As interiors, fashion and food trends evolve, so too does floral design and botanical styling. What’s more, they are often influenced by these aforementioned creative industries. Over the past few years, the movement towards sustainable floristry and gardening trends, in respect of flower growing, sourcing and styling has burgeoned, and this is set to continue in 2024.
According to Debra Prinzing, Seattle-based founder of the Slow Flowers Society, and author of Slow Flowers, available on Amazon, design inspiration in terms of palettes and floral choices ‘increasingly draws from the garden and nature.’
In the Slow Flower Society’s latest Insights & Industry Forecast report, which will be released early next month, Debra says 2024 is being dubbed the ‘year of simplicity’.
‘This is in recognition of Slow Flowers practitioners who are making seasonality and sustainability central to their floral enterprises. In the larger cultural context, people want to know their dollar is going to go further and do good for their community and the planet,’ she adds.
I have worked in the field of floral design for the past six years, and although color trends come and go, the themes of natural connection and seasonality are ones I have watched growing consistently over the years. Optimism and joy are also moods which I am seeing being channelled by floral designers the world over.
In this vein, the Flower Council of Holland has revealed its floral predictions that it says will shape 2024 design trends – the first of which is a connection with the natural world. Their team at Funny How Flowers Do That have curated four new style trends, which they say will infuse ‘joy, passion, and tranquillity’ into floral schemes.
Monique Kemperman, communications manager from the Flower Council of Holland, says: ‘Looking ahead to the upcoming trends is always an exciting time for us. As we approach 2024, there are some beautiful trends which we’ll certainly be seeing more of, that reflect both our continued love of flowers, and also our growing understanding of how flowers can help make us feel.’
(Image credit: Funny How Flowers Do That)
Four floral design trend predictions for 2024
From passionate, bright color palettes to dried flowers and transparent ethereal edges, here are the design themes we will be seeing more of in the coming year.
1. Meaningful Earth
(Image credit: Funny How Flowers Do That)
This trend is all about our ever-increasing want to connect with the natural world, and bringing the wild outdoors into your interiors.
It features shades of brown, yellow, and salmon, combined with dark green and greyish tones, and combines flowers and seed pods with houseplants and other natural materials, such as the coconut shells pictured above.
‘Plants are at the height of importance, not just in the garden, but also in home decor,’ says Debra Prinzing. ‘We’re noticing more so-called floral literacy, as flowers and plants appear on the runway, storefronts, in dining experiences, and more. People love plants and flowers and want to enjoy them in a sustainable way.’
She adds that individuals increasingly want to know their purchases are supporting local flower farmers and coming from sustainable farm sources.
‘We’re calling this aesthetic “the garden eclectic”, an embrace of the many sensory features, such as scent, palette, texture, and flavor, that connect people more deeply with nature. This also reflects a move away from hybridized, unscented flowers,’ says Debra.
I always look to nature as my biggest inspiration, and find that collecting materials to dry such as seed pods and hydrangea heads helps to achieve this look, and adds a natural tone to my arrangements. You can also think about using flowers such as burgundy sunflowers, dill, and craspedia, also known as ‘Billy buttons’.
Debra Prinzing is the author of Slow Flowers and founder of the Slow Flowers Society. She is a a writer, speaker, outdoor living expert and advocate for American flower farming.
2. Viva La Vida
(Image credit: Funny How Flowers Do That)
This design is vivacious and full of color. It’s all about celebrating life with vibrant and festive floral arrangements, featuring a warm and exuberant color palette of pink, red, magenta, orange, and bright yellow.
I often see this look recreated in small, structural forms – where mini sculptures will be made with flowers (and sometimes fruit) in small, repeating designs placed down the center of a long dining table.
These kinds of arrangements are meant to bring drama, and can be achieved with bombastic focal flowers in bold shades, such as roses, dahlias, peonies, tulips, ranunculus, gerberas and sunflowers.
3. Playful Construction
(Image credit: Funny How Flowers Do That)
An ultra modern style, these kinds of designs ’embrace a fresh, unconventional outlook with cheerful shapes and bright colors’, says the team at the Flower Council of Holland.
Look to recreate it by first considering what kind of container or vase you want to use – opt for a bold shade or a pattern, and then create your arrangement based around that.
You could incorporate fresh pastel hues, silver, or light grey with orange asclepia, scented tuberosa, burgundy scabious, yellow santini spray chrysanthemums, and bold purple alliums for an optimistic vibe.
‘This is an accessible, easy-to-replicate concept, with just a few design elements,’ says Debra Prinzing. ‘By varying the heights of each floral variety by color, the design has a modern impact.’
Style with dramatic houseplants in colorful pots for an even more contemporary and fresh look.
4. Gentle Paradox
(Image credit: Funny How Flowers Do That)
I really love the simplicity of this style, with one particular variety of flower featured as the star of the show. Here, shiny and bold lilac anthuriums are teamed with tall, textured vases in terracotta, dusky pink and cream. When combined the look is contemporary whilst also dreamy and hopeful.
You can achieve ‘contrast and balance with a neutral color palette, pastel tints, and warm cognac tones,’ says the team at the Flower Council of Holland.
Other flowers I would use to recreate this look might be hydrangeas, roses, anemones, celosia, tulips or alliums. I would also be tempted to arrange them en masse, using the same variety of chosen flower in a monochromatic scheme of either white, dusky pink, porcelain or beige.
You could also have a go and bringing in the Pantone Color of the Year for 2024, ‘peach fuzz’ and style alongside other pastel shades.
FAQs
What will be the biggest trend in floral design for 2024?
The trend towards more sustainable floral design and seasonality will continue to dominate in 2024. Naturalistic designs, which embrace locally-grown flowers and seasonality will be popular, as will styling with houseplants.
If this styling inspiration has got you in the mood for bringing more of the natural world into your home, you can learn more about this topic with our guide to biophilic garden design trends – the practice of fusing the natural world with our interior living spaces.
