range, such as pink to yellow. Arrangements with strongly contrasting colors play against dried flowers' strength--their soft, dreamy hues.
Some Dried Flowers to Try
- Blue Globe Thistle flowers are blue-gray spiky balls about an inch in diameter. They look sleek and architectural, which makes them perfect for modern interior designs.
- Artemisia is another great modern interior decorating choice. Its wispy silver foliage looks a little bit like smoke rising from a fire.
- Peonies are big and beautiful dried. You can find them in a range of pinks, from baby pink to rich fuchsia.
Many interior designers might dismiss dried flowers based on their dowdy reputation alone. But by taking advantage of this unique material, you can offer customers unique flower arrangement looks.
About the Author
Kate McIntyre is a writer in Portland, Oregon. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.
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