Floral Notes

When our daughter, Fanny, was about three, we decided to convert her nursery into a bona fide bedroom. As long as her beloved stuffed clown, Ollie, and her Madeline books were near at hand, Fanny cared little about her decor. We, on the other hand, were excited about the prospect of decorating our little girl’s room, taking it as an opportunity to explore a style outside of our usual pared-down design vocabulary. This was the early 1990s, when Mario Buatta reigned as “the prince of chintz.” And so inspired, we upholstered a reading chair in cabbage roses, papered the walls with peonies and layered her bed with one floral fabric over another. We were seduced by the romantic, fairy-tale quality of it all, but suffice it to say, we were soon sated with the look. Recently, though, we’ve noted a spate of fresh new florals. Maybe it’s time to expand our design vocabulary again. As for Fanny? Her new apartment is all white.

Photo descriptions, left to right, first row:
Luxurious Established in 1956 in Alte Vicenza in Northern Italy, Bisazza is known for the exuberant colors, technological precision and elaborate patterns of its glass mosaic tiles. Bouquet is suitable for bathrooms, kitchens and pool or spa areas. $5,840/40-SQUARE-FOOT MODULE. DISTINCTIVE TILE & DESIGN, PORTLAND, MAINE, (207) 772-4344, WWW.DISTINCTIVETILEANDDESIGN.COM

Surprising At first pass, cocktail aficionados may be suspicious at not seeing the liquid in their glasses, but who wouldn’t forgo that pleasure for the chance to hold a highball in this fuchsia-colored vessel? The mouth-blown, lead-free crystal comes in twelve other equally delicious colors, as well as clear crystal. 6.2”H. $212 FOR COLOR, $176 FOR CLEAR. TROVE, WESTON, MASS., (781) 642-0484, WWW.TROVEBOUTIQUE.COM

Extravagant Orangerie is one of the digitally printed fabrics in Designers Guild’s new Zephirine collection. Bursting with overblown flowers and a vivid palette, it’s part grand garden, part theater, all lush. 58”W, 27” REPEAT. $115/YD. OSBORNE & LITTLE, BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 737-2927, WWW.OSBORNEANDLITTLE.COM

Romantic Meant to conceal a flowerpot, the Roses cachepot from John Derian is pretty on its own (the better to see its appealing blue interior) or filled with all manner of ephemera. 8”H. $715. GOOD, BOSTON, (617) 722-9200, WWW.SHOPATGOOD.COM, AND JOANNE ROSSMAN DESIGN, ROSLINDALE, MASS., (617) 323-4301, WWW.JOANNEROSSMAN.COM

Photo descriptions, left to right, second row:
Inventive Family-owned and in business for nearly 100 years, the Italian company Alessi is known for products that are as well designed as they are useful. From corkscrews to teapots to the La Rosa fruit bowl shown here, Alessi products take center stage on the kitchen counter or on an open shelf. The bowl is made of steel and covered in epoxy resin in red (shown), fuchsia or platinum white. APPROXIMATELY 8.25”W x 4”H. $80. CENTURY, PROVINCETOWN, MASS., (508) 487-2332, WWW.CENTURYSHOPPER.COM

Colorful Punch up a linen sofa with Company C’s Addison pillow. The toss pillow is a modern-day sampler featuring gloriously vivid flowers embroidered onto a grass-green cotton ground and accented by a primrose silk trim. 18” x 18”. $145. CONCORD, N.H., (800) 818-8288, WWW.COMPANYC.COM

Delicate For the past decade, Linda Etcoff has devoted her exceptional drawing ability to rendering potted plants and cut flowers. Working with charcoal, pastel and watercolor, and unhindered by the limits of a single sheet of paper, Etcoff pieces together her work to create compositions that grow as naturally as her subject matter. This 2009 work is called, appropriately, The Garden. 52¼”H x 77”W. CALL FOR PRICE. VICTORIA MUNROE FINE ART, BOSTON, (617) 523-0661, WWW.VICTORIAMUNROEFINEART.COM.

Graphic The Flora bench from Orange22’s Botanist series features botanical cutouts in sleek metal forms. The powder-coated aluminum bench comes in a rainbow of colors and can be used either indoors or outside. Even better, 2 percent of proceeds from Botanist sales go to charities chosen by the designers. 60”L x 18”D x 19”H. $1,163. CSN STORES, BOSTON, WWW.CSNSTORES.COM

Photo descriptions, left to right, third row:
Fresh Fashioned from eight teak petals mounted on a cast-aluminum spider base, Richard Schultz’s Petal table was designed in 1960 but still looks as fresh as a daisy. 42”W x 28”H. $2,950. ICON GROUP, BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 428-0655

Fairy-tale Imagine a room where every piece of furniture is abloom. We think the Mayflower armchair would even delight Alice. Shown here in orange, it comes in eight other bright colors, too. 37”L x 38”H x 39”D. $2,940 ($3,580 IN LEATHER). ROCHE BOBOIS, BOSTON, (617) 742-9611, WWW.ROCHE-BOBOIS.COM