Flower trends might not be given the same weighting as design trends, but we think they're a telltale sign of what is in and out in the world of interiors. Throughout 2023, the movement towards sustainable floristry has gathered momentum, and this is set to continue well into 2024, reflected in the popularity of a wild, foraged bouquet. Elsewhere, we've seen more development from the farmers at the source, with bold and brave new colorways and shapes entering the limelight, flying the flag for maximalist floristry.
What's more, florals and botanicals are intertwining with interiors. 'I've noticed flower-forward decorating and design elements trickling back into style in the last year or two, but for 2024, it’s decidedly a full-blown interior design trend,' says Kat Aul Cervoni, the founder of The Cultivation and Staghorn NYC. If you're looking to bring freshness into your interiors, a pleasing vase of beautifully arranged cut flowers is certainly the way to do it. To help you get your finger on the pulse, we've asked the experts for 2024's main floral trends.
1. The foraged look
The foraged, wild look has been popular for some time, but this flower trend is showing no sign of abating. People want that freshly picked look as if you've stumbled out of your house and plucked a bunch for yourself. It feeds into the wider trend for wholesomeness in the home, and of course, sustainability. We want our bouquets to be grown and picked locally and in season, not shipped from flower farms across the world.
'For interior arrangements, I expect to see lots of wild, foraged elements in the home,' says landscape gardener and designer, Kat Aul Cervoni. 'This might include branches and vines and herbs mixed in with abundant flowers for a dramatic display. I’m also seeing lots more traditional garden flowers and wildflowers used in arrangements over tropical or exotic stems,' says Kat.
If you want to practice what you preach, swat up on seasonality - your bunch will look all the more beautiful for it. 'Early spring is a time for quince branches and for jumping on the ranunculus flower trend,' says Kat. 'Meanwhile, spring is all about peonies (a flower that has proved seriously popular over recent years, and continues to be), and unique tulip varieties (Queen of Night, or parrot tulips). In the summer, think berry branches, echinacea, chamomile, while late summer is a time for clematis seed pods, and dahlias. If it's fall, go for chrysanthemums and goldenrod (solidago).'
2. Old school retro
There is no doubt that fashion and interior design trends alike have gone romantic as we enjoyed a year of Barbie-core and a bit of old-fashioned romance. Feeding into this look, we're seeing retro flowers that nod to our inner romantics. These flowers might have seemed out of date, but they're coming back with a bang in the home. 'Interior arrangements will echo what I’m seeing in garden design trends as well, which is a resurgence of love for more old-school or traditional garden flowers such as irises, peonies, and roses,' says Kat. 'It's giving grannycore or the cottagecore trend,' she adds.
To name a few, think carnations or zinnias (both old-school flowers that look beautiful in bud vases, dotted along a table) as well as chrysanthemums, anemones (a colorful buttercup), and, of course, the classic poppy.
3. Bold shapes
Dramatic forms are also “in”, so expect to see big blousy blooms, mixed with foraged branches and cascading vines for an attractive cut flower garden indoors. Flowers are becoming more interesting as farms are learning more and more about how to diversify the crop, offering new colors and variations. 'For carnations, zinnias, and chrysanthemums, I expect to see a greater variety of shapes, colors, and sizes as growers are expanding their offerings a lot more,' says Kat. Floret Flowers - a family-run flower farm located in Washington's Skagit Valle is one to thank for that and big trendsetters in the flower world, working to create new and exciting varieties.
East Hampton Gardens’ owner Michael Giannelli says he's also going in a maximalist direction. 'Several different scale whimsical arrangements on a table mixed with a few simpler vases sprinkled around is a great look,' he says. 'I love wispy garden-type arrangements with Queen Anne's lace, lilac, garden roses, and butterfly ranunculus along with huge peonies for a show-stopping table. Multi-color arrangements but with a softer side.'
4. Unexpected colors
Continuing the maximalist aesthetic, dramatic and unique colors are in. Think juicy reds, pinks, and oranges as well as darker purples, burgundy, and even black. 'Pink is a huge color for 2024 flower trends, as well as more unique floral colors like coffee, mauve, mustard yellow, and grey are also in style,' adds Kat.
For Michael, it's about arranging flowers to tell a color story, creating a sunset sweep using a rainbow of shades that blend into each other. ‘If I'm creating a tablescape, I like using shades of white and cream, reds with pinks, purples, and blues, oranges, and corals blending into each other,' he says. 'I love different color points of view playing off of gorgeous D’Ascoli table linen. Just stunning.'
5. Earthy aesthetic
Just like how earthy paint colors are big for 2024, earthy-toned flowers and displays that speak to nature are coming to the fore with earthy components. Think rough and rugged materials like sand, stone, and soil being incorporated into our floral displays, while alternative potting treatments like terrariums - where you create a sort of micro-garden in a glass sphere - are proving popular.
In terms of plants and flowers, we see lots of visible bulb products. Material-wise, consider elements like ceramics, coconut, burlap, clay, mud and irregular glass to roughen up your floral display and appeal to this earthy trend.
