Freshen Up Your Home Interiors with a Return to 80’s Floral Motifs

In home design, history often repeats itself. “By reaching back for culture and forward for contemporary techniques, we combine the best of old and new,” says Katie Skoloff, principal designer and founder of In Site Designs, an interior design firm in Greenville, S.C. “People feel validated by heritage, especially as we age, and are always peeking into our ties from the past.”

Trends we once loved reemerge and are being enjoyed with fresh eyes. Homes are becoming design time capsules of a sort as ideas evocative of themes and styles from the past spring to life. “Everything old is new again,” says Julea Joseph, owner of Reinventing the Space, a home staging and interior design firm in Chicago, as you can see with the return of 80’s Floral Motifs.

The 1980s ushered in a floral explosion of sorts: Floral-patterned chintz bedding matched on the drapes, the pillows, the bedskirt, and everything surrounding them. In today’s design, the floral touch is more discerning and less “matchy,” Joseph says. Today’s versions feature enlarged florals compared to the smaller patterns of the 1980s. For example, large peonies or roses make popular artwork accents. Also, black backgrounds in floral throws or pillows offer a fresher take on the trend, Joseph says.

“Florals or topical prints are excellent statement makers,” says Rebecca Snowden, interior style adviser at Furniture Choice. “They pop well with smaller decor or can firmly anchor the room with a striking feature wall.” Opt for larger botanical prints in the form of murals or wall art for a bigger statement, Snowden suggests. Use light-colored floral patterns for a more relaxed, natural look, she adds.

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